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Delta State University Statesmen (1-1) at University of North Alabama Lions (1-1)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Delta State University (1-1) football team will open Gulf South Conference play Saturday, Sept. 21 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala., versus long-time rival the University of North Alabama (1-1). Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and 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, Mark Williams and Lane Quinton will have the call.
GSC Play Begins for Statesmen at UNA: Two of the Gulf South Conference's gray beards will square off this week in the league opener, as Delta State (1-1) travels to Braly Municipal Stadium to take on long-time foe North Alabama (1-1). Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Florence, Ala. The two teams are meeting for the 57th time on the gridiron with UNA leading the all-time series 31-24-1, including a 20-13 loss last season at Pig Pickin' inside Parker Field-McCool Stadium. Since 2006, the two Division powers have met 12 times with DSU posting a 5-7 mark. In 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011, UNA and DSU have met during the regular and post season.
Not so sweet home Alabama: The Statesmen are 90-102-5 versus teams from the state of Alabama. North Alabama will be the first of three opponents this season from the "Heart of Dixie." DSU travels to West Alabama on Oct. 3 for the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week before closing out its Alabama opponents on Nov. 9 with Concordia College of Selma at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.
Statesmen Coming off first loss of 2013: The Statesmen (1-1, 0-0 GSC), who opened the 2013 season Saturday, Sept. 7 with a 24-14 victory at Mississippi Valley State University , dropped a 45-37 thriller to Texas A&M-Commerce on Friday, Sept. 13 in the annual Lone Star Conference Kickoff Classic at AT&T Field, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Despite out-gaining TAMUC by almost 100 yards, 451-354, DSU gave up 21 points on special teams and two defensive touchdowns in the loss.
Unfamiliar Territory: Delta State begins the 2013 campaign in unfamiliar territory, as the Gulf South Conference league coaches picked the Statesmen to finish fourth this season. Valdosta State, defending NCAA DII National Champions, and defending GSC champion West Alabama both received 23 points in the annual preseason poll. The Statesmen received 12 points, tying with West Georgia for fourth, and were picked to finish behind North Alabama (14). Florida Tech (6), which is in their first season competitively with the GSC and is picked to finish last.
Road Warriors: The Statesmen will close out their three-game road trip to start the 2013 season Saturday at North Alabama. DSU faces six opponents away from the friendly confines of Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The Statesmen opened with a victory at MVSU (W, 24-14), but fell last week 45-37 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas to Texas A&M-Commerce
Nash continues dominant start: Richard Nash, a junior transfer from Georgia Military Institute, picked up right where he left off last week with 10 tackles to lead DSU in a 45-37 loss to TAMUC. The previous week, Nash was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven solo tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and intercepting a pass. The Macon, Ga., native leads the Statesmen with 17 tackles on the season and ranks fourth in the GSC.
Osborne Having Breakout season: A year ago, sophomore wide receiver
Casey Osborne caught four passes for 47 yards. This season, the Flowery Branch, Ga., native has proven to be one of the top receivers in the GSC with a league-high 17 receptions for 170 yards and three scores in just two games. Osborne set a new career-high for receptions with nine for 68 yards and a touchdown versus TAMUC last week. In DSU's 24-14 win at MVSU, Osborne caught eight passes for a personal-best 102 yards and a pair of scores.
GSC Openers for New Coaches: The last four head coaches to take the Statesmen into their first Gulf South Conference contest are 2-2. Steve Campbell led the Statesmen to a 17-10 victory over Arkansas Tech in 1999. Rick Rhoades fell 42-0 in his GSC opener at Valdosta State in 2002. Ron Roberts claimed a thrilling 9-7 victory over Henderson State in 2007 after two blocked field goal attempts in the last seconds of the game. Last year, Jamey Chadwell fell 20-12 to UNA in his one-and-only GSC opener.
Freshman kicker making mark: True freshman kicker
Vince Sciorrotta has shined for the Statesmen this season, making 4-of-5 field goals and 7-of-7 PATs. The Cumming, Ga., native nailed 3-of-4 field goals, including a long of 36 yards in DSU's 45-37 loss to Texas A&M-Commerce. Sciorrotta leads the Gulf South with 19 points on the season, but ranks second overall in points per game (9.5).
Up Next: The Statesmen will face off with Florida Tech on Saturday, Sept. 28 in the 28th annual Pig Pickin' Classic at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The game will be the first ever between the two programs and kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The two-day event begins on Friday, Sept. 27 with the annual community cookout and musical showcase. The annual BBQ event annually welcomes over 7,000 to DSU and tickets to the event are on sale now. Game tickets are $10 each with BBQ tickets set at $6 each.
