GAME NOTES: No. 5/10 DSU Statesmen at Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (9.17.11)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The No. 5/10 ranked Statesmen (2-1, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University continue their odyssey across the south on Saturday, Sept. 17, as the Wonder Boys (1-1, 0-0 GAC) of Arkansas Tech University host the green-and-white.  Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Thone Stadium in Russellville, Ark.  The game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network starting at 5 p.m. with the “DSU Alumni Association Statesmen Game Day Report.” Matt Jones, J.T. Webb and Clayton Coffman will have the call.

Delta State and Arkansas Tech, a former member of the Gulf South Conference, are meeting for the 19th time in series history.  The Statesmen lead the all-time series 11-7, but the Wonder Boys have always provided DSU with a challenging opponent.  DSU defeated ATU 27-25 last season on Matt Dean's 48-yard field goal with 6:11 left in the game.    

The Statesmen are coming off a 27-7 victory at Fort Valley State last Saturday, while the Wonder Boys claimed a 31-20 victory at Southwest Baptist.  DSU thoroughly dominated FVSU in the contest, amassing 567 yards of offense while holding the Wildcats to a mere 187 yards.

Robbie Mayers turned in a career game for the Statesmen at Fort Valley State with a career-high seven tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks.  The Laurel native ranks second on the team with 18 tackles, already supassing his seasonal total of 14 from 2010.

DSU's offense topped the 500-yard mark for the first time this season at FVSU with 567.  The Statesmen ran for 218 yards and passed for 348.     

Freshman linebacker Caleb Smith recorded his first career sack and Jerry Barnes picked off his first pass this season against the Wildcats.  

Senior quarterback Micah Davis, who has completed 58 of 106 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns climbed to No. 4 on the all-time passing charts with his 290-yard effort at Northwestern State.  The Wesson native has amassed 4,947 yards passing in just two seasons and needs just 54 yards to become just the fourth Statesmen quarterback to eclipse 5,000 career yards.  Scott Eyster (2003-2006) holds the school's all-time record with 13,889 yards passing.  

The Statesmen will certainly feel akin to Mel Gibson's “Mad Max” character after traveling over 2,577 miles and playing four straight games on the road in September. DSU heads to Russellville, Ark., Saturday for the 544-mile round trip.  

STATESMAN TO WATCH: Robbie Mayers, DT
Robbie Mayers, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle, is this week's “Statesman to Watch” after leading Delta State to a 27-7 victory at Fort Valley State University last Saturday.  Behind Mayers' play, the Statesmen surrendered a mere 187 yards of total offense and the vaunted Wildcats offense didn't score again after their opening drive of the game.  

Mayers, a transfer from Jones County Junior College, paced the Statesmen with a career-high seven tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks.  The massive defensive tackle kept the middle of the Wildcats' offensive line caved in all night, which kept their run game from becoming a factor in the demoralizing victory.  

The Laurel, Miss., native has enjoyed his best season as a Statesmen and the year has just begun.  Through three games, Mayers ranks second on the team with 18 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss, while being tied for the team lead with 2.0 sacks.  In 15 games last season, Mayers recorded 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack. 

STATESMEN & WONDER BOYS BEGIN NEW RIVALRY
The games have been legendary at times over the 18-game history of the series, but Saturday's showdown will take on new meaning as the Statesmen travel to former GSC foe Arkansas Tech.  The Wonder Boys and the remaining Arkansas schools pulled out of the GSC in May to form the Great American Conference, a league including schools from Arkansas and Oklahoma.  

The Statesmen lead the all-time series 11-7 and  DSU is 3-1 against ATU since Ron Roberts took over as head coach in 2007.  The Statesmen claimed a 43-14 win in 2007 and a 48-14 thumping of the Wonder Boys in 2008.  ATU answered with a 35-23 win at Thone Stadium in 2009.  Last season, Matt Dean had to connect on a 48-yard game-winning field goal with 6:11 remaining in the CBS College Sports National Game of the Week to pull out a 27-25 victory.        

