FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The week of Homecoming in The Valley has begun. Fort Valley State returns home this weekend in its most celebrated home game of the season when Allen University is welcomed to the middle Georgia campus.

For the fourth contest in six this season, FVSU takes the Wildcat Stadium turf in a 2 p.m. kick-off versus Allen.

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Allen University (1-3/0-3 SIAC) at FVSU (3-2)/3-1 SIAC)
Sat., Oct. 12, 2 p.m.
Wildcat Stadium, Fort Valley, Ga.
Tickets
ESPN+
FVSU Stats

Allen Stats
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FVSU vs. Allen – 12th Meeting

     After the series had a 60-year hiatus, the FVSU and Allen football series return for the fourth year in a row this Saturday.
     The Wildcats look to make it four in a row, the only wins in the series. Since the series was renewed in the fall of 2021, FVSU has outscored Allen by a 134-68 margin.
     Overall, Allen continues to hold the series lead 6-3-2 with the first eight meetings from 1954-61.
1954 – Allen 20, FVSU 14
1955 – Allen 12, FVSU 0
1956 – Allen 6, FVSU 6
1957 – Allen 7, FVSU 0
1958 – Allen 7, FVSU 6
1959 – Allen 6, FVSU 6
1960 – Allen 30, FVSU 0
1961 – Allen 19, FVSU 9
2021 – FVSU 56, @Allen 20
2022 – @FVSU 29, Allen 27
2023 – FVSU 49, @Allen 21

FVSU Game 6 Seek Fifth Win in a Row

The sixth game of the season over the last four years have been productive. The Wildcats have won their last four contests in the Game 6 slot of the schedule. FVSU posted a win over Savannah State (38-24) last year and won games against Central State in each of the previous three season of 2022 (32-17), 2021 (35-14) and 2019 (77-34). FVSU last stumbled in Game 6 at home on Oct. 6 of 2018 in a tight 21-19 final against Clark Atlanta.
 

FVSU Moves up to Season High No. 4 in HBCU D2 Coaches Poll

D2 HBCU Football Coaches Poll: JCSU unanimous No. 1 for the first time

D2 Poll Week 6 notes:

• Johnson C. Smith is a unanimous No. 1 selection for the first time ever
• Despite its loss to Savannah State, Clark Atlanta only drops one spot to No. 3
• West Virginia State won its third straight and moves up one spot to its highest ranking this year at No. 5
• Albany State reenters the poll at No. 9
• Virginia State's loss to JCSU dropped it to No. 10
• Despite its win, Shaw drops out of the poll

In its third year, the HBCU Division II Coaches Poll is administered by BOXTOROW, and is voted on by the HBCU NCAA Division II coaches.

2024 HBCU Division II Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW
Week 6
(Records through October 6, 2024)

No.	Team	W-L	Pts	Last Week
1	Johnson C. Smith (21)	6-0	210	1
2	Virginia Union	3-2	183	4
3	Clark Atlanta	4-1-1	134	2
4	Fort Valley State	3-2	106	6
5	West Virginia State	4-1	88	9
6	Winston-Salem State	4-2	82	3
7	Fayetteville State	3-2	76	8
8	Miles	3-2	73	7
9	Albany State	3-2	68	NR
10	Virginia State	2-3	61	5

Others receiving: Shaw (4-2) 38, Livingstone (4-2) 13, Savannah State (2-3) 5, Benedict (2-3) 1.

(1st place votes in parentheses)

Marshall & Bell Performances Grab SIAC Football Weekly Awards

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Wildcats had some outstanding Saturday gridiron efforts. Fort Valley State's Brandon Marshall and Dejuan Bell made top-notch performances and grabbed the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week awards.

As a big part of the Wildcats road win, 48-14, over the Tigers of Edward Waters, the Marshall and Bell duo amassed 444 combined all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. Both Wildcats had their biggest nights since coming to The Valley when they helped FVSU improve to 3-2 on the year and 3-1 in the SIAC.

For the second week in a row, Marshall received the Conference's Offensive Player of the Week honor. He ran the ball for 160 yards on 25 carries, his highest rushing total since coming to the team last fall, with three touchdowns and a 6.4-yard per carry average. The Philadelphia, Pa., native also caught three passes for 45 yards and another score. Marshall registered a touchdown in each of the four quarters and totaled 205 all-purpose yards.

The most prolific returner in the SIAC, Bell showed his mettle. The senior returned not one, but two Edward Waters' punts for touchdowns of 63 yards in the second quarter and a 70-yard return for a score in the early fourth frame. For the night, the North Augusta, S.C., product totaled 162 yards of punt returns with a third return of 29 yards and ran back three kick-offs for 69 yards. Bell also pulled in one pass for eight yards for a total of 239 all-purpose yards.

