UWF Football: No. 8 Argos tasked with slowing down Valdosta State's explosive offense
The University of West Florida football team returns to the Peach State this Saturday for a road conference battle against Valdosta State.
Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CST from Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia.
The Blazers haven't had the type of season they've been accustomed to in recent years, but if history is any indication, they'll always pose a threat to UWF.
VSU has won four of the six meetings, although the Argos have won the last two, including a 61-42 win last season in Pensacola.
As for this season, the Blazers have a 4-5 record and are 2-4 in conference play. They are also 1-3 in games decided by one possession.
While the Blazers have struggled, West Florida (7-1, 5-1 GSC) is coming off its fifth straight win and an undefeated record in October.
Last week, the Argos offense had to find a way to put up points against West Alabama's top-ranked scoring defense in the Gulf South Conference. Now, the focus turns to the defense to slow down Valdosta State's high-powered attack and dual threat quarterback Ivory Durham.
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Durham has thrown for 2,384 yards and 24 touchdowns. He has also ran for 407 yards and four touchdowns.
"We have tremendous amount of respect for Ivory. He is about as good as they come," Argos' head coach Pete Shinnick said. "He does everything well with his arm that you ask him to do and he is excellent with his feet as well. We got to be dialed in. It is going to take a complete defensive game and our defense has to be at their best."
The Blazers' offense averages 38 points per game, which ranks fourth in the GSC. However, their defense is last in the conference, giving up 38.6 points per game to opponents.
Ball security
UWF's offense hadn't committed a turnover in two games before last week against West Alabama. The Argos had two giveaways in that game, but also got one back with an interception.
The Blazers don't have a problem converting points into turnovers, but they haven't gotten the opportunity. Their defense have only forced nine turnovers so far this season.
"We got to slow them down on offense and disrupt what they do. Offensively, we have to be really, really good and secure the ball," Shinnick said. "We had two turnovers last week and we can't have turnovers. We also have to be able to move the chains."
Pressure the quarterback
Durham has been one of the best quarterbacks in the GSC this season, but he also has good weapons around him. The running back duo of Jamar Thompkins and Seth McGill has been just as good as any pair of running backs in the conference.
Thompkins has rushed for 709 yards and five touchdowns. McGill has 661 yards rushing and four touchdowns. McGill also leads the conference with 701 kick returns yards.
The Blazers also have one of the more dynamic receiving pairs in the conference. B.K. Smith and Victor Talley each have more than 500 yards receiving with six touchdowns.
In order to slow this dynamic offense down, the Argos are going to have to get pressure upfront and their secondary will need to continue to play well. The Blazers have only given up three sacks all season.
"We have been echoing all week of how slippery (Durham) is. We know we may have to cover longer than usual, but we must stay locked in our man," UWF free safety Shannon Showers said. "They have gotten down at times this season, but have been able to comeback in games with their big plays. You can never count them out."
Playoff implications
West Florida heads into this game ranked fourth in NCAA Division II Super Region 2 rankings. This is important because the top-four seeds in each region will host a playoff game when the playoffs begin.
The Argos' are also still have a chance at winning the GSC title. Delta State is ahead of them in the standings, but a lost to West Alabama could give put the conference title in the Argos' lap in the last week of conference play.
Greg Hollis is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at ghollis@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: UWF Football: No. 8 Argos tasked with slowing down VSU's dangerous weapons
