CLEVELAND – Not even a high fever could keep Trevar Deed off the field or out of the end zone.
The 5-foot-10-inch junior receiver from Phoenix, Ariz. overcame the adverse effects of illness earlier in the week to lead Delta State in both rushing and receiving as the Statesmen rolled past Harding 48-10 Saturday in the Gulf South Conference opener for both teams.
In front of an enthusiastic opening-day home crowd at Delta State's annual Pig Pickin' game, Deed commanded the spotlight as he scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Deed caught five passes for 117 yards and rushed for 77 yards on 11 carries.
Delta State (2-1), ranked No. 9 in the NCAA's Division II improved to 1-0 in Gulf South Conference play. The Bisons fell to 0-1 in the GSC, and 2-2 overall.
The Statesmen took control of the game early and never saw their lead reduced to single digits after the first quarter. When Deed took a pass up the middle from Garrett DeWitt and scampered roughly 40 yards to the end zone for a 70-yard touchdown in the final minute before halftime, the Statesmen stretched their lead to 38-3.
DeWitt also commanded the attention of the announced crowd of 6,353 as well as the Harding defense. The senior out of Destin, Fla. threw four touchdowns and completed 21-of-33 passes for 331 yards. DeWitt finished the game with a passer rating of 181.3
The 70-yard throw from DeWitt to Deed was not even the longest touchdown play the Statesman had on Saturday. Rafael Mitchell was on the receiving end of a strike from DeWitt that resulted in a 76-yard touchdown that gave Delta State a 17-3 with 1:50 remaining in the first period.
Mitchell finished the game with four receptions for 104 yards.
DeWitt also completed touchdown passes to Eric Johnson and Damoyn Carroll. Johnson finished the evening with three catches for 48 yards, while Carroll recorded three receptions for 31 yards.
Johnson also accounted for a four-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
After being held to 234 yards of total offense in their season-opening loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville, the Statesmen offensive unit racked up yards with regularity for the second consecutive game. Delta State accumulated 527 yards of total offense of 77 plays, while Harding was limited to 286 yards on 73 plays.
Delta State registered 636 yards of total offense in last week's non-league game at Arkansas-Monticello.
The Statesmen defense was equally aggressive, sacking Harding quarterbacks five times. Justin Halas recorded two sacks that cost the Bisons 10 yards. Rickey Grant added one and a half sacks, while James Mooney assisted with Grant's sack.
Lardester Hicks-Green registered a sack, one of three tackles for losses and six overall tackles he recorded during the game. The 6-foot-1 linebacker out of Chicago, Ill. Hicks-Green now has 281 career tackles, 54 away from all-time mark.
With Hicks-Green's next tackle, he will move into a fourth-place tie with the Rory Bell, who played for the Statesmen from 1997-2000.
Byron Davenport led the Statesmen with eight tackles. Taeao Fagalele and Robert Watts recorded six tackles apiece. Hollan Fiu registered five tackles, including two for loss.
Katlan French recorded an interception for the Statesmen. The Delta State defense has recorded at least one interception in every game this season.
With the conference-opening win, the Statesmen recorded their 24th consecutive GSC win. The all-time mark for consecutive conference victories is 26, which was set by North Alabama in 1996. Delta State also improved to 18-6-1 all-time on Pig Pickin' Weekend.
The Statesmen travel to Arkadelphia for their next contest, when they visit Ouachita Baptist on Saturday, Sept. 26. Opening kickoff from A.U. Williams Field is scheduled for 7 p.m.
