GAME 6: No. 9 Delta State (5-0, 3-0 GSC) at West Georgia (5-1, 1-1 GSC)
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CLEVELAND, Mississippi - The No. 9 Statesmen (5-0, 3-0 GSC) of Delta State University look to stay undefeated this week, as DSU faces off with the Wolves (5-1, 1-1 GSC) of the University of West Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET at Ra-Lin Field at University Stadium in Carrollton, Georgia. Saturday's matchup will be the 28th between the two schools, with the Statesmen leading the series 18-9.  West Georgia has won the last two games in the series in Carrollton, including a 38-20 victory last year at Ra-Lin Field at University Stadium.

Delta State, which owns a 41-23-1 mark all-time against teams from the Peach state, is facing its fourth and final regular season opponent from the state of Georgia on Saturday, as the Statesmen travel to the University of West Georgia. DSU opened the season with a 56-13 victory at Fort Valley State before upending then-No. 11 Valdosta State 49-32 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, and declawing the Shorter Hawks 35-20 last week at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.

 

STATESMEN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
Date/Location:	Oct. 18, 2014 | Ra-Lin Field | Carrollton, Ga.
Kickoff Time:	2 p.m. EST | 1 p.m. CST
Radio:	Statesmen Sports Network | Matt Jones (PxP), Mark Williams (Color), Philip Tang (Sidelines)
Rankings:	Delta State: No. 9 - AFCA Top 25 | No. 11 – D2Football.com West Georgia: RV - AFCA Top 25 | NR – D2Football.com
Series History:	28th Meeting; DSU leads series 18-9 | DSU 9-6 at UWG Last Meeting: Nov. 13, 2013 – West Georgia 38 vs. DSU 20
Coaches:	Delta State: Todd Cooley (12-3, 2nd season) West Georgia: Will Hall (30-12, 4th season)
Live Audio:	Statesmen Sports Network (Click Here)
Live Stats:	UWG Live Stats (Click Here)
Live Video:	UWG Live Video (Click Here)

 
GREEN-&-WHITE SPOTLIGHTS
 - Delta State erased a 17-point deficit to defeat Shorter University 35-20 in the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week this past Thursday at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. Tyler Sullivan threw two touchdown passes and ran for another to keep the Statesmen undefeated at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. Casey Osborne caught nine passes for 107 yards, while D'Juan Bellaire rushed seven times for 77 yards and a score in the win.
 - Linebacker Landry Tullo continues to increase his production each week for the Statesman defense. The Hoover, Alabama, native had a game-high 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack in Delta State's 35-20 win over Shorter.
 - Sophomore quarterback Tyler Sullivan, last season's GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year, has seized the opportunity to be Delta State's starting quarterback this year, throwing for 1,737 yards and 15 touchdowns through the first five games. The Louisville, Mississippi, native has completed 128-of-192 passes, with four interceptions. The gunslinger is averaging 347.4 yards passing per game to lead DSU and the GSC. He currently ranks fourth nationally in passing and total offense (365.0) per game.
 - Wilson Curtis, a sophomore linebacker from Winnsboro, Louisiana, turned in a breakout performance with eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and a career-high 5.0 tackles-for-loss in DSU's 35-20 victory over Shorter last Thursday. Curtis has a team-high 8.0 tackles-for-loss this season to rank 30th in the NCAA, while making 21 stops and recording 2.5 sacks.
 - Delta State is 17-0 all-time when scoring 60-plus points in a game. In fact, the Statesmen have scored 50-plus points in a game 38 times in school history, most recently in DSU's 58-20 dismantling of Florida Tech, and boasts a 36-2 record in those contests.
 - Against the Top 25: The Statesmen are 1-0 this season against ranked opponents after defeating No. 13 Valdosta State, 49-32, at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium on Sept. 20. DSU is scheduled to play No. 4 North Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. West Alabama and West Georgia have been ranked at times this season. Since Todd Cooley took over as head coach, the Statesmen are 4-1 against ranked opponents. DSU was 3-1 in his inaugural season, with the lone loss coming to No. 12 West Alabama on the road.  
 - The Statesmen are certainly an up-tempo offensive unit, ranking dead last in the GSC in time of possession despite leading the nation in scoring at 54.0 points per game. In DSU's five games this season, the Green-and-White are averaging 27:06.
 - Delta State has outscored the opposition 94-0 in the third quarter this year, and 128-15 overall in the second half.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
+7 - The Statesmen have become one of the nation's stingiest second half teams, posting a +7 turnover ratio in the third and fourth quarters. In fact, it's been second half defensive adjustments that have led to DSU's 5-0 start. The Statesmen have held their last two opponents scoreless in the second half, while outscoring opponents 128-15 overall after halftime.

