FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – On Military Appreciation Day at Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium, Fayetteville St. dropped a 38-9 decision to Valdosta St. on Saturday afternoon. The Broncos fell to 2-1 on the season, while the Blazers improved to 3-0.
Dismukes led the Broncos offensively, completing 12-of-25 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown while adding a team-high 46 rushing yards. Fleming caught four passes for 61 yards and the Broncos' lone touchdown, while Unique Kelly added five receptions for 76 yards. Isaiah Silver paced the ground game with 23 rushing yards.
Defensively, Ryan Debow delivered a standout performance with a game-high 16 tackles. Kadynce Watson recorded eight tackles, while Jason Melton II and Christopher Bentley each finished with seven stops. Bentley also recorded an interception, the Broncos' lone takeaway of the afternoon.
Valdosta State capitalized on three Fayetteville State turnovers, including two fumble returns for touchdowns, to pull away from the Broncos in a non-conference matchup. The Blazers finished with 439 total yards and controlled possession for 33:30, while Fayetteville State was limited to 254 yards of offense.
The Blazers struck early when Curtis Janvier recovered a Fayetteville State fumble and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown just 1:21 into the contest, giving Valdosta State a 7-0 lead.
The Broncos responded with a strong six-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a 22-yard field goal by John Hernandez-Vargas, trimming the deficit to 7-3 midway through the opening quarter.
Valdosta State extended its lead to 14-3 on a two-yard touchdown run by Shawn Paschall and later pushed the advantage to 21-3 early in the second quarter when Champ Harris connected with Kenai Grier for a 48-yard touchdown pass.
Fayetteville State found life in the third quarter after a short field setup. Senior quarterback Jamir Dismukes hit Marcus Fleming on a 27-yard touchdown pass to cut the margin to 21-9 with 8:57 remaining in the period. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful.
However, Valdosta State answered immediately with a six-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 43-yard touchdown run from Harris. The Blazers added a 20-yard field goal by Brett Fitzgerald later in the quarter to build a 31-9 advantage heading into the fourth.
The game's final score came with 3:47 remaining when Sergio Mason recovered a fumble in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown return, sealing the 38-9 victory for the visitors.
For Valdosta State, Harris accounted for 348 yards of total offense, throwing for 289 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 59 yards and another score. Arnold Jaheim led all receivers with 118 yards on four catches, and Paschall rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown. Jabari McMillan highlighted the Blazers' defense with two interceptions.
Fayetteville St. returns to action on Saturday, September 19, when the Broncos travel to Charlotte, NC to face Johnson C. Smith. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
