Three games into the season, and Valdosta State has allowed just one team to score a touchdown.
The Blazers have started out as the Gulf South Conference’s best defensive team, holding opponents to 255 yards and just 6 points per game, good for the second best in the country, and are doing so in surprising fashion.
After last season’s run to the National Championship, the defense took big hits as two of its team leaders and seniors on defense left the linebacking position searching for some new younger players.
When linebackers Michael Cullen and William Montford graduated, the Blazers and Defensive Coordinator Joe Cauthen were left with just one senior, and a junior who didn’t become eligible until recently to fill the middle of the defense.
As spring practice winded down and summer camp approached Cauthen was left wondering what VSU would do to fill the glaring hole.
After the Blazers’ held the GSC’s No. 1 offensive team to zero touchdowns, his mindset is a little better about his young team.
“I feel better today than I did when we first reported to camp,”
Cauthen said. “Right now they’re playing above what I expected at the beginning.”
The Blazers have been playing some of the best defense in the country, holding opponents running games to 112 yards per game, and putting up the nation’s ninth best passing efficiency defense (86.26).
With two-time All-American Sherard Reynolds and fellow seniors Everett Kitchens and Roger King in the secondary, the back of the defense is littered with experience. However, throughout the rest of the defense, with the exception of senior Lavarus Dollar at linebacker and seniors Jermel Daniels and Mark Sibenaller on the defensive line, the rest of the defensive unit is filled primarily with sophomores and freshmen.
Sophomore Larry Dean is leading the team with 25 tackles, 4.5 for loss and three sacks, freshman Brian Buford has 14 tackles and three for loss and sophomore Japree Miles led the team against Ouachita Baptist with nine tackles.
All three come at the linebacker position, along with freshman Kiece Crite, sophomore Dudley Spence and others, where youth is serving the Blazers well.
“They’ve been a very encouraging group of guys considering what we’ve had to replace,”
Cauthen said. “What we have now is a group of guys learning each and every day. They’re not perfect yet, by no means, but they’re striving to get better and we’ve been improving each game.”
Leading the young defense, a youngster himself, is the sophomore Dean who has improved both his play and his leadership since his freshman season.
Dean, a Tift County standout in high school, stayed at VSU during the offseason working with strength coach Michael Doscher and has come into this season with his physical stamina leading to mental stamina.
In just his second season, Dean has taken on the role as leader acting like a coach on the field.
Young D playing well
