Valdosta State beat Ferris State in a wild Division II title game

Valdosta State beat Ferris State in Division II’s national championship on Saturday in McKinney, Texas, 49-47. The Blazers won their fourth national title and first since 2012, while the Bulldogs just missed winning the DII crown for the first time ever.

Ferris almost overcame a two-score deficit in the last six minutes. But a two-point conversion trick play failed, leaving the Bulldogs exactly that many points short.

The teams traded leads all evening until the fourth quarter, when VSU settled in with a lead that FSU tried furiously to erase. Had Ferris won, this bonkers TD would’ve been remembered forever:

As it turns out, it’ll probably still be remembered for a while, but Valdosta’s OK with that. The player who defined the game was Valdosta QB Rogan Wells, who threw for 349 yards and five touchdowns and also caught a 25-yard score in the second half.

VSU 49, FSU 47

Valdosta State recovered a Ferris State onside kick, though the Bulldogs almost recouped it. The Blazers will win their fourth national title after a few kneel-downs.

VSU 49, FSU 47

Ferris State scored a touchdown with 40 seconds left, but the Bulldogs game up short on a Philly Special-style trick play on the two-point conversion.

Valdosta State will win barring an onside kick recovery by Ferris State.

VSU 49, FSU 41

Ferris State has a shot with two minutes left. After officials weirdly didn’t call pass interference against FSU on a third-and-4 fade to the end zone, Valdosta State decided to go for it from the Ferris State 34. A first down would’ve ended the game, but Rogan Wells’ pass fell incomplete. Ferris State’s now inside midfield and marching.

VSU 49, FSU 41

A Ferris State field goal cut down Valdosta State’s lead to one score, but the Blazers just picked up a third-and-long conversion with less than four minutes left. A few more first downs would end this for Valdosta, but Ferris has three timeouts.

VSU 49, FSU 38

Valdosta State rebuilt a two-score lead with 11:36 to play, via a 25-yard Ivory Durham pass to the quarterback, Rogan Wells.

VSU 42, FSU 38

I JUST SAW THE WILDEST TOUCHDOWN I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.

Ferris State’s Jayru Campbell threw toward the end zone but sailed it out of bounds. Valdosta’s Cory Roberts leaped and caught it well out of bounds, but he threw it back into the end zone before landing — trying to save it like a basketball player might.

The problem? He tossed it right to FSU’s Keyondre Craig for a Ferris touchdown.

VSU 42, FSU 31

Touchdown, Blazers. They turned an interception into a touchdown. Travis Taylor caught it from a yard out.

VSU 35, FSU 31

Valdosta State needed a huge play on defense to break this game’s pattern of touchdown-trading, and the Blazers just got one. Alex Brown intercepted Jayru Campbell and returned it to the Ferris State 8.

VSU 35, FSU 31

That’s the eighth lead change. Rogan Wells threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Joe Fortson to put Valdosta State back in front. They’re just trading TDs now.

FSU 31, VSU 28

Ferris State retook the lead with an 85-yard drive right after halftime. A Marvin Campbell 2-yard touchdown run capped it. This game’s had seven lead changes, not counting the first points of the game by Ferris State.

VSU 28, FSU 24

Ferris State has first-and-goal inside the Valdosta 5 as the Bulldogs try to retake the lead in a see-saw game.

The VSU Blazers are averaging 8 yards per play. The FSU Bulldogs are averaging 7.9. It’s been exceptionally even, and we’re going to have a great second half.

VSU 28, FSU 24

After a long goal-line series, Valdosta State’s Seth McGill scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with two seconds left in the half. It took five plays inside the 5 and a couple of timeouts and video reviews, but the Blazers will lead at halftime.

FSU 24, VSU 21

Ferris State’s Delon Stephenson was called for targeting on a play inside his own 5-yard line, but officials overturned it on video review. Valdosta State’s now trying furiously to get into the end zone in the last 30 seconds of the half but hasn’t punched it in yet.

FSU 24, VSU 21

The back-and-forth continues with a touchdown by Ferris State’s Davontae Harrington from 8 yards out on a jet sweep to his left. Harrington, a 5’9 speedster, just beat a handful of Valdosta defenders to sneak inside the pylon.

VSU 21, FSU 17

Valdosta’s Lio’undre Gallimore has his second touchdown catch of the day — this one from 66 yards out with 10 minutes left in the half.

FSU 17, VSU 14

Valdosta State punt returner Brian Saunds weirdly tried to cover up a bouncing kick at his own 15, and he muffed it into a Ferris State recovery. The Bulldogs were back in the lead a few plays later after a 3-yard TD run by Jayru Campbell.

VSU 14, FSU 10

Valdosta State has its first lead. Rogan Wells found Kenny Benjamin in the back left corner of the end zone for a 9-yard TD.

Important update after that TD:

FSU 10, VSU 7

Ferris State’s Jackson Dieterle drilled a 52-yard field goal. He’s one of the better kickers in Division II, on the watch list for the non-FBS levels’ Fred Mitchell Award.

FSU 7, VSU 7

A nice bounce-back drive for the Blazers. They tied the score on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Rogan Wells to Lio’undre Gallimore, capping a 75-yard march.

FSU 7, VSU 0

What a horrible sequence for Valdosta State.

The Blazers’ Andrew Gray just missed a 31-yard field goal, and then Ferris State got an 80-yard touchdown on its first play after that. Valdosta had some kind of coverage bust, and Keyondre Craig got free down the left sideline with no one near him. QB Jayru Campbell will never have an easier 80-yard TD pass in his life.

VSU 0, FSU 0

They’re underway in McKinney. Valdosta State’s moved inside the Ferris State 20-yard line quickly, as the Blazers look to start the game with a score.

VSU 0, FSU 0

The game’s not yet on ESPNU, while an NC State-Penn State basketball game wraps up. If you’re looking for it, you should see it in a moment.

Update: Here it is.