GREEN-AND-WHITE CONTINUE GRUELING SEPTEMBER STRETCH
The Statesmen will certainly feel akin to Mel Gibson's Mad Max character after traveling over 2,577 miles and playing four straight games on the road.

DSU began the swing with a 511-mile round trip journey to Natchitoches, La., a 24-23 heartbreaking loss to Northwestern State, and last week claimed a 27-7 victory at Fort Valley State after a 1,016 mile jaunt to Fort Valley, Ga.

The Statesmen will conclude “Gulliver's” travels with back-to-back trips to Arkansas Tech (544 miles) and Henderson State (506 miles).  

AROUND THE GSC
No. 10 Delta State (2-1) travels to Russellville, Ark., to face former GSC foe Arkansas Tech (1-1). The Statesmen routed Fort Valley State 27-7 last weekend. The Wonder Boys are coming off their first win of the season; a 31-20 victory over Southwest Baptist.

No. 4 North Alabama (2-0) travels to Arlington, Texas as they take on No. 3 Abilene Christian (1-0) in Cowboys Stadium. North Alabama is coming off a victory over Glenville State 48-21. Abilene Christian was off last weekend, and defeated Tarleton State on Sept. 1 27-24.

No. 12 Valdosta State (2-0) is home against No. 6 Albany State (2-0) this week. The Blazers are coming off a 24-17 victory over Newberry.  Albany State defeated Wingate 49-28 this past weekend.

West Alabama (1-1) hosts Central State (0-2) in Livingston, Ala. West Alabama defeated Tarleton State 42-35 last weekend. Last week the Marauders were defeated by North Carolina Central 42-3.

AROUND THE NATION
GCS teams dominate top-25 games this week. Games involving GSC teams represent five of the top-12 teams in the country.  No. 4 North Alabama against No. 3 Abilene Christian represents the only game between top-5 teams.

No. 14 Wayne State (Mich.) (2-0) host No. 22 Michigan Tech (2-0). Wayne State dominated Tiffin (Ohio) last week 55-0. Michigan Tech also won last week as they beat Lake Erie (Ohio) 41-10.

STATESMEN BLAST WILDCATS
While the final margin wasn't indicative of DSU's dominance last Saturday, a quick check of the final stats was all you needed, as the Statesmen rolled over Fort Valley State 27-7.  

FVSU scored on its first possession of the game and barely crossed midfield after that, as DSU rolled up 567 yards of offense and allowed a mere 187 to the vaunted FVSU “Blue Machine” offense.  

Micah Davis passed for 289 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Rafael Mitchell scored on a 41-yard run and a 75-yard reception.  Robbie Mayers controlled the line of scrimmage defensively with seven stops, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks.  

AGAINST THE GAC
The Statesmen will begin a new chapter in its history with the first ever game against the newly former Great American Conference on Saturday at Arkansas Tech.  

DSU will also play GAC members Henderson State (9.23), Ouachita Baptist (10.1) and Arkansas-Monticello (10.6).    

AGAINST THE NATURAL STATE
Delta State is 98-44-3 all-time against teams from the state of Arkansas.  Coach Ron Roberts has continued that success with a 17-3 record against the “Natural State.”

SWEET SEPTEMBER
The Statesmen are looking to continue their winning ways in September on Saturday at Arkansas Tech.  Delta State is 130-73-6 all-time in September.  

ROBERTS ON THE ROAD
In his four previous seasons as head coach of the Statesmen, coach Ron Roberts has amassed a 16-10 record on the road.  The Statesmen were 7-2 on the road during last season's march to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game.

DELTA STATE SIMPLY OFFENSIVE IN THE GSC STATS
The Statesmen enter week four ranked first in the Gulf South Conference in total offense with a 476.0 yards per game average after rolling up 567 yards at Fort Valley State.  DSU is third in scoring (26.0) and rushing offense (178.3) as well.  

Delta State's passing attack also ranks No. 1 behind the play of Micah Davis, who has completed 58 of 106 passes for 850 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions.