No. 1 - Delta State has created a tremendous offensive rhythm through the first five games of the season, averaging an NCAA best 54.0 points per game. The Statesmen rank second in the NCAA in total offense (547.4), third in passing offense (375.6), and 30th in scoring defense (18.6) so far this season.
 

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STATESMEN LOOKING TO ERASE MEMORIES OF RA-LIN FIELD
 Delta State's last two trips to Ra-Lin Field at University Stadium have been quite less than memorable. This week, the No. 9 Statesmen (5-0, 3-0 GSC) will be looking to erase back-to-back losses to the Wolves (5-1, 1-1 GSC) of the University of West Georgia on their home field Saturday, Oct. 18 with kickoff set for 2 p.m. EST.

In DSU's last two trips to Ra-Lin Field, UWG has pulled off memorable upsets. The Wolves snapped DSU's 10-game winning streak in 2011, downing the top-ranked Statesmen 39-35, and last season in Darrell Dickey's final game as UWG head coach, the Wolves bested DSU 38-20 to keep the green-and-white from sharing in the GSC title.

Both teams enter this week's matchup with a combined 10-1 record. The Statesmen are coming off a thrilling 35-20 come-from-behind victory over Shorter University last Thursday at Parker Field-McCool Stadium, while the Wolves suffered their first loss of the season, 40-6, last Saturday at Valdosta State.

The series has been controlled by the Statesmen over the years, as DSU holds an 18-9 edge in the standings. DSU also holds a slim 9-6 edge in the matchups played in Carrollton, Georgia. The Statesmen have also outscored the Wolves 902-566 in the series.   

ROAD WARRIORS
Gulliver certainly has nothing on the Statesmen this season. Delta State is playing its fourth road game of the young season on Saturday, as the Statesmen travel to Carrollton, Georgia. With five road trips scheduled for the year, the Statesmen will travel a total of 5,198 round trip miles over the course of the season. A breakdown of this year's travels are listed below.  

OPPONENT    LOCATION    MILES    RESULT
Fort Valley State    Fort Valley, Georgia    1,067    W, 56-13
Valdosta State    Valdosta, Ga.    1,152    W, 49-32
Florida Tech    Melbourne, Fla.    1,726    W, 58-20
West Georgia    Carrollton, Ga.    748    
West Alabama    Livingston, Ala.    504    

AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Statesmen are 1-0 this season against ranked opponents after defeating No. 13 Valdosta State, 49-32, at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium on Sept. 20. DSU is scheduled to play No. 4 North Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. West Alabama and West Georgia have been ranked at times this season. Since Todd Cooley took over as head coach, the Statesmen are 4-1 against ranked opponents. DSU was 3-1 in his inaugural season, with the lone loss coming to No. 12 West Alabama on the road.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND
Delta State, which owns a 41-23-1 mark all-time against teams from the Peach state, is facing its fourth and final regular season opponent from the state of Georgia on Saturday, as the Statesmen travel to the University of West Georgia. DSU opened the season with a 56-13 victory at Fort Valley State before upending then-No. 11 Valdosta State 49-32 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, and declawing the Shorter Hawks 35-20 last week at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.  

DELTA STATE EDGES SHORTER IN GSC-TV GAME OF THE WEEK
Delta State outscored the visiting Shorter Hawks 21-0 in the second half as the No. 11 Statesmen picked up the 35-20 home victory at Parker Field - McCool Stadium.  Delta State was held to the lowest scoring output this season and utilized a strong defensive effort to pick up the victory.

Sullivan ended the day 25-for-37 with 321 yards and a pair of scoring passes.  Casey Osborne hauled in nine passes for 107 yards.  D'Juan Bellaire rushed for 77 yards on seven carries while Timothy Foy rushed seven times for 41 yards.  

Landry Tullo led the defense with 10 tackles, including a sack and three stops behind the line-of-scrimmage.  The Statesmen defense posted a season-best 16 tackles-for-loss and five sacks.  Wilson Curtis recorded five stops behind the line while recording eight stops, with Latrell Peterson stopping three plays for loss and a sack with six tackles.

