Wildcats Trek North to West Virginia, Face Upstart Big Blue

9/21/2022 11:06:00 PM

By: Chris Myers

FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats play in their third different state in four weeks in The Mountain State on Saturday. Fort Valley State treks north to West Virginia to face upstart Bluefield State on the gridiron.

The Wildcats and Big Blue both come off close come from behind home victories over Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes last weekend. The first-time opponents will meet on the Mitchell Stadium turf surface in a Saturday, 1 p.m. kick-off.

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FVSU at Bluefield State
Sat., Sept. 24, 1 p.m.
Mitchell Stadium, Bluefield, W.Va.
Tickets
Live Video

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FVSU vs. Bluefield – 1st Meeting
    Despite starting in the same year of 1940, the two gridiron programs are at two different stages and number of games they have played.
     FVSU goes into the matchup with 756 games in its football history with 439 wins at a .594 winning percentage. For the regular season, the Wildcats rate 25^th in NCAA Division II regular-season winning percentage at .602.
     Bluefield State ended its football program the 1980 season. The Big Blue restarted the team last year and posted a 3-3 record. Since teh 1940 season, Bluefield State holds a 146-188-18 record in 352 contests compared to its visitors' 756.

Wildcats Make 2^nd Trip in History to Mountain State
     After back-to-back games at Wildcat Stadium, FVSU will mark only the second time in program history to play a game in the Mountain State. It was six years ago minus a week since the Wildcats played on Oct. 1 of 2016 at Alderson Broaddus in Philipi, W.Va. The Battlers pulled out the 33-9 final over the Wildcats in the game.
     In fact, Alderson Broaddus is the only West Virginia opponent in FVSU's football history it has played and dropped both games.

Wildcats Seek to Continue Best Start in 18 Years
     After a comeback victory was recorded, FVSU improved to 3-0 on the still early season and equaled the program's best start in 18 seasons. The Wildcats started the 2004 campaign with six-straight victories, the last time the team won their first three affairs.
     Prior to 2004, FVSU won its opening 10 games for 1999, first five in 1998 and opening five for 1989 as the other years with at least three wins to start seasons.

FVSU Aims to Snap First Road Game String
     Aside from the 2021 two-game spring games, FVSU has dropped its last six opening true road games of the football season.
     The last three true FVSU first road games came with defeats in Tallahassee, Fla., against NCAA Division I's Florida A&M. FAMU took the meeting last season 34-7 on Sept. 11, 2021. The other road games at FAMU were during the 2019 (57-20) and 2018 (41-7) seasons.
     The Wildcats did win its first road game when they played two road games in March of 2021 after the 2020 fall season was canceled due to CoVid. FVSU won 36-18 on March 27, 2021 in Rome, Ga., against Shorter University.
     The last opening true road win to a season came eight years ago. FVSU claimed a 42-28 win at Savannah State on Sept. 13, 2014.

Wildcats Move up Two Spots to No. 4 in HBCU D2 Coaches Poll
          Following a jump of four spots the prior week, FVSU moved up two more spots in the HBCU D2 Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW. The Wildcats went from No. 6 to No. 4 in the Week 3 poll.

2022 HBCU Division II Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW
Week 3
(Records through September 17, 2022)

No.	Team	W-L	Pts	Last Week
1	Virginia Union (19)	3-0	215	1
2	Albany State (2)	2-1	193	2
3	Benedict	3-0	174	4
4	Fort Valley State	3-0	125	6
5	Fayetteville State	2-1	123	5
6	Virginia State	2-1	83	9
7	Bowie State (1)	1-2	82	3
8	West Virginia State	2-1	80	7
9	Shaw	1-2	50	NR
10	Lane	1-2	24	10

Others receiving votes: Savannah State (1-2) 19, Bluefield State (1-1) 18, Tuskegee (1-2) 14, Morehouse (0-3) 5, Chowan (1-2) 4, Livingstone (1-1) 3, Elizabeth City State (1-2) 2, Johnson C. Smith (0-2) 1, Lincoln (Pa.) (1-2) 1, Miles (1-1) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)

Edmonds Grabs SIAC Newcomer of the Weekly Award
     With the biggest day of the early season, the Wildcat wide receiver pulled in a league honor. Fort Valley State's Corintheus Edmonds was selected as the SIACouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Newcomer of the Week award.
      In helping FVSU to its first 3-0 start of a season since 2004, Edmonds hauled in seven passes for 143 yards and a 51-yard touchdown in the 29-27 comeback victory over Allen University last Saturday.
      As part of the game-winning touchdown capped by quarterback Kelvin Durham's 10-yard scramble, Edmonds had two catches on the drive of 11 yards for a first down and then an 8-yard grab, which gave FVSU a 1st-and-goal at the Allen 10-ydline, three plays before the score.
     In the game, the Atlanta, Ga., native totaled seven receptions for 143 yards and 51-yard-long scoring strike on the fourth play of the second half to pull FVSU to within 21-17 in the early third quarter.
     Over the Wildcats first three contests, the senior transfer from Delta State has 11 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown to his credit. He averages 20.9 yards per catch and 76.7 yards per game.