STATESMEN “GREEN SHIRTS” DEFENSE LEADS GSC IN FOUR STATS
Entering Saturday's trip to Arkansas Tech, the Statesmen “Green Shirts” defense ranks No. 1 in the Gulf South Conference in total defense (296.7), rushing defense (104.7), passing defense (165.0), and sacks (11).  

DSU is also ranked second in scoring defense (17.3) and first in time of possession (33:46).  

BIG GAME FOR BIG BOB
Senior Robbie Mayers had his best statistical game during his 18 game career during the 27-7 win over Fort Valley State. The Laurel, Miss., native disrupted the Wildcats offensive unit to the tune of seven tackles, including three tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks.

The Jones JC transfer currently ranks second on the team with 18 total tackles, with three tackles for loss and two sacks.

WHO WAS THAT
Although Caleb Smith might not be well known to most DSU fans, the Statesmen coaching staff was more than pleased at his effort versus Fort Valley State. The freshman linebacker recorded his first collegiate sack in the 27-7 win over the Wildcats. Smith currently has two tackles this season, and expects to get more playing time as the year goes on.

ALL 11
The Delta State University Statesmen defense had its best game of 2011 versus Fort Valley State. Despite giving up a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, the Statesmen allowed only 187 total yards in the contest. The Statesmen recorded nine tackles for loss, including five quarterback sacks.

MILLIONS OF PEACHES PEACHES; PEACHES FOR RAFAEL
Running back Rafael Mitchell loves visiting his home state of Georgia. The Bowdon native has scored seven of his 13 touchdowns have come in the peach state. During his freshman season, the speedster scored four touchdowns versus West Georgia. Mitchell followed that with another TD versus the Wolves in 2010, and two scores versus Fort Valley State.  He sits at 1,091 career all-purpose yards.    

MR. 5000
Senior quarterback Micah Davis, who has completed 58 of 106 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns climbed to No. 4 on the all-time passing charts with his 290-yard effort at Northwestern State.  The Wesson native has amassed 4,947 yards passing in just two seasons and needs just 54 yards to become just the fourth Statesmen quarterback to eclipse 5,000 career yards.  Scott Eyster (2003-2006) holds the school's all-time record with 13,889 yards passing.

Davis did eclipse the 5,000 yard mark for career total offense with his 267-yard effort at Fort Valley State.  In just 18 games, Davis has totaled 5,110 yards on 733 plays.   

LUCAS JOINS 1,000-YARD CLUB
Junior running back Brandon Lucas joined the 1,000-yard career rushing club with 71 yards on the ground at Fort Valley State.  In 18 career games, the Covington, Ga., native has rushed for 1,035 yards on 158 carries with 12 touchdowns.  

A "CHANCE" TO PLAY; DENNIS JOINS 1,000-YARD CLUB
Senior wide receiver Chance Dennis led the Statesmen for the second straight week in receiving yardage as he hauled in five passes for 90 yards. The Houston, Texas native also pulled in an acrobatic 27-yard touchdown from Micah Davis. Dennis leads Delta State's receiving corps with 16 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He currently ranks fifth in the GSC in receptions per game (5.3) and third in yards per game.

Dennis also joined the 1,000-yard receiving club after last Saturday's win at FVSU.  In 17 games, Dennis has caught 68 passes for 1,042 yards and six scores.  

FREE TO RUN
Sophomore running back Richard Freelon pounded away at the Fort Valley State defense last Saturday. He ran just seven times but amassed 66 yards and averaged 9.4 yards per carry. Freelon had a long run of 26 yards and an 11-yard touchdown, his first career score, in the fourth quarter to ice the game for the Statesmen.

HOSKINS AIDES DEFENSIVE FRONT
Senior defensive lineman Mark Hoskins is another solid option along the defensive line for the Statesmen. The Louisville, Miss., native had five stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack against Fort Valley State.

BARNES COMES UP BIG
Senior defensive back Jerry Barnes thwarted Fort Valley State's attempt to jump out to a 14-0 lead with his interception nearly the goal line last Saturday. He was also solid in run support making a couple tackles near the line of scrimmage.

100 TACKLES CLUB
The vaunted Statesmen “Green Shirts” defense features three players in the 100 career tackles club.  Senior corner Dominique Davenport leads the trifecta with 136 career stops in 37 games, while senior linebacker Robert Hogan has tallied 128 in 38 starts.  Sophomore standout Ixavier Triplett has 120 in just 18 games and is on pace to challenge for the Delta State career record.  

YOU MESS WITH THE BULL, YOU GET AVERY HORN
Junior running back Avery Horn has proven to be one of the Statesmen's most versatile weapons. Horn carried the ball five times for 23 yards against Fort Valley State. He also caught the ball once for a 16-yard gain. He shined with his blocking however. Horn graded at 89% on his blocking assignments, and ran over the Wildcats with eight knockdown blocks.

SHOWING OFF THE LEG
Statesmen junior punter Andrew Jones had a brilliant game against Fort Valley State. Jones averaged 50.2 yards per punt on four kicks, and pinned the Wildcats inside their own 20-yard line three times. Jones added 12.7 yards to his average over his performance at Northwestern State.

DEAN CLIMBS TO FIFTH ON THE CAREER PAT CHART
Matt Dean, a senior from Cleveland, connected on three point-after-attempts in DSU's 27-7 victory at FVSU last Saturday.  The three PATs give the senior 66 for his career and moved him up to fifth on the career charts.  Trey Crum (2003-2004) holds the school record with 110.  

TRIPLETT TAKE TWO
Preseason All-America candidate Ixavier Triplett has continued to lead the Statesmen week in and week out, recording a team-high 20 tackles with 6.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack.  In DSU's 27-7 crushing victory at Fort Valley State, Triplett finished with three tackles and two tackles-for-loss.  

STATESMEN IN SEASON OPENERS
Delta State improved to 41-34-4 record in season openers with its 28-21 overtime victory Saturday against Elizabeth City State.  Trailing 21-7, the Statesmen rallied for 21 unanswered points en route to the win.  

INSIDE PARKER FIELD-McCOOL STADIUM
Over the years, Parker Field-McCool Stadium has been a very successful place for the Statesmen.  In its 41 year history, the Statesmen are 121-71-7, while DSU boasts an all-time record of 239-121-15.  In head coach Ron Roberts' tenure, the Statesmen have posted a 21-3 record at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.  

DELTA STATE PICKED TO REPEAT AS GSC CHAMPIONS; STATESMEN PLACE SIX ON PRESEASON ALL-GSC TEAM
The Gulf South Conference officially released its 2011 Preseason Football Coaches Poll with the Delta State University Statesmen picked to repeat as league champions.  The Statesmen received 14 votes in the annual poll followed by North Alabama (12), Valdosta State (11), West Alabama (9) and West Georgia (4).  A total of six Statesmen were also named to the Preseason All-GSC Team, led by quarterback Micah Davis and 2010 GSC Freshman Defender of the Year Ixavier Triplett.

The Statesmen placed three players on the offensive and defensive units.  Joining Davis on the offense are 2010 All-GSC Second Team center Darrell Leopold and senior wide receiver Chance Dennis, who caught 52 passes for 807 yards and four touchdowns.  Defensively, the Statesmen return nine starters including Triplett. Senior All-GSC defensive back Dominique Davenport and defensive tackle Joe Marshall were also named to the defensive unit.  

STATESMEN TO SQUARE OFF WITH REDDIES
Delta State will continue its month-long road trip on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark.  Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

The game marks the first meeting between the two schools since the Reddies departed the Gulf South Conference in May for the Great American Conference.  The Statesmen and Wonder Boys have met on 23 previous occasions with DSU holding an 19-4 edge in the series standings.  DSU defeated HSU 41-37 last season at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.  Coach Roberts is 2-0 all-time against the Reddies.