On the year, Marshall leads the SIAC in rushing with 432 yards on 94 carries and eight touchdowns at 86.4 yards per contest. He also has pulled in 22 passes for 319 yards and four more scores. He has 751 all-purpose yards on 116 times touching the ball at 6.5 yards per play.

Bell sits at 589 all-purpose yards over 31 touches of the ball for 19.0 yards every time he gets the pigskin. At wide out, Bell has 12 catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns and ran the ball twice for 12 yards. In returns, the senior ran back 11 punts for 242 yards for a 22.0 yard per return average and two scores, while he has returned six kick-offs for 132 yards.
 

2023 Meeting: Wildcats Set Tone Early, Capitalize Late to Defeat Yellow Jackets

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. – The Wildcats second visit to Westwood High School was as successful as the first. Fort Valley State set the early tone with three touchdowns in the first nine minutes and Kelvin Durham sealed the victory with touchdown passes following the team's third and fourth interceptions for the 49-21 gridiron final over Allen University.
 
Durham and the FVSU offense set the tone from the start. The redshirt sophomore quarterback found Brandon Marshall from 25 yards on the game's opening possession, and he hit Fralon Warren from 20 yards after a home three-and-out for a two-score lead. Kamari Blankumsee picked off Allen's first play of the next possession and returned it 16 yards for a 21-0 margin only 8:48 into the night.
 
The Wildcats had the second half answer each time for the Yellow Jackets. Allen pulled to within 35-21 by the end of the third frame only to see Malik Harp snatch the third FVSU interception and return it 23 yards to the home 11-yardline. Durham connected on his fourth scoring pass, this time to Jaren Lawson, on the second play for a 42-21 score.
 
The Yellow Jackets came right back and drove 75 yards only to see Dylan Stokes pick off the pass in the endzone. On the second visitors play and for the fifth time on the night, Durham threw a pass 20 yards down the right sideline to Warren who outran the defenders to the endzone for the 84-yard final dagger for what would be the 49-21` final tally with 6:10 left to go.
 
With the win, FVSU improved to 4-1 on the season and 4-0 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
 
Leading the offense, Durham had a very efficient night with 22 completions in 31 pass attempts for a season-best 332 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. He also ran four times for another 16 yards.
 
Warren led all Wildcat receivers with 115 yards on three catches with the two touchdowns. Both Corintheus Edmonds and Dejuan Bell totaled 55 yards on three and five grabs. Za'Tarious Anderson (3 rec. for 36 yds) stepped into the endzone from 22 yards for the first second-half touchdown to put FVSU ahead by two scores the rest of the night.
 
Marshall pulled in three passes for 26 yards and ran for another 45 yards on 18 attempts. Kentrelle Williams had the lone rushing score from 23 yards with 2:39 left in the third quarter.
 
FVSU outgained Allen by a 430-420 margin on 17 fewer plays from scrimmage.
 
Defensively, freshman Blankumsee picked off two of the four FVSU interceptions and added four stops. Jaydn Walker paced the unit with 10 tackles and one for loss. Harp produced the key fourth-frame interception to go with eight tackles, one for loss, while Daymon Polite also had eight stops and a breakup.
 
D.J. Wilson and Omarion LaRoach both sacked the Allen quarterback against a unit which had given up only a single sack in the first four games.
 

FVSU Last Weekend: Marshall, Bell and Defense Spelled Wildcats Victory over Tigers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Wildcats used all facets of its arsenal for victory Saturday night. Brandon Marshall scored four times on offense, DeJuan Bell returned two punts for touchdowns and the BlueDeath Defense held its third foe to negative rushing yards and spelled a Fort Valley State gridiron victory, 48-14, over Edward Waters.

Starting with Marshall, the running back scored a Wildcat touchdown in each quarter, including his 14-yard run which sealed the win with 3:04 remaining to make it 34-14. Bell returned his first punt for a touchdown at 13:59 of the second quarter for 63 yards before he capped his night with a 70-yard repeat touchdown return at 10:10 in the game. The FVSU defense added to the night by holding the EWU offense to -37 yards rushing on 25 attempts.

FVSU put 40-plus points on the scoreboard for the third time in five contests. The Wildcats went above .500 to 3-2 on the season and 3-1 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The reigning SIAC Offensive Player of the Week, Marshall recorded his best night as a Wildcat in his two seasons. The senior rushed for 160 yards on 25 carries for a 6.4-yard average and scores of 21, six and 14 yards. He also caught three passes for 45 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown, for 205 all-purpose yards on 28 touches.

