Blazers sound off at GSC media day
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - The Valdosta State Blazers enter year two of the Tremaine Jackson Era. Today Coach Jackson and running back Isaiah Flowers took the stage at the 2023 Gulf South Conference Media Day.
The Blazers finished their 2022 campaign just below .500 with a 5-6 record. They’re looking to put the title back in Titletown this year. With the loss of quarterback Ivory Durham, the question everyone’s asking is who will line up under center this fall?
“I don’t know because we have a lot of new guys on our roster and on our team. What I do know is that this team has come together. This is our team no more do we have to hear about what someone did before. We don’t know what anybody’s done. We’ve taken the pictures off the walls in our program because we want our team now to put pictures on the wall so it’s a brand new mentality in Titletown. It’s a brand new mentality in our program and I look forward to seeing how it pans out,” said Jackson.
The Blazers gave up an average of 250 yards rushing per game last season. The most coming against a tough Mississippi College team where they allowed 598. This off season VSU brought in 33 new guys across the offense and defense and coach Jackson is confident that with the new additions, this year’s defense will be able to get more stops.
“It’s the first time in two years that they’ve had the same system going into the season and that they practiced with in the spring. A lot of people don’t know that and so the continuity of being in the system. We didn’t change the system. It’s our system. We feel like we have the pieces now for the system and think some people will be surprised about how we fly around a play defense,” Jackson said.
On the offensive side of the ball, with the loss of school recording breaking rusher Jamar Thompkins and senior running back Seth McGill, The Blazers will look to hand it off to junior Isaiah Flowers. Flowers sat out this past season and excited to suit up in the red and black again.
“I’m just grateful coach Jack gave me the opportunity. I looked in the mirror and said this is what I want to do. Just being able to put the pads on and play with my brothers is the only thing I’m really focused on right now,” said Flowers.
The Blazers were picked to finish 5th in the GSC Preseason Poll, the last time the red and black were picked in that spot in the preseason poll was in 2018. That same year they went on to not only win the Conference but bring home the program’s fourth national title. Just maybe that prediction will serve as added motivation and history will repeat itself.
The Blazers will kick off fall camp a week from today....
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