GAME NOTES: Central State (1-2) at No. 12 Delta State (2-0)Complete weekly release in PDF
CLEVELAND, Mississippi - The No. 12 ranked Statesmen (2-0, 1-0 GSC) of Delta State University welcome Central State University (1-2, 1-0 SIAC) to Parker Field-McCool Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27 for their home opener. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network. Delta State and Central State are meeting for the first time ever on the gridiron and just the second time in school history in any sport. DSU faced CSU in men's basketball during the 2002-03 season.
Delta State Athletics and the DSU Alumni Association are gearing up to host the 29th annual Pig Pickin' Festival this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26-27 at Statesman Park. The event brings thousands of alumni, fans and friends of Delta State back to campus to experience a unique atmosphere down in the Delta.
GREEN-&-WHITE SPOTLIGHTSBehind
Tyler Sullivan's career-high passing performance, Delta State extinguished Valdosta State, 49-32, in the Gulf South Conference opener for both schools. DSU rolled up 620 yards of total offense in the victory, including 502 through the air. Sullivan ended the day 41-for-64 passing for 502 yards and three scores. His 41 completions were also a new team record.
Casey Osborne eclipsed the 100 yard receiving plateau for the third straight game dating back to last season with nine receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore corner
Romelo Wilson's 31-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter sealed the 49-32 victory for No. 14 Delta State at No. 13 Valdosta State. The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native recorded three tackles in the win and has eight on the season.
After finishing last year 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the Gulf South Conference, the Statesmen were picked to finish second in the annual Preseason GSC Football Coaches' Poll, as released by the league office. DSU also placed a total of seven student-athletes on the Preseason All-GSC Team and four were named to league's Top Newcomers List.
Redshirt sophomore
Tyler Sullivan enters the fall as a Harlon Hill Trophy hopeful after an outstanding freshman season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound signal caller was named the GSC's Offensive Freshman of the Year after completing 130-of-201 passes for 1,764 yards, with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. Sullivan currently leads the GSC and ranks third nationally with 359.5 yards passing per game. He is second in completions per game (32.0), sixth in points responsible for (24.0) and sixth in total offense (382.5). Sullivan has completed 64-of-95 passes for 719 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions this season. His QB efficiency rating is a GSC best 147.57.
Junior defensive end Randall "Rambo" Boyd has been a major force for the Statesman defense through the first two games. The Itawamba transfer leads DSU with 3.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks. Boyd's TFLs rank fourth in the GSC, while his sack total is second.
Delta State is playing its 221st home game Saturday versus Central State at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The Statesmen are 137-75-8 since opening Parker Field-McCool Stadium in 1970. DSU, which played several seasons at Delta Field located where Wyatt Hall now stands, is 249-125-15 all-time at home.
D'Juan Bellaire, a sophomore running back from Antelope, California, has started to add to his workload this season. The 5-foot-6, 175 pound speedster leads DSU in carries (25), rush yards (107.5) and rushing (53.5) per game. In last week's 49-32 win at Valdosta State, Bellaire led the Statesmen with 78 yards rushing on 19 carries with a touchdown.
The Statesmen are certainly a tempo team, ranking dead last in the GSC in time of possession, averaging 26:50 per game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS1 - The Statesmen currently rank No. 1 in the GSC in total offense (553.0) and sit second in scoring at 52.5 points per game. 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.
3 - Senior middle linebacker
Rory Island, a native of Waveland, Mississippi, needs just three tackles to top 150 for his career. Island has played in 27 consecutive games and 35 overall for the Statesmen, totaling 147 tackles, 15.0 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks.
STATESMEN & MARAUDERS TO MEET FOR FIRST TIMEDelta State begins a new series on Saturday, Sept. 27 against Central State University, as the Marauders travel to Parker Field-McCool Stadium for the 29th annual Pig Pickin' Classic. DSU and CSU have never met on the gridiron, but the Statesmen have faced the Marauders in men's basketball.