Wildcats Mount Comeback, Score Final 12 Points to Defeat Yellow Jackets
     After being challenged all afternoon, the Wildcats proved resilient down the stretch. Kelvin Durham's quarterback scramble for a 10-yard touchdown gave Fort Valley State its first lead in over 36 minutes and its defense held strong late to complete the 29-27 comeback victory over Allen University.
   Following the FVSU (3-0/1-0 SIAC East) score four plays into the second half, Allen (0-2/0-1 SIAC East) answered with a nine-play drive of its own to extend its lead, 27-17. The Wildcats showed the final 17 minutes would be theirs.
     Durham came up with the first home answer to the Yellow Jackets where he found wideout Fralon Warren cutting across the middle and raced down the right side 49 yards for the score and a 27-23 margin with 2:04 in the third. The first FVSU drive to retake the lead stalled at the Allen 35-yardline, but the home defense held fast for a three-and-out series.
      On the ninth place of the ensuing possession, Durham pulled down the ball and ran around the left side into the clear to the endzone for the 10-yard go ahead touchdown with 3:58 remaining. The FVSU defense had it toughest day, but again held when it was needed the most with a 3-yard rush, a 6-yard sack, and forced a scrambling incompletion before Tim Alderman recorded his sixth quarterback hurry and Christian Maddox and Jamal Janvier combined to breakup the 4th-and-18 pass to seal the Wildcats victory.
      With the win, head coach Shawn Gibbs not only improved to 3-0 as a collegiate head coach, but he has the Wildcats team at 3-0 for the first time since 2004.
     For the second week in a row, Durham continues his rapid quarterback growth. The redshirt freshman led FVSU to its highest output in three weeks of 430 yards of total offense. Durham completed 20-of-32 attempts for 334 yards and three touchdowns while he rushed for another 28 yards on eight carries with none bigger than his final 10-yard scoring run.
      Durham's favorite two targets of Corintheus Edmonds and Warren combined for 13 catches for 289 yards and three scores. Edmonds pulled in seven balls for 143 yards and a 51-yard touchdown to start the third-quarter points, while Warren had six receptions for 146 yards with scores grabs of 28 yards and 49 yards, which was the home team's final score of the third frame.
     For the defense, Jaylen Brown and Lataj Wright paced the Wildcats with eight stops each. It was the combined sack by Adeon Farmer and Caleb Thomas, who had seven combined tackles, on the second play of Allen's first possession which was key. Alderman posted only three stops but was in the Allen backfield all afternoon with a jumping pass breakup and six quarterback hurries.

Bluefield State Takes Down Central State
Bluefield State took down Central State University, 27-23, on a long touchdown pass to take the lead and a redzone defensive stand to seal the victory last Saturday.
     Tied at 21 after three quarters, the Big Blue pushed ahead when quarterback Wyatt Freeman hit Khyon Smith on a 94-yard scoring strike with 6:16 left in the contest. Central State blocked the extra point attempt and returned it 98 yards for the two-point defensive score, 27-23.
     The visiting Marauders drove 64 yards on 11 plays, before they could not convert on a 4th-and-10 from the home 11-yardline. Following a Bluefield State punt, Central State took over on the home 46-yardline with 1-minute left, but it could not move the ball from that starting point.
     Bluefield State QB Freeman completed 25 of 38 passes for 335 yards and two scores. Smith pulled in 6 of those passes for 159 yards with 94 on the long touchdown. T.J. Gunter led the Big Blue defense with nine tackles, two for loss and a sack.

FVSU Rates Among NCAA & SIAC Best
     With 3 games played, FVSU rates among best in the SIAC in various stat categories:
NCAA
Emanuel Wilson
6^th – Rushing Yards (398)
6^th – Rushing Yards/Game (132.7 yds/gm)
SIAC
Offense:
      4th – Total Offense (359.7 yds/gm)
      5^th – Scoring Offense (19.7 ppg)
Defense
      1st – Rush Defense (92.3 yds/gm)
      2^nd – Total Defense (249.7 yds/gm)
      3^rd – Pass Defense (157.3 yds/gm)
      4^th – Scoring Defense (13.3 ppg)
      Individual:
      Emanuel Wilson
1^st – Rushing - (132.7 yds/gm)
3^rd – All-Purpose (139.0 yds//gm)
8^th – Total Offense (132.7 yds/gm)
Kelvin Durham
4^th – Pass Efficiency (137.4)
4^th – Total Offense (211.3 yds/gm)
5^th – Passing (185.0 yds/gm)
Corintheus Edmonds
4^th – Receiving Yards (76.7 yds/gm)
Fralon Warren
10^th – Receiving Yards (60.0 yds/gm)
Tim Alderman
3^rd – Sacks (0.67 sks/gm)
6^th – Tackles for loss (1.17 tfl/gm)

Wildcats Return to The Valley for 2022 Homecoming
     The Wildcats return to The Valley for their 2022 Homecoming next weekend. FVSU hosts rival Benedict College in a top SIAC East battle starting at 2 p.m. on the Wildcat Stadium field turf.

-Wildcats-

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Wildcats Trek North to West Virginia, Face Upstart Big Blue