Coming Up This Week In Gulf South Conference Football

By  //  October 16, 2015

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Two televised games, two in-region, non-conference battles and two Homecoming matchups make up Week Seven in GSC Football. (Florida Tech Image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Two televised games, two in-region, non-conference battles and two Homecoming matchups make up Week Seven in GSC Football.

The Florida’s Space Coast GSC-TV on ESPN3 package reaches its midway point on Saturday when West Alabama hosts Homecoming and Shorter in Game Five.  The game is exclusive to ESPN3 and can be accessed at www.gscsports.org/ESPN3.

Another important league contest will be televised, as No. 2 West Georgia travels to No. 15 Delta State in the “ESPN3 D-II Football Game of the Week,” which can also be seen on ESPN3 and on the American Sports Network.

Saturday’s final Conference matchup features Mississippi College and host Valdosta State with both squads seek their first GSC triumph of the season.

No. 17 North Alabama and Florida Tech complete the schedule as both face in-region, non-conference squads.  UNA plays is second straight DII non-conference game, returning home to host Homecoming festivities and Super Region 2 Independent UNC-Pembroke.  FIT takes a break from its league schedule, journeying for a first-ever matchup versus SIAC foe Fort Valley State.

Last but not least, West Florida continues to prepare for next year’s inaugural football season, organizing its third intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday inside its future home, Blue Wahoo Stadium.  Fans can watch live at GoArgos.com.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

Mississippi College (2-3, 0-2 GSC) @ Valdosta State (3-2, 0-2 GSC), 2:00 pm ET
Location: Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Ga.
Series: MC leads 8-5-1
Last Meeting: @ VSU 42, MC 16 (1995)

Valdosta State hosts Mississippi College with both squads seeking their first league victory of the season.

MC journeys to Valdosta, Ga. for the first time in 20 years where the rivals have split the previous eight meetings.  The Blazers have reeled off three in a row at home versus the Choctaws, capped by a 42-16 win in 1995.  Mississippi College’s last triumph at VSU came in 1990, 17-10.  Overall, MC owns an 8-5-1 all-time edge, but Valdosta State has claimed five straight in the series and has not lost in the past six matchups thanks to a 10-10 tie in 1991.  Mississippi College hopes to put the brakes on an eight-game road skid that dates back to the end of the 2013 campaign.

“FLORIDA’S SPACE COAST GSC-TV ON ESPN3”
Shorter (2-3, 1-1 GSC) @ West Alabama (4-2, 0-2 GSC), 2:00 p.m. CT (Homecoming)
Location: Tiger Stadium, Livingston, Ala.
Series:  UWA leads 3-0
Last Meeting: UWA 55, @ SU 10 (2014)

West Alabama shows off its Homecoming festivities in Game Five of the Florida’s Space Coast on ESPN3 package, hosting Shorter in a 2:00 pm kickoff.

Both teams appear in front of a GSC-TV audience for the first time this season.  History is on UWA’s side after registering wins versus SU in two previous GSC-TV matchups.  The Tigers defeated the Hawks at home in 2012, 49-7, before adding another TV win in Rome, Ga. a year ago, 55-10.  Overall, West Alabama is 15-11 in GSC-TV games, while Shorter is searching for its first win at 0-6.  UWA is 3-0 all-time against SU with the Tigers cruising to a 63-17 home win in 2013.

Florida Tech (3-3) @ Fort Valley State (4-2), 6:00 p.m. ET
Location: Wildcat Stadium, Fort Valley, Ga.
Series: 0-0
Last Meeting: First meeting

Florida Tech jumps out of league play on Saturday, traveling to in-region, non-conference foe Fort Valley State.

FIT faces a SIAC member for the first time ever and seeks to even its record against in-region, non-conference teams to 1-1 after the Panthers fell at home to Newberry in their 2015 opener.  FVSU currently leads SIAC’s East Division and are winners of four out of their last five games.  The Wildcats battle a GSC foe for the second time this season after Delta State opened its season with a 48-7 victory on September 3.  Overall, the GSC is 8-0 against SIAC schools this year.

“ESPN3 D-II FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK”
#2 West Georgia (6-0, 2-0) @ #15 Delta State (5-1, 1-1), 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Parker Field at McCool Stadium, Cleveland, Miss.
Series: DSU leads 18-11
Last Meeting: @ UWG 24, DSU 16 (2014); UWG 37, @ DSU 27 (2014, NCAA Playoffs)

For the third consecutive week, a pair of Top 25 GSC rivals lock horns when No. 15 Delta State hosts No. 2 West Georgia.  The game is featured as the “ESPN3 D-II Football Game of the Week” and will also be shown on the American Sports Network.

DSU leads the all-time series, 18-11, but UWG has reeled off three straight wins including two triumphs in 2014.  The Wolves streak started with a 38-21 home decision in 2013 and continued a year ago with a 24-16 home triumph during the regular season and a 37-27 win in Cleveland in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs.  The Statesmen are 9-4 versus West Georgia at home, taking five of the last six matchups.  UWG seeks its first 7-0 start since 2000.

UNC-Pembroke (4-1) @ #17 North Alabama (4-1), 6:00 p.m. CT (Homecoming)
Location: Braly Municipal Stadium, Florence, Ala.
Series: UNA leads 2-0
Last Meeting: UNA 27, @ UNCP 6 (2014)

No. 17 North Alabama stays outside of league play returning home to host in-region, DII Independent UNC-Pembroke.

UNA seeks to rebound from its first setback of the year, falling by two points at Western Oregon last Saturday.  The Lions have won both of the previous two meetings versus UNCP, but Saturday marks the first matchup in Florence, Ala.  North Alabama recorded a 38-13 win in the first meeting in Pembroke in 2013 and followed with another road victory in 2014, 27-6.  UNA is 5-4 all-time versus teams from the state of North Carolina.
GSC FOOTBALL–WEEK IN REVIEW

The GSC surpassed the halfway point of the 2015 season with one lone undefeated team as No. 2 West Georgia exited Saturday without a loss.

UWG remained in a first-place tie for the top spot in the league standings, capturing the Peach Basket trophy via a 49-28 home win over No. 21 Valdosta State in Game Four of the Florida’s Space Coast GSC on ESPN3 package.  The Wolves held a four-point lead at halftime and ran away from the Blazers in the second half thanks to a 21-point third quarter.  The victory marked UWG’s first at home versus VSU in 17 years.

Florida Tech registered its second consecutive Conference triumph, topping West Alabama at home, 24-13.  FIT’s defense sparked the win holding the Tigers to one fourth-quarter touchdown, while the Panthers’ offense was headlined by long scoring strikes of 80 and 60 yards.

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No. 17 Delta State collected its first league decision of the season, spoiling Shorter’s Homecoming, 38-17, despite the absence of Preseason All-America quarterback Tyler Sullivan.  The Statesmen scored all 38 points off of five turnovers, including a blocked punt which tied the game, 7-7, early in the second quarter.

No. 6 North Alabama stepped out of league play and could not overcome tough weather conditions and costly turnovers in its first loss of the season, 24-22 at Western Oregon.  UNA opened the game with three straight miscues, but rallied to grab a six-point lead with 11:32 left to play.  WOU put together back-to-back TD drives only to see North Alabama pull within two points at 1:28.  UNA recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Wolves’ forced an interception on its own 20-yard line with 20 ticks on the clock.