Despite only catching one pass for eight yards, Bell accounted for 222 all-purpose yards on only seven touches of the ball. He returned the 63 and 70-yard punt returns for touchdowns and had one other punt return of 30 yards for 162 total punt return yards. Bell also returned three kick-offs for 52 yards.

The BlueDeath Defense shut down its third opponent's rushing attack. Coming into the week allowing only 51.3 yards a game, FVSU saw EWU rush 25 times and posted a total of -37 yards for the third time in five games with a negative rush total. The unit also recorded five sacks and held the Tigers to only 219 yards on 61 plays.

Back to the Wildcat offense, quarterback Kelvin Durham threw for 171 yards on 11 of 18 passes with one score and one interception. He hit Jamie Hampton with four passes for 48 yards. Four other FVSU receivers had one grab apiece in J.T. Pendleton, Alex Henton, Bell and Gentry Sparks covering 37, 28, eight and five yards.

Joining Marshall running the ball, Jamal Sanders ran for 50 yards, while Triston Morgan added 32 yards on two totes with a 21-yard touchdown.

For the second week in a row, the FVSU offense went over 400 yards of total offense with 413 yards on 54 plays. The Wildcats ran for 242 yards on 36 carries to go with 171 yards through the air.

DeMarcus Harris added to the FVSU players with their best career performances. The linebacker posted nine tackles while he had 4.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and a pass breakup.

Kentrell Lawson registered five stops with one for a loss. Defensive backs Landon Austin, Kamari Blanksumee and Dray Duncan each had four tackles with two and one tackles for loss and a Duncan breakup. Jaydn Walker posted 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack of his own.

Freshman Jamarian Stevenson made the most of his two tackles with 1.5 for a loss with each as part of sacks. Omarion LaRoach was in on one sack. Tre'vyon Webb picked off a Edward Waters pass.

The FVSU defense had a long list of eight other defenders with a tackle for loss in the unit's -37-yard total in Josh Burney, Jaylen Brown, Malik Harp, D.J. Wilson, Amaury Hutchinson, Adeon Farmer, Alfonso Harris and Marquis Hood.

Edward Waters quarterback Juwan Dent completed 21 of 36 passes for 256 yards with one score and an interception. He rushed 13 times for a -32 yards.

The Wildcat special teams again keyed the start of its points. Morgan forced a muff of the Tiger punter and allowed the visitors to take over on the home 21-yardline. Marshall took the shotgun hand off and ran to the end zone for the night's opening points.

Marshall pulled in a 27-yard scoring pass from Durham at 6:53 left in the second quarter after Bell's first punt return touchdown for a 21-0 intermission score.

Edward Waters cut into the margin with a 5-yard fumble return on the first play of the third quarter. The Tigers scored their only offensive touchdown on a 51-yard pass at 5:55 in the third and trailed 27-14 heading to the final 15 minutes.

FVSU, though, put three touchdowns on the scoreboard in the fourth frame and sealed the victory.

Allen Last Week: ASU Scores Three Times in Opening 7 Minutes, Defeats Allen
 

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. – Visiting Albany State put three touchdowns on the scoreboard in the opening 6:52 and never were challenged in a 57-17 victory against Allen.

Allen pulled to within 20-7 with the next points, but ASU answered with its fourth and fifth touchdowns.
Quarterback Jamir Dismuskes completed 10 of 17 attempts for 176 yards and one score with two interceptions. Naders Lawrence pulled in three of those completions for 93 yards and a 49-yard touchdown. Fabian Duncan ran for 68 yards on 21 carries and one score.

The Yellow Jacket defense received five tackles from each of Andre Phillips, DeJuan Hughes, Kirkland Boone and Darius Williams with five tackles apiece.

Wildcats vs. Yellow Jackets

FVSU	Category	AU
37.2 ppg	Scoring Offense	21.6 ppg
17.2 ppg	Scoring Defense	29.8 ppg
383.4 yds/gm	Total Offense	289.2 yds/gm
144.8 yds/gm	Rush Offense	118.6 yds/gm
238.6 yds/gm	Pass Offense	170.8 yds/gm
279.2 yds/gm	Total Defense	342.2 yds/gm
33.8 yds/gm	Rush Defense	149.0 yds/gm
245.4 yds/gm	Pass Defense	193.2 yds/gm

Wildcats Travel to MEAC member Bulldogs

The Wildcats go back on the road to Orangeburg, S.C., next Saturday, Oct. 19. Fort Valley State takes on MEAC member South Carolina State in a 2 p.m. kick-off.




 

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