Gulf South Conference

2015 GSC Football Year In Review

2/19/2016 11:00:00 AM

Click HERE for the complete GSC Football Year in Review release
Click HERE for the GSC Football Record Book (updated to reflect 2015 season)
  For the third consecutive season, there was a share for the GSC Title as North Alabama and West Georgia were crowned 2015 Co-Champions.  UNA earned a share of the Crown for the third straight season.  The Lions also claimed three in a row from 1993-95 and they upped their GSC leading total to 12 Football Titles.  UWG sercured its fourth overall Championship after also sharing the top spot in 1997, 1998 and 2000. 
  For the second year in a row, the GSC earned at least three teams in the NCAA Division II Football Playoff field.  No. 1 seed West Georgia won its second straight Super Region Two Title, returning to the Quarterfinals for the second year in a row before falling at Northwest Missouri State, 38-23.
 
FIRST ROUND (November 21)
@ No. 2 seed North Alabama 50, No. 7 seed Newberry 7
@ No. 4 seed Valdosta State 61, No. 5 seed Carson-Newman 59
SECOND ROUND (November 28)
@ No. 1 seed West Georgia 27, Valdosta State 20
No. 6 seed Tuskegee 35, @ North Alabama 31
QUARTERFINALS--REGIONAL TITLE GAME (December 5)
@ West Georgia 35, Tuskegee 6
SEMIFINALS (December 12)
@ Northwest Missouri State 38, West Georgia 23
  North Alabama earned its first GSC Offensive Player of the Year winner since 1995, as quarterback Luke Wingo finished first in the voting.  Wingo follows the same path as UNA’s previous Offensive winner, signal caller Cody Gross, after the senior led the Lions to their third consecutive GSC Title.  Overall, Wingo is the sixth Lions’ standout to earn the honor.  The Tuscaloosa, Ala. native finished No. 1 in the Conference in passing (263.6 ypg), touchdown passes (21) and total offense (284.7 ypg).  He completed the regular season by claiming his second GSC Offensive Player of the Week laurel for 2015.  Wingo guided North Alabama to its GSC-leading 12^th overall league crown and third consecutive NCAA Playoff berth.

For the second straight season, a Conference member recorded its first-ever GSC Defensive Player of the Year when Florida Tech defensive lineman J.J. Sanders topped the voting.  Sanders is the 17th all-time defensive lineman to claim the honor, first since West Alabama’s Ridge Wilson in 2012.  The Columbus, Ohio native lived in opponent’s backfields all season, ranking first in the Conference in tackles for loss, compiling 18.0 for 88 yards, and second in sacks with 6.5 for 51 yards.  The three-time GSC Defensive Player of the Week placed second on the team in total tackles with 59.

Florida Tech earned its second consecutive GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year: running back Antwuan Haynes.  The true freshman played in all 11 games for FIT, placing fifth in the league in all-purpose yards (121.4 ypg) and kick return yards (20.7) and sixth in rushing (50.4).  The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native was named to the All-GSC Second Team as a return specialist and was tabbed the GSC Player of the Week once and the GSC Freshman of the Week three times during the regular season.

Linebacker Malcolm McClenton became Valdosta State’s first-ever GSC Defensive Freshman of the Year.  Overall, the redshirt freshman is VSU’s seventh Freshman winner with the previous six coming on the offensive side of the ball.  The Thomasville, Ga. native enters the post-season with 24 total tackles in 10 games and he is also tied for second on the squad in tackles for loss with 5.0.  McClenton has also nabbed two interceptions and logged one sack for 13 yards.

Florida Tech’s Steve Englehart secured his second straight GSC Coach of the Year laurel after sharing the award in 2014.  Englehart’s Panthers recorded their best season in school history finishing in a tie for second-place in the league standings (5-2) and posting a 7-4 overall mark.  FlT put together a six-game winning streak towards the end of the season, culminating with its home upset of then No. 1 West Georgia on November 7.
  The Gulf South Conference’s television package returned to ESPN3 as the exclusive carrier of the “Florida’s Space Coast GSC-TV on ESPN” lineup.
 
Sept. 12            @ #13 North Alabama 34, Mississippi College 17
Sept. 26            @ #8 North Alabama 55, Florida Tech 48
Oct. 3               Florida Tech 41, @ #5 Delta State 37
Oct. 10              @ #2 West Georgia 49, #21 Valdosta State 28
Oct. 17              @ West Alabama 52, Shorter 27
Oct. 22              Valdosta State 37, @ Shorter 22
Oct. 24              @ #2 West Georgia 31, #13 North Alabama 10
Oct. 31              @ #24 Valdosta State 55, West Alabama 28
Nov. 7               @ Florida Tech 28, #1 West Georgia 26
Nov. 14             Delta State 37, @ Mississippi College 29
  TEAM
Game
Yards Gained (Both Teams)
1,368-Valdosta State (686 yds) vs. Carson-Newman (682 yds)
Most Points in a Game (Both Teams)
120-Valdosta State (61) vs. Carson-Newman (59)
 
Season
Most Punts Had Blocked
5-Delta State
Most Two-Point PATs
9-West Georgia
Most Consecutive Conference Championships (tied)
3-North Alabama (2013-15)
 
INDIVIDUAL
Game
Kickoff Return Touchdowns (tied)
2-Tyreek Hill, West Alabama vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
Longest Kickoff Return (tied)
100-Gary Holmes, Florida Tech vs. Delta State
  TEAM
Blocked Kicks  Allowed
1-Florida Tech
Blocked Punts  Allowed (tied)
1-Florida Tech
1-North Alabama
1-Valdosta State
INDIVIDUAL
Blocked Kicks
7-Marcus Sayles, West Georgia