Albany State ready to start season off against Valdosta State

A year ago, Gabe Giardina made his Albany State football coaching debut in spectacular style, leading the Golden Rams to a 29-12 win over Valdosta State.

Year 2 for Giardina begins with the same opponent. The Rams (6-4 last season) face Valdosta State at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta.

Albany State heads to Valdosta State with a new quarterback under center. Stephon Masha, a graduate transfer from Liberty, will make his debut with the Rams on Saturday.

“I think we just need to be ourselves and execute at a high level,” Giardina said. “We need to block the right guys and one of the things I harp on the offensive linemen is don’t lose to confusion. Let’s play smart and let’s not cut a bunch of people loose. First game everybody’s always got a little wrinkles, we’ve just got to recognize the wrinkles and play through them.”

Picked to finish fifth in the Gulf South Conference, Valdosta State (5-4 in 2017) saw four players named to the preseason All-GSC team, including running back Kenny Benjamin and offensive lineman Jeremy King.

Giardina said it will once again be a tall order for the “Dirty Blue Defense” on Saturday.

“We go into every game trying to stop the run, first and foremost,” he said. “The problem with Valdosta is they’re really good at throwing it. With the good quarterback they have coming back, Rogan Wells, he’s a good player. And then Kenny Benjamin, he’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s dynamic in the slot. So we’ve got to control the line of scrimmage. We’ve got to win the battle on first down so we can give them some second and longs and third and longs.”

Albany State’s victory over Valdosta State last year was the Rams’ first over the Blazers since 2004.

Valdosta State head coach Kerwin Bell noted Albany State’s progress in a video the Blazers’ athletics department posted online this week.

“Every time we’ve played them, they’re a very talented football team,” Bell said. “Before I got here, I always heard they were sort of not in great shape sometimes, not as well-coached as they could’ve been. But I tell you what, that coach that came in last year, he has done a tremendous job with them. So now you’ve got a bunch of great athletes who are well coached, they’re well-conditioned.

“They were in really good shape last year. That’s what you see when you watch them throughout the year last year. They understand the game, they’re well coached. This is not the same Albany State team you might have seen four or five years ago. This is a good football team with a lot of good athletes and they can play, so this will be a good test here opening at home.”