STATESMEN OFFENSE CLICKING ON ALL CYLINDERS
Delta State's offense is clicking on all cylinders five weeks into the season, averaging a NCAA DII best 54.0 points and rankings second nationally with 547.4 yards per game. The Statesmen also rank first in the GSC and rank third in NCAA DII in passing, averaging 375.6 yards per game. DSU has also topped 50-plus points in three of its five games this season, with a high of 72 versus Central State on Sept. 27.

The Statesmen also appear throughout the NCAA DII individual rankings. Tyler Sullivan's 347.4 yards passing rank fourth, while Casey Osborne's 119.8 yards receiving per game is sixth and his 7.5 receptions per game are ninth in the country.

TEMPO TEAM
The Statesmen are certainly an up-tempo offensive unit, ranking dead last in the GSC in time of possession despite leading the nation in scoring at 54.0 points per game. In DSU's five games this season, the Green-and-White are averaging 27:06.

SULLIVAN SEIZING OPPORTUNITY
Tyler Sullivan, last season's GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year, has seized the opportunity to be Delta State's starting quarterback this year, throwing for 1,416 yards and 15 touchdowns through the first five games.

The Louisville, Mississippi, native has completed 128-of-192 passes with four interceptions, while averaging 347.4 yards passing per game to lead DSU and the GSC.

Sullivan has shined in big stage matchups for the Statesmen, passing for 502 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-32 win at Valdosta State, and 456 yards and five touchdowns in a 58-20 throttling of Florida Tech, both of which were GSC-TV Games of the Week.

Throughout his career, Sullivan, who is 9-1 as a starter at DSU, has performed well under pressure. In his first career start against No. 14 Tarleton State last season, Sullivan completed 33-of-49 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns, two weeks later establishing a new school record for single game passing yards with 520 and five touchdowns in a 63-55 win over No. 21 Valdosta State.

In 12 games, Sullivan has already eclipsed the 3,500 yards passing mark. The former Winston Academy standout has completed 259-of-393 passes for 3,501 yards, moving him into seventh place all-time at DSU, with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is averaging 291.8 yards and four touchdowns per game for his career.

Sullivan's total offense numbers have also been outstanding, amassing 3,735 yards, climbing to 10th on the career chart, in just 12 games.

TRACKING SULLIVAN    COMP    ATT    YARDS    TD    INT
@ Fort Valley State    23    31    217    3    0
@ Valdosta State    41    64    502    3    2
Central StatE    15    19    241    2    0
@ Florida Tech    24    41    456    5    0
Shorter    25    37    321    2    2
Season    128    192    1737    15    4
Career    259    393    3501    30    8

HUNT TOPS 1,000 RECEIVING; CHASING 2,000 ALL-PURPOSE
Senior wide receiver Ricky Hunt's performance at Florida Tech pushed the speedster past the 1,000 yards receiving plateau after catching four passes for 114 yards and a score in DSU's 58-20 win. The Sardis, Mississippi, native has grabbed 81 passes for 1,024 yards and eight touchdowns in his 15-game career. He is also approaching the 2,000 all-purpose yards barrier with 1,812.

Hunt, who also returns kicks and punts for DSU, totaled 1,326 all-purpose yards last year and has a total of 486 through five games this year.

BIRDMAN STALKING THE RECORD BOOK
Casey Osborne is putting together a remarkable junior campaign, leading the Statesmen with 39 receptions for 599 yards and seven touchdowns. The Flowery Branch, Georgia, native grabbed nine passes for 107 yards last Thursday in DSU's 35-20 win over Shorter. Osborne enters the week averaging 119.8 yards receiving and 7.9 receptions per game.

The speedster has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in all but one game this season, including a season-high 12 receptions for 113 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-13 win at Fort Valley State. Osborne followed that up with a career-high 192 yards and a score in DSU's 49-32 win at Valdosta State. In just the first half of action, Osborne caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Osborne has caught 107 passes for 1,482 yards and 15 touchdowns in his 23 game career. He needs just two reception to pass Kevin Lacastro (108 | 1984-86) for 10th in career receptions.   

TRACKING OSBORNE    REC    YARDS    TD
@ Fort Valley State    12    113    3
@ Valdosta State    9    192    2
Central State    4    76    1
@ Florida Tech    5    111    1
Shorter    9    107    0
Season    39    599    7
Career    107    1482    15

FINDING A SECOND GEAR
The Statesmen have been able to find a second gear in the second half through the first five games. Delta State is averaging 278.2 yards (109 rush/169.2 pass) and 25.6 points (128) while yielding just 150.8 yards (34 rush/116.8 pass) and three points (15) in the second half.   The third quarter has been the tone setter, as DSU has outscored opponents 94-0 and cashing in on four-of-five opening third quarter drives.