OFFENSIVE INSIGHTS
Statesman Offense Tops 400-yard mark again: The Statesmen offense proved once again it can rack up the yards in a tough 45-37 loss last week to Texas A&M-Commerce. DSU out-gained TAMUC 451-354, including a season-high 418 yards passing.
Junior quarterback
Travis Champion, who entered the game in the second quarter, completed 31-of-40 passes for 265 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Dennis Robertson completed 14-of-27 passes for 153 yards with a touchdown and an interception before being forced from the game with an injury.
The 451 yards versus TAMUC marked second straight week the Statesman offense has topped 400 yards. DSU rolled up 452 yards on the Delta Devils in the season-opening 24-14 victory.
Red Zone Effectiveness: The Statesmen were 4-of-5 inside the Red Zone at Rice-Totten Stadium versus MVSU and 6-of-8 inside the zone last Friday versus Texas A&M-Commerce. DSU is 10-for-13 on the year inside the zone with six touchdowns and four field goals.
Spreading the Wealth: While the Statesmen offense has certainly proven it has some weapons this season. In last week's loss to TAMUC, DSU completed passes to 13 different receivers and utilized six different rushers in the game. In the 24-14 win over MVSU, while rushing for 206 yards, DSU accomplished the feat using seven different rushers and Champion connected nine different receivers en route to 246 yards passing.
Playing Like One: With the last name Champion, a lot of pressure is already on the shoulders of DSU's starting quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 225 pound junior has played tremendously well for coach Cooley and the Statesmen this season. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native has completed 50-of-69 passes for 511 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Champion's 255.5 yards passing per game ranks second in the GSC, while his 511 yards passing total is tops among league signal-callers.
Growing Up Fast: A year ago, sophomore wide receiver
Casey Osborne caught four passes for 47 yards. This season, the Flowery Branch, Ga., native has proven to be one of the top receivers in the GSC with a league-high 17 receptions for 170 yards and three scores in just two games.
Osborne set a new career-high for receptions with nine for 68 yards and a touchdown versus TAMUC last week. In DSU's 24-14 win at MVSU, Osborne caught eight passes for a personal-best 102 yards and a pair of scores.
Chasing a 1,000 Yards: Senior running back
Richard Freelon need just four yards Saturday at North Alabama to join the 1,000 yard rushing club at DSU. The Bruce, Miss., native has rushed for 996 yards and nine touchdowns on 185 carries in his career at DSU.
Bethley, Stewart, York and Hunt record breakout performances; Among the best in the GSC: The Statesmen receiving corps may be one of the deepest in NCAA Division II. Last week in the 47-35 loss to TAMUC, DSU's
Patrick Bethley, Jerome Stewart, Jr., and Rickey Hunt turned in their top performances so far this season.
Hunt caught a career-high eight passes for 57 yards followed by Bethley with seven grabs for 91 yards and a score. York and Stewart both finished the game with five receptions each.
Hunt (5th), Bethley (7th), York (8th) and Stewart, Jr. (12th) all ranked in the GSC's top 15 this season in receptions.
Third & Fourth Down Effectiveness: DSU enters Saturday's game 17-of-39 (44-percent) on third down conversions and 4-of-7 (57-percent) on fourth down attempts.
DEFENSIVE STOPPERS
Delta State run defense tops in GSC: The Statesmen face an option oriented offense this week at North Alabama, and DSU enters the contest ranked No. 1 in the GSC against the run. In two games, the Statesmen have allowed 113 yards on the ground for an average of 56.5 yards per game.
The Lions are averaging 263.0 yards rushing and have punched in six touchdowns this season.
Statesmen Defense Ranks Third in GSC: A year removed from one of the worst defensive outputs in quite sometime, the Statesman defense enters week three ranked third in the GSC allowing 316.5 yards per game. The Statesmen have allowed just 113 yards on the ground and 520 through the air in the first two weeks of the season.
Nash continues to play well at rover for Statesmen: Richard Nash, a junior transfer from Georgia Military Institute, picked up right where he left off last week with 10 tackles to lead DSU in a 45-37 loss to TAMUC. The previous week, Nash was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven solo tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and intercepting a pass.
The Macon, Ga., native leads the Statesmen with 17 tackles on the season and ranks fourth in the GSC.
Island playing in another gear: Junior linebacker
Rory Island has started the season at a blistering pace, totaling 15 tackles with three tackles-for-loss and a sack. Last week versus TAMUC, the Waveland, Miss., native posted eight stops with a sack and a TFL. He enters the week ranked 11th in the GSC in tackles and 12th in TFL.
