Chris Robinson
Elisabetta Zengaro
42
Delta State DSU 3-3 , 2-2
54
Winner West Alabama UWA 3-3 , 3-1
Delta State DSU
3-3 , 2-2
42
Final
54
West Alabama UWA
3-3 , 3-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DSU Delta State 7 14 7 14 42
UWA West Alabama 21 17 6 10 54

Game Recap: Football | | J.T. Webb

Tigers Hold Off Statesmen in Shootout

LIVINGSTON, Alabama – The University of West Alabama scored 38 first half points and rushed for 277 yards in a 54-42 victory over the Delta State University football team in Gulf South Conference action on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
 
The Basics How It Happened
 
Scoring:
  • With 9:10 left in the first quarter UWA signal-caller Austin Grammer opened the scoring on the Tigers second drive of the game when he ran into the end zone from 19 yards out.
  • Grammer doubled the host's lead two and a half minutes later when he plunged in from a yard out.
  • The Statesmen scored their first touchdown with five minutes left in the first quarter, when on 3rd and 9 from the 24, Tyler Sullivan found Chris Robinson, who raced 74 yards to the end zone.  
  • With 2:45 left in the opening frame Grammer gave UWA a 21-7 lead, when he scored his third rushing touchdown of the quarter on a 15-yard keeper.
  • Rashaad Lee helped give the Tigers a 28-7 lead, scoring from 11 yards out with 8:04 left in the half.
  • Jordan Bennett extended the Tiger lead to 31-7, splitting the uprights with a 25-yard effort with 3:02 left until halftime.
  • The Statesmen responded immediately, as LaDarion Peterson returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown.
  • Lee scored his second touchdown of the half, with 53 seconds left in the second quarter, when he rumbled in from two yards out.
  • After a 47-yard catch and run by Robinson, the Statesmen capitalized with a 10-yard touchdown grab by Chris Cooley as time expired in the first half.
  • After UWA tipped and intercepted a Sullivan pass, Bennett knocked home a 38-yard field goal. That gave the Tigers a 41-21 lead with 12:15 to go in the third quarter.
  • On its next possession, DSU capped off an 11-play 87-yard drive with 4:19 left in the third, scoring on a 35-yard strike from Sullivan to Cooley.  
  • Less than three minutes later Bennett converted his third field goal, a 29-yard effort, to give the hosts a 44-28 lead.
  • With 14:27 left in the final quarter, Grammer threw his lone touchdown pass of the game as he connected with Corey Davis from 13 yards out.
  • The Statesmen responded with 9:44 remaining on a seven-yard touchdown pass to D'Juan Bellaire to make the score 51-35.
  • Bennett connected on his fourth field goal of the game 4:01 later, as his 42-yard effort split the uprights.
  • Just 1:41 later, the Statesmen finished the scoring, when Robinson scored his second touchdown of the night on an 11-yard grab from Sullivan.
Offense:
  • Sullivan finished 27-for-37 for 382 yards with four touchdowns passing and three interceptions. Jabe Burgess was 4-for-11 for 45 yards with an interception.
  • Robinson led DSU with eight grabs for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
  • K'Shun Evans and Alex Pina-Rhoden also had eight catches. Evans finished with 91 yards, while Pina-Rhoden had 70.
  • Cooley had three catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Bellaire led the DSU ground attack with 14 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown.  
  • Grammer was 22-of-39 for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
  • Lakenderic Thomas led UWA with 19 carries for 150 yards. Grammer finished with seven carries for 45 yards and three scores.
  • The hosts finished with 84 plays for 566 yards, including 277 on the ground.
  • DSU ran 79 plays for 512 yards, but were held to just 85 rushing yards.
Defense: Special Teams:
  • Peterson returned seven kickoff for 245 (35.0 avg.) yards and a touchdown.
  • Mills punted five times for an average of 48.2 yards.
 Key Stats:
  • The Tigers forced four Statesmen turnovers.
  • UWA averaged 6.2 yards per rush.

Game Changer
  • The Tigers recorded 277 rushing yards as a team.  
 
Notables
  • Peterson set a school record for kickoff return yards in a game (245), breaking the record held by Maurice Moore (7-168, Harding, 2010).
  • The kickoff return for a touchdown marked the first for the Statesmen since Jeremy Ricks had a 92-yard effort versus West Georgia in 2007. Peterson's return was the fifth longest in school history.  
  • Robinson's 150 receiving yards were the most since Casey Osborne had 192 at Valdosta State in 2014. Robinson also finished with 200 all-purpose yards, which is the most since Lavon Downs' 203 yard effort at VSU in 2012.
  • Sullivan's four passing touchdowns give him 73 for his career.
  • Pina-Rhoden, Evans and Robinson all finished with career highs in catches and receiving yