VALDOSTA, Ga. – It was the type of game you would expect from two of the Gulf South Conference's top teams. It took four quarters and two overtimes for the outcome to be decided, as the No. 13 ranked Statesmen of Delta State University put away the top-ranked Blazers of Valdosta State University 27-24 on Tom Santos' 36-yard field goal in the second overtime Thursday night at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. 

After 60 minutes of regulations, six combined turnovers had the two GSC powerhouses tied at 24. In the first overtime period, Delta State quickly forced a VSU turnover, as Dominic Spinks picked off Chris Hart's pass in the corner of the endzone. All Delta State needed was a score, but remember - this is Valdosta. Nothing comes easy for the green-and-white at Bazemore-Hyder, think back to the last two trips to South Georgia for Statesmen. True to form, VSU forced redshirt freshman Trevar Deed to fumble at the Blazer two yard line, just as DSU looked poised to win the game. 

In the second OT, Delta State failed to push it into the endzone after three-straight plays. On fourth and short, Tom Santos nailed a 36-yard field goal to give the Statesmen a 27-24 lead with the Blazers set for their turn on offense. After gaining a quick first down by running the ball, the Statesmen defense bristled on third down, forcing a fumble from redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Hart at the DSU 15 yard line. 
As the clock struck midnight and the players fought for the loose ball, Delta State's Damian Davis emerged from the pile with the pigskin sealing the win over the top-ranked Blazers. 

The Statesmen improved to 4-1 overall with the win and 3-0 in Gulf South Conference play, while the Blazers slipped to 4-1 and 2-1 in league play. 

The first half was plagued by turnovers and penalties for both teams. On DSU's first possession, Garrett DeWitt's pass intended for Chad Schroeder was picked off by VSU's Brian Buford. Six plays later, Valdosta's Zach Williams connected on a 27-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead with 10:53 to go. 

Delta State tied it up at 3-3 in the second quarter on Tom Santos' 22-yard field goal with 13:46 remaining in the half. 

Valdosta Stated wasted little time in answering the score, as sophomore linebacker Larry Dean picked off DeWitt for the second time in the half and returning the ball 27-yards for a touchdown. Williams' point after attempt sailed wide right giving the Blazers a 9-3 lead. 

Less than a minute and half later, DeWitt shook off his first half jitters hitting Tramaine Jenkins in stride for a 44-yard touchdown. Santos' PAT pushed the Statesmen out front 10-9. 

After forcing a three-and-out for the Blazers, Delta State marched the ball 94 yards on 18 plays in 8:26 with Chad Schroeder putting the Statesmen up 17-9 on a six-yard run. 

With only a minute remaining in the half, Valdosta took advantage of a DSU breakdown in the secondary, scoring on a 49-yard hailmary from Chris Hart to Albert Dukes. Williams' PAT cut the DSU lead to 17-16 at the break. 

The second half provided more of the same for the Statesmen and Blazers. Both teams played to a scoreless third quarter, setting the stage for a nail biter in the fourth quarter. 

With 13:46 to go and the game on the line, Delta State made a gamble going for it on fourth down at the VSU two yard line. Dedrick Wilson's play froze the Blazer defense allowing the senior to find junior fullback Ben Stallings in the back of the endzone for a 24-16 lead. 

After stopping the Blazers and momentum squarely on the shoulders of the green-and-white, DSU once again coughed up the football on an errant backwards pass intended for Schroeder. The loose ball was covered by the Blazers' Sherrard Reynolds. 

With the momentum shift in the pocket of the Blazers, VSU capitalized on a 40 yard drive, as Hart connected with Dukes on a six-yard touchdown pass. The Blazers converted the two-point attempt to tie the game at 24-24 with 10:06 left in the game. 

Both teams traded possessions over the remaining 10 minutes, as the epic battle went into overtime.
Delta State finished the game with 436 yards of total offense, while Valdosta State totaled 366. The Statesmen continued to throw the ball well, despite the interceptions, passing for 343 yards on 31-of-58 attempts. DSU rushed for just 86 yards, but ran the ball effectively late in the contest.
Valdosta State passed for 201 yards, but rushed the ball for 166 yards on 31 carries. 

Garrett DeWitt completed 25-of-45 passes for 282 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions to lead the Statesmen. 

Trevar Deed hauled in a season and career-high 11 passes for 71 yards, while rushing 12 times for 52 yards. Chad Schroeder caught six passes for 105 yards, while Tramaine Jenkins pulled down four passes for 77 yards and a score. 

Defensively, senior safety Dominic Spinks proved to be the difference. The Meridian native made nine tackles, recorded one sack and one tackle-for-loss, intercepted a pass, broke up two passes, recovered two fumbles, forced another, and served as the principal team leader on the sidelines. Junior defensive tackle Justin Halas added seven tackles, while junior linebacker Lardester Green-Hicks tallied eight tackles. 

VSU's Chris Hart totaled 299 yards of total offense, as the freshman passed for 201 yards and rushed for 98 more in the loss. The Bradenton, Fla., native completed 18-of-41 passes for 201 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. 

The Statesmen will return to Parker Field-McCool Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 11, as DSU hosts the Tigers of West Alabama. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. DSU Athletics, Statesmen Football, and the BEEP Program will once again observe “Pink out Parker Field” for cancer awareness and research. Several special in-game events are planned for the day. DSU will also wear special pink helmet stickers during the game, and anyone wearing pink will get in free. More information will be available on www.GoStatesmen.com on Monday.