OHIO ON MY MINDThe Statesmen will be facing their first opponent ever from the state of Ohio on Saturday, as Central State University travel to Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The Marauders hail from Wilberforce, Ohio and are 1-2 overall on the season after falling to Morehouse College 48-3 last week at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
DELTA STATE HOSTING 29th PIG PICKIN'Delta State University Athletics and the DSU Alumni Association are gearing up to host the 29th annual Pig Pickin' Festival this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26-27 at Statesman Park. The event brings alumni, fans and friends of Delta State back to campus to expereince a unique atmosphere down in the Delta.
The culmination of the event will be the annual Pig Pickin' Classic featuring the No. 12 Statesmen (2-0) and Central State University at 6 p.m. The complete schedule of events is below.
Friday, Sept. 26
8 p.m. - DSU Young Alumni Social | Statesman Park
9:15 p.m. - Live Entertainment | Southern Halo | Statesman Park
Saturday, Sept. 27
8 a.m. - 23rd annual DSU Triathlon | DSU Aquatics Center
8 a.m. - Delta Down & Dirty | Statesman Park
10 a.m. - Lady Statesmen Softball Reunion | University Field
11 a.m. - Statesmen Baseball Squad Game | Ferriss Field
12 p.m. - DSU Band Day | Campus
12 p.m. - Statesman Park Opens for Tailgating
1 p.m. - Live Entertainment begins in Statesman Park
3 p.m. - Pig Pickin' BBQ Serving Lines Open (Close at 5 pm)
3 p.m. - Game Day Pep Rally | Statesman Park
5 p.m. - Pig Pickin' BBQ Contest Winners Announced
6 p.m. - Central State at Delta State | Parker Field-McCool Stadium
STATESMEN EXTINGUISH BLAZERS 49-32 IN GSC OPENERLed by
Tyler Sullivan's career-high passing performance, Delta State extinguished Valdosta State, 49-32, in the Gulf South Conference opener for both schools. DSU rolled up 620 yards of total offense in the victory, including 502 through the air.
Sullivan ended the day 41-for-64 passing for 502 yards and three scores.
Casey Osborne eclipsed the 100 yard receiving plateau for the third straight game dating back to last season and second to start this year with nine receptions for 192 yards while finding the end zone twice.
The back-to-back 100-yard performances marked the first time a Statesmen have accomplished the feat since 2009, when Trevar Deed did the same on the road at North Alabama and West Alabama.
Justin Leavy hauled in five receptions for 100 yards while
Ricky Hunt and
Jarvis York each had seven receptions.
D'Juan Bellaire rushed for 86 yards on 19 carries to lead the ground attack. The Statesmen rushed 37 times for 120 yards. The Delta State offense ran 101 plays for 622 yards.
Wilson Curtis and
Jon Knox led the defense with seven stops a piece, with Curtis adding two tackles for loss, including a sack. The Statesmen defense forced four turnovers, two interceptions and two fumbles.
STATESMEN IN GSC OPENERSDelta State improved to 22-21-1, including a 9-11 mark on the road, in its 44th Gulf South Conference opener Saturday after defeating Valdosta State, 49-32, at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Coach
Todd Cooley is now 2-0 in league openers.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTSThe Statesmen are 1-0 this season against ranked opponents after defeating No. 13 Valdosta State, 49-32, at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium last Saturday. DSU is scheduled to play No. 5 North Alabama, No. 17 West Alabama, and a pair of Gulf South Conference school's currently receiving votes in West Georgia and Florida Tech.
Since
Todd Cooley took over as head coach, the Statesmen are 4-1 against ranked opponents. DSU was 3-1 in his inaugural season.
STATESMEN EARN 40th WIN AGAINST PEACH STATEDelta State improved to 40-23-1 all-time against teams from the state of Georgia after defeating Valdosta State, 49-32, last Saturday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia. DSU downed Fort Valley State 56-13 in the season opener and will face the University of West Georgia on Oct. 18 in Carrollton.
STATESMEN OFFENSE CLICKING TO START SEASONDelta State's offense is clicking to start the season, averaging 553.0 yards and 52.5 points per game. The Statesmen lead the Gulf South Conference and rank second in NCAA DII in passing, averaging 401.0 yards per game.
The Statesmen also appear throughout the NCAA DII individual rankings.
