CLEVELAND-What a ride this has been? The Delta State Statesmen will be headed to Florence, Ala. this weekend to play for the right to be crowned Division II National Champions. It is only fitting that this season is the tenth anniversary of Delta State's lone football championship. Perhaps this team is riding off some of that “mojo” of that tremendous season and creating some magic of their own. The Statesmen will try Saturday to bring another title back to Cleveland, Miss. against the Bulldogs of Minnesota-Duluth.

The Statesmen find themselves in this position after defeating a game Shepherd Ram team while also battling a thunderstorm. The Rams came into the contest featuring a potent running game averaging 215 yards per game. The “Green Shirts” limited their rushing attack to only 69 yards on the ground. During this playoff run, Delta State has only been allowing teams 79 rushing yards per game and has been holding teams to only 287 yards total on offense. Coach Ron Roberts attributes the defensive surge in the playoffs to the newfound swagger the team has developed.

That swagger has not been lost on the other side of the ball as the offense has been producing big numbers to match the defensive effort. The Statesmen offense started their playoff run by putting up 524 yards in round two of the Division II championships against conference foe North Alabama. And the green-and-white machine has not stopped rolling, beating all three opponents in the playoffs by double digits. Balance has been the key on offense in the second season averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground with Micah Davis passing for eight touchdowns.

Minnesota-Duluth comes into the matchup ranked number one in the nation with an unblemished record. The Bulldogs featured a high powered rushing attack averaging over 280 yards a game out of the backfield. Their main strengths are on the offensive and defensive line. The offensive line averages 6'4” and about 330 pounds and their defensive linemen are not far behind in stature. This will be the best team that the Statesmen have seen all season long, as is expected when it comes to the National Championship game.

This team is ready for whatever Saturday is to bring. The Statesmen have been through it all when it comes to this great season. The boys from the Delta have formed a great brotherhood and it shows whenever they perform on the football field each week. There is a special dynamic about this team that is almost indescribable and has carried the green-and-white to where they are at this point, playing for the Division II National Championship.

The game will kickoff at 10 a.m. at Braly Stadium in Florence, Ala. and will air on ESPN2, making that the sixth time the Statesmen have been televised, the third on national TV. When the lights have been the brightest Delta State has certainly risen to the occasion and will need one more performance to be alone as the best football team in Division II.

Tickets are available in the Dorgan Student Performance Center until noon on Wednesday, December 15. If you are unable to make the game you can stay tuned to the Statesmen Sports network which will broadcast the game with coverage starting at 9 a.m. As always updates will be posted to Facebook.com/dsustatesmen and Twitter.com/dsustatesmen during the contest. Also the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 starting at 10 a.m.