Lubin return at DE for DSU: Redshirt junior defensive end
Diego Lubin, who garnered All-GSC honors last season at linebacker, returned for the Statesmen last Friday and made an immediate impact on the edge for DC
Charles Anthony. The Winterhaven, Fla., native tallied four tackles, three tackles-for-loss and two sacks versus TAMUC.
Opponents cold on third down: The DSU defense has done an excellent job on third down this season, holding the opposition to just 13-of-34 (35-percent) on third down conversion attempts. The Statesmen held the Delta Devils to 7-of-19 (36.8-percent) and the Lions to 5-of-15 (33-percent) in the first two games of the season.
Chilly Red Zone for Statesmen Opponents: DSU's defense has been solid in the red zone through the first two games, allowing just five trips inside the Statesman 20-yard line. MVSU converted two times in a 24-14 loss to DSU, while TAMUC was 2-of-3 in last week's 47-35 loss at AT&T Field in Arlington, Texas.
Morgan picking up play at OLB: Junior outside linebacker Artavious Morgan has started to be a major factor for the Statesman linebacking corps this season. The Fairburn, Ga., native has recorded 11 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss through the first two games. He totaled five tackles and two TFLs in last week's game versus TAMUC.
Ware, Dinkins and Self lead sack party versus TAMUC: The Statesmen defense racked up six sacks last week versus TAMUC's Tyrik Rolleson. OLB Dekovan Ware (five tackles),
Adrian Dinkins (three tackles) and
Ryan Self (two tackles) all recorded one sack each for DSU.
Lee locks down right corner: Junior cornerback
Frankie Lee turned in a career-high six tackles in DSU's 45-37 loss to TAMUC. The Charleston, Miss., native was quite active throughout the game, but rarely saw TAMUC quarterbacks test his side of the field. The speedy right corner has nine tackles and a TFL on the year.
WR's worried of Warren: Senior corner
Trenton Warren is making the most of his opportunities this season, ranking first in the GSC in passes defended with three. The Baytown, Texas native has four tackles and three PBUs this year for DSU.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Freshman place kicker delivering for DSU: True freshman kicker Vince Sciorrotta has shined for the Statesmen this season, making 4-of-5 field goals and 7-of-7 PATs. The Cumming, Ga., native nailed 3-of-4 field goals, including a long of 36 yards in DSU's 45-37 loss to Texas A&M-Commerce.
Sciorrotta leads the Gulf South Conference with 19 points on the season, but ranks second overall in points per game at 9.5 per contest.
Hunt leads GSC in Punt Returns: Junior wide receiver and punt returner
Ricky Hunt enters the week leading the GSC in punt return average (23.0/pr). The East Central CC transfer has returned five punts for 115 yards this season.
Holt proving to be a weapon for Statesmen: Junior punter
Justin Holt, who enters the week ranked second in the GSC with 41.9 yards per punt, has proven to be a weapon for coach
Todd Cooley and the Statesmen this season. The Coldwater native has punted nine times for 363 yards, including a long of 54 yards. He has nailed seven punts inside the 20-yard line and has two kicks of more than 50 yards.
ODDS & ENDS
GSC Openers for New Coaches: The last four head coaches to take the Statesmen into their first Gulf South Conference contest are 2-2. Steve Campbell led the Statesmen to a 17-10 victory over Arkansas Tech in 1999. Rick Rhoades fell 42-0 in his GSC opener at Valdosta State in 2002.
Ron Roberts claimed a thrilling 9-7 victory over Henderson State in 2007 after two blocked field goal attempts in the last seconds of the game. Last year, Jamey Chadwell fell 20-12 to UNA in his one-and-only GSC opener.
September Showdowns: The Statesmen are 133-77-6 all-time in the month of September after last week's 45-37 loss to Texas A&M-Commerce.
Under the Lights: Saturday's game with North Alabama will be played under the lights at Braly Municipal Stadium. DSU is 269-234-4 in night games in program history.
Up Next: The Statesmen will face off with Florida Tech on Saturday, Sept. 28 in the 28th annual Pig Pickin' Classic at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The game will be the first ever between the two programs and kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
DSU Alumni selling Pig Pickin' Tickets: Always one of the largest events on the Delta State campus, the 28th annual Pig Pickin' Festival is set for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27-28 at Statesman Park.
The annual BBQ event annually welcomes over 7,000 to DSU and tickets to the event are on sale now. Game tickets are $10 each with BBQ tickets set at $6 each. T-shirts are also available at $15 each with sizes S-3XL and youth sizes XS-L.