Tyler Sullivan's 359.5 yards per game passing ranks third and
Casey Osborne's 10.5 receptions per game are second.
NEW ERA AT PARKER-McCOOLDelta State University officially began a new era at Parker Field-McCool Stadium, as director of athletics
Ronnie Mayers and head football coach
Todd Cooley cut the ribbon on the recently installed synthetic turf on Monday, Aug. 11. President Bill LaForge addressed the crowd of fans, alumni and community leaders prior to Cooley clipping the ribbon.
Completed in just 39 days, the new turf at Parker Field-McCool Stadium was installed by Geo Surfaces, Inc., of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Delta State is the fifth school in the Gulf South Conference to make the switch to a synthetic playing surface and the first collegiate client for Geo-Surfaces, Inc., in Mississippi. The project features Geo-Surfaces' latest synthetic surface with six-foot wide sidewalks surrounding Parker Field. A 45' x 90' synthetic field for pregame stretching and practice is also a part of the design.
A feature that fans will not see is Mississippi's first patented GeoFlo shock pad and drainage system. The system is design to help curtail injuries sustained from contact with the field while helping to assist drainage. The system will be the same one used by the National Football League's Pro Bowl, NFL Challenge Field and Louisiana State University's football practice field.
DSU's Parker Field-McCool Stadium will feature a new picnic area located in the north end zone, new visitors side concession stand and restrooms, new men's and women's soccer locker rooms and renovated concession stands when the Statesmen open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday, Sept. 27 for Pig Pickin' versus Central State (Ohio).
PROTECTING OUR HOUSEDelta State is playing its 221st home game Saturday versus Central State at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The Statesmen are 137-75-8 since opening the Statesmen in 1970. DSU, which played several seasons at Delta Field located where Wyatt Hall now stands, is 249-125-15 all-time at home.
OSBORNE FLYING HIGHJunior receiver
Casey Osborne has been flying high for the Statesmen this season, pacing the Gulf South Conference and ranking third in the NCAA in receptions per game (10.5). In just two games, the Flowery Branch, Georgia native, has caught 21 passes for 309 yards and five touchdowns. Osborne's 152.5 receiving yards per game rank third nationally and his 15.0 points per game sit sixth.
WILSON DRIVES HOME THE NAILSophomore corner
Romelo Wilson's 31-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter sealed the 49-32 victory for No. 14 Delta State at No. 13 Valdosta State last Saturday. The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native recorded three tackles in the win and has eight on the season.
SULLIVAN SETS COMPLETIONS RECORD AT VSUTyler Sullivan's 41 completions against the vaunted Valdosta State defense established a new Delta State single-game record, breaking the previous mark of 40 held by
Travis Champion, who set the mark at North Alabama last season. The Louisville, Mississippi native completed 41-of-64 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns in DSU's victory.
Sullivan currently leads the GSC and ranks third nationally with 359.5 yards passing per game. He is second in completions per game (32.0), sixth in points responsible for (24.0) and sixth in total offense (382.5).
Sullivan has completed 64-of-95 passes for 719 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions this season. His QB efficiency rating is a GSC best 147.57.
In just nine games, eight as a starter, Sullivan has thrown for 2,483 yards and 21 touchdowns. The former Winston Academy standout has completed 195-of-296 passes for a 65.9 completion percentage.Sullivan needs just 134 yards to crack into the career passing charts at Delta State. David Bradberry threw for 2,616 yards from 1972-73 for the Statesmen and ranks 10th on the list.
BELLAIRE ADDING TO THE WORKLOADD'Juan Bellaire, a sophomore running back from Antelope, California, has started to add to his workload this season. The 5-foot-6, 175 pound speedster leads DSU in carries (25), rush yards (107.5) and rushing per game (53.5). In last week's 49-32 win at Valdosta State, Bellaire led the Statesmen with 78 yards rushing on 19 carries with a touchdown.
KNOX & CURTIS ANCHORING DEFENSEJunior safety
Jon Knox and sophomore linebacker
Wilson Curtis have gotten off to a fast start to lead the Statesmen defense. Knox, a transfer from Georgia, leads DSU with 14 tackles, including a game-high seven stops and a forced fumble at Valdosta State.
