LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The West Alabama Tigers dealt a severe blow to Delta State's chances for a conference championship and a playoff berth by defeating the No. 17 Statesmen 34-14 Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Livingston.

West Alabama quarterback Deon Williams rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and completed 18-of-32 passes for 156 yards to lead the Tigers to the upset victory.

Delta State dropped to 2-2 in Gulf South Conference play and 3-3 overall, and have now dropped three out of four road contests this season. The Tigers (4-3) improved to 2-2 in the GSC.

Statesmen quarterback Garrett DeWitt completed 33-of-51 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown throw, but was also intercepted four times, including thrice in the fourth quarter.

Trevar Deed led the Statesmen rushing and receiving attack, catching 10 passes for 117 yards, which included a 50-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. He also rushed for 61 yards on 14 carries.

Eldred King also caught 10 passes from DeWitt, accumulating 69 yards. Todd Bradford caught five passes for 69 yards.

Roosevelt Ross led the Tigers in rushing with 77 yards on 14 carries.

The Statesmen outgained the Tigers 416-296, but accumulated most of their total offense in the fourth quarter after falling behind 27-0. After three quarters, West Alabama had outgained Delta State 287-154 in total offense.

The Tigers wasted absolutely no time setting the tone for the game, as Terry Allen took the opening kickoff from Tom Santos 95 yards to the end zone for a West Alabama touchdown.

Momentum shifted even further in West Alabama's favor after Delta State's first series ended with a fumble at midfield. Six plays later, the Tigers capped a 45-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown on a quarterback keeper by Williams.

After the hosts forced Delta State to punt on its next series, West Alabama placekicker Brock Sharp capped a 14-play, 69-yard drive with a 41-yard field goal to put the home team ahead 17-0 late with less than three minutes to play in the first quarter.

Ball control was not a problem for the Tigers in the first half, as West Alabama ran 49 plays for 251 yards during the first 30 minutes, compared to 26 plays of 81 yards for the Statesmen. Williams added another score, this time from one yard out, to cap a 16-play, 75-yard drive with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter.

The Tigers ended up scoring on their four offensive series, and took a 27-0 lead into halftime thanks to a 24-yard field goal from Sharp as time expired in the second quarter.

Delta States appeared poised to put a dent into the scoreboard on its first series after halftime. The Statesmen put together a 15-play, 61-yard drive deep into West Alabama territory, only to turn the ball over on downs in the red zone.

The Statesmen began to show some signs of life in the fourth quarter when DeWitt guided the Statesmen to a 15-play, 96-yard drive and scored on a two-yard run with 10:12 remaining in the game.

Trailing by 20, the Statesmen opted for the onside kick and were rewarded when Damoyn Carroll came up with the ball. Seven plays later, the Statesmen were back in the end zone, this time courtesy of a 50-yard strike from DeWitt to Deed on a fourth-and-11 situation.

Down by two scores, the Statesmen again opted for the onside kick, but this time it was scooped up by West Alabama's Randy Lowery, who scampered virtually untouched 38 yards to the end zone to put the Tigers in the driver's seat the rest of the game.

Penalties also played a role in setting back the Statesmen. Delta State was flagged 11 times for 106 yards, compared to two penalties for 20 yards by the Tigers.

The Statesmen will only have a few days to regroup as they return to Heart of Dixie on Thursday when they visit the undefeated North Alabama Lions (7-0) in the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week. Kickoff from Florence, Ala. is scheduled for 7 p.m.