Cleveland- Coming off a big Pig Pickin' win against Henderson State this past Saturday, the Statesmen will have to forget all about that game and go for another tough Gulf South Conference victory against the Tigers of West Alabama. Delta State has jumped to No. 14 in the D2football.com rankings and looks to continue their steady rise when they face the No. 19 ranked team in the nation when the Tigers visit Parker Field.
The matchup is the 56th meeting between these familiar foes in what should be a hotly contested GSC game. Delta State holds the all-time advantage against West Alabama with a 32-20-3 record. Coach Roberts began his career with two straight wins over the Tigers and took his first loss as head coach of the Statesmen last season. Before that loss, Delta State had won six in a row against the Tigers and will look to start a new streak when they face West Alabama.
Thursday night's game will mark the second time the Statesmen will be featured on TV, this time being on Cox Sports Southeast. Delta State will be on the network two more times this season after the tilt against the Tigers. West Alabama was featured on CSS last Thursday on the GSC-Live TV game of the week meaning they have had an entire week of rest. Even with the short turnaround from Saturday's game the Statesmen relish the opportunity to be featured on TV. In GSC-Live TV games Delta State holds an 8-3 record.
The Tigers might have the most explosive offense in the conference with the leading passer in Tuscaloosa, Ala. native Deon Williams. The Statesmen, however, are more than ready for the task having seen the previous passing leader in the GSC last Saturday in Henderson State quarterback Nick Hardesty and giving up only 211 yards. The secondary has been shuffled around and looks to have finally found the right combination in the defensive backfield.
Senior running back
Trevar Deed shined with a huge performance against Henderson State racking up 111 yards on the ground and finding the end zone for 3 scores. Deed's performance helped boost a great effort on the ground as the Statesmen collectively toted the pigskin for a season-high 331 yards. The offense features a stable of running backs and looks to continue that effort going into the tough GSC schedule ahead. To add to the rushing attack,
Micah Davis continues to guide the offense efficiently and even chipped into the ground game with 48 yards and a score.
GSC-Live TV will certainly get all their money's worth as the game should provide for high excitement against two teams that know each other very well. The Statesmen will look to keep their three game winning streak alive on Thursday night at Parker Field-McCool Stadium kicking off at 7 p.m. with the Shelter Insurance Locker Room Report leading the radio broadcast starting at 6 p.m on the Statesmen Sports Network. Also GoStatesmen.com will be streaming the game online and of course the CSS will broadcast the GSC-Live TV game of the week.