Curtis, a Winnsboro, Louisiana, native has racked up 11 stops to rank second on the team, including 2.0 tackles-for-loss and a sack.
BOYD CAUSING HAVOC UP FRONTJunior defensive end Randall "Rambo" Boyd has been a major force for the Statesman defense through the first two games. The Itawamba transfer leads DSU with 3.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks. Boyd's tackles-for-loss rank fourth among defenders in the GSC, while his sack total is second.
WILLIAMS' WAYOffensive coordinator
Joel Williams 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.
The Statesmen currently lead the GSC in total offense (553.0) and sit second in scoring at 52.5 points per game.
BALL HAWKSThe Statesmen secondary finished second in the Gulf South Conference last season with 15 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, but this season DSU is already ahead of that pace with three picks in its first two games.
Romelo Wilson,
Lawrence Hopkins and
Richard Nash have all recorded one interception this year.
PUTTING THE OPPOSITION IN REVERSEDelta State's defense has picked up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks, totaling 17 tackles-for-loss (-62 yards) and four sacks (-19 yards) through just two games. Last season, DSU zeroed in on the quarterback for 23 sacks last season for 153 total yards lost for the opposition. The Statesmen ranked second in the league in sacks and totaled a whopping 80 tackles-for-loss accounting for 308 lost yards.
TEMPO TEAMThe Statesmen are certainly a tempo team, ranking dead last in the GSC in time of possession, averaging 26:50 per game.
WE ARE A FAMILY, NOT A FOOTBALL TEAMThe Delta State University football program is built on a simple principle, blood is thicker than water and family comes first. Our family is bigger than the coaches and players on the field, it stretches into the people in the picnic area, grand stands and homes around Delta State. Family protects family, and family always stands together.
LAST CLEAN SHEETThe 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 SHUTOUTIt'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.
SET IT AT 60 & FORGET ITDelta State is 16-0 all-time when scoring 60-plus points in a game. In fact, the Statesmen have scored 50-plus points in a game 36 times in school history and most recently in DSU's 56-13 dismantling of Fort Valley State in the season opener at Wildats Stadium in Fort Valley, Georgia.
Delta State is also 34-2 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 11-08-2008 68 West Georgia 10 Carrollton, GA
5 W 11-03-1956 67 West Alabama 19 Cleveland, MS
6 W 1953 67 West Alabama 6 Cleveland, MS
7 W 10-18-1930 66 Bethel (TN) 0 Cleveland, MS
8 W 1936 64 Northwest Mississippi JC 0 Cleveland, MS
9 W 11-13-1936 63 Bethel (TN) 6 Cleveland, MS
10 W 12-09-2000 63 Bloomsburg (PA) 34 Florence, AL
11 W 11-02-2013 63 Valdosta St. (GA) 55 Cleveland, MS
12 W 11-23-1968 63 Centenary (LA) 0 Shreveport, LA
13 W 11-06-2004 62 Arkansas-Monticello 41 Cleveland, MS
14 W 10-04-2003 61 West Georgia 7 Carrollton, GA
15 W 09-02-2006 61 West Virginia Tech 0 Cleveland, MS
16 W 10-31-1959 60 Harding (AR) 7 Cleveland, MS
STATESMEN PICKED SECOND IN GSC PRESEASON POLLAfter finishing last year 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the Gulf South Conference, Delta State was picked to finish second in the annual Preseason GSC Football Coaches' Poll, as released by the league office. DSU also placed a total of seven student-athletes on the Preseason All-GSC Team and four were named to league's Top Newcomers List.
UNA enters the year as the favorite for the first time in four years, compiling 35 total points led by five first-place votes. In 2013, Delta State recorded its highest finish since 2010, taking second-place via 30 points behind the final two first-place nods.
Valdosta State and West Alabama followed in third (26) and fourth place (21), respectively. Fifth-place West Georgia tallied 17 points, followed by Florida Tech (12) and Shorter (six), which enters the 2014 campaign as an official GSC member after two years as a provisional member.