Delta State has a plus-seven turnover margin in the second half, losing three (2 fumbles/1 interception) with10 (five Fumble/five Interceptions) takeaways.  Delta State's defense has not allowed a touchdown in the last three games in the second half, outscoring its opponents 86-2.

2nd Half Turnovers
Opponent    DSU F/INT    Opponent F/INT    Margin
Ft. Valley St.    0/0    0/0    0
Valdosta St.    1/0    0/2    +1
Central St.    0/1    4/0    +3
Florida Tech    0/0    1/2    +3
Shorter    1/0    0/0    0

2nd Half OFFENSIVE Opening Drives
Opponent    Plays-Yards-Top    Result
Ft. Valley St.    8-71-2:12    TD Pass
Valdosta St.    9-75-3:24    TD Rush
Central St.    9-80-2:37    TD Rush
Florida Tech    2-80-0:33    TD Pass
Shorter    3-3-1:19    Punt

WILLIAMS' WAY
Offensive coordinator Joel Williams has Statesmen opponents feeling some type of way. The veteran ball coach holds the distinction of orchestrating three of Delta State's most prolific single season offenses. His 2003 and 2004 units, under then head coach Rick Rhoades, accounted for 458 and 443 points respectively.

Delta State rolled up 484 yards of total offense and eight touchdowns in a 56-13 season-opening victory at Fort Valley State. The Statesmen followed up that performance with 620 yards and six scores in a 49-32 win at Valdosta State. Delta State totaled 542 yards and scored eight touchdowns and a field goal in the 72-8 victory over Central State. Last week, DSU amassed 577 yards, including 483 passing, en route to a dominating 58-20 win at Florida Tech.

The Statesmen currently lead the nation in scoring at 54.0 points per game and rank first in the GSC in total offense (547.6) per game.

DEFENSE CREATING SCORING OPPORTUNITIES
The Statesmen defense has set the offense up in great field position.  Delta State has scored 84 points this season off of turnovers.  Romelo Wilson has produced the only defensive touchdown with an interception returned 31 yards at Valdosta State on Sept. 20.

TULLO TURNING UP
Sophomore linebacker Landry Tullo continues to increase his production each week for the Statesman defense. The Hoover, Alabama, native had a game-high 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack in Delta State's 35-20 win over Shorter.

The former Hoover High School standout leads DSU with 28 tackles and is second on the squad with 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks. In his 15 game career, Tullo has totaled 55 tackles, 9.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks.

CURTIS HAS BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE
Wilson Curtis, a sophomore linebacker from Winnsboro, Louisiana, turned in a breakout performance with eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and a career-high 5.0 tackles-for-loss in DSU's 35-20 victory over Shorter last Thursday.

Curtis has a team-high 8.0 tackles-for-loss this season to rank 30th in the NCAA, while making 21 stops and recording 2.5 sacks.

WILSON!
Romelo Wilson, a sophomore corner from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, made his third career interception and his second this season last Thursday's 35-20 win over Shorter. Wilson's diving interception off a deflected pass in the third quarter helped preserve DSU's second half shutout.

Wilson has recorded 21 tackles with two interceptions and four passes defended on the season.

LUBIN CHASING 100
Senior defensive end Diego Lubin needs just eight tackles to top 100 for his career. The Winter Haven, Florida, native has totaled 92 tackles, 29.5 tackles-for-loss and 11.5 sacks in 25 career games for DSU. Lubin has 13 stops, 6.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks this season.

RED HOT RED ZONE
The Statesmen have scored on 23-of-26 trips into the red zone this season, for an 88 percent conversion rate. In fact, 22 of their 23 trips have resulted in a touchdown.

THIRD QUARTER MADNESS
Delta State has outscored the opposition 94-0 in the third quarter this year and 128-15 overall in the second half.  

RED ZONE & SCORING DEFENSE
The Statesmen defense has turned it up a notch this season, allowing 18.6 points per game through five contests. DSU, which ranks 30th in the NCAA in points allowed, has allowed the opposition to convert just 61 percent of its trips inside the red zone (11-of-18).

PROTECTING OUR HOUSE
Delta State will be playing its 224th home game on Saturday, Nov. 1 versus the University of North Alabama at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The Statesmen are 139-75-8 since opening the Statesmen in 1970. DSU, which played several seasons at Delta Field located where Wyatt Hall now stands, is 251-125-15 all-time at home.

PRIME TIME
Delta State has finished the regular season league schedule with a perfect 3-0 mark in the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week telecasts. The Statesmen are 20-9 under the spotlight and 4-2 under coach Todd Cooley on the big stage. Delta State is 17-8 all-time on the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week, boasting the highest winning percentage and win total of any team in the league.

LAST CLEAN SHEET
The Statesmen blanked the Hornets of Concordia College of Selma, Alabama, 77-0 on Nov. 9, 2013 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. Prior to last year's game, DSU had not shutout an opponent since defeating Arkansas-Monticello, 53-0, on Nov. 11, 2006.

LAST TIME STATESMEN WERE SHUTOUT
It's been 12 seasons since Delta State suffered its last shutout. Then No. 1 Valdosta State defeated the Statesmen 42-0 back on Sept. 1, 2002 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Ga.

CENTER OF ATTENTION
Senior Colin Stubblefield is the center of attention early on for the Statesmen offensive line.  The New Albany, Mississippi, native has graded 86 percent or better with 28 knockdowns through five contests.  

Stubblefield graded 94 percent with 10 knockdowns in the DSU's 49-32 win over No. 13 Valdosta State (9/20) and 90 percent with three knockdowns in limited action during a 72-8 win over Central State (OH). He graded 86 percent with 11 knockdowns in the season opener, a 56-13 win against Ft. Valley State.

SET IT AT 60 & FORGET IT
Delta State is 17-0 all-time when scoring 60-plus points in a game. In fact, the Statesmen have scored 50-plus points in a game 38 times in school history and most recently in DSU's 58-20 thumping of Florida Tech in last week's GSC-TV Live Game of the Week in Melbourne, Florida.

Delta State is also 36-2 in games scoring 50-plus points. West Alabama defeated the Statesmen 63-55 at Tigers Stadium in Livingston, Alabama on Oct. 23, 1993 and Central Arkansas, with current DSU head coach Todd Cooley at offensive coordinator, claimed a 55-52 win on Oct. 12, 2004 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.

#    W/L    DATE    PF    OPPONENT    PA    LOCATION
1    W    10-04-1969    84    Illinois-Chicago    0    Cleveland, MS
2    W    11-09-2013    77    Concordia College (AL)    0    Cleveland, MS
3    W    10-07-1950    75    Memphis NAS (TN)    6    Cleveland, MS
4    W    09-27-2014    72    Central State    8    Cleveland, MS
5    W    11-08-2008    68    West Georgia    10    Carrollton, GA
6    W    11-03-1956    67    West Alabama    19    Cleveland, MS
7    W    1953    67    West Alabama    6    Cleveland, MS
8    W    10-18-1930    66    Bethel (TN)    0    Cleveland, MS
9    W    1936    64    Northwest Mississippi JC    0    Cleveland, MS
10    W    11-13-1936    63    Bethel (TN)    6    Cleveland, MS
11    W    12-09-2000    63    Bloomsburg (PA)    34    Florence, AL
12    W    11-02-2013    63    Valdosta St. (GA)    55    Cleveland, MS
13    W    11-23-1968    63    Centenary (LA)    0    Shreveport, LA
14    W    11-06-2004    62    Arkansas-Monticello    41    Cleveland, MS
15    W    10-04-2003    61    West Georgia    7    Carrollton, GA
16    W    09-02-2006    61    West Virginia Tech    0    Cleveland, MS
17    W    10-31-1959    60    Harding (AR)    7    Cleveland, MS

STATESMEN STATS WATCH
 - Sophomore Vince Sciorotta kicked five PATs versus Shorter last week moved him into third on DSU's career PAT's list with 86, passing Ernie Wells (1966-69), who had 84 PATs. The Cumming, Georgia, native needs 24 PATs to catch Trey Crum (2003-04) for second on the list. Sciorotta has scored 122 career points and is nine points shy of 13th.
 - Delta State features three receivers who have eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the careers. Casey Osborne (1,482), Patrick Bethley (1,060) and Ricky Hunt (1,040) have all topped the mark this season.
 - Jarvis York's five grabs for 70 yards against the Hawks pushed the junior past the 500 career receiving yards mark. York has 47 career receptions for 557 yards and two touchdowns.
 - Junior rover Richard Nash has turned up his play in the last few weeks, totaling 25 tackles with a tackle-for-loss, a sack and one interception. The Macon, Georgia, native has 79 career tackles and two interceptions in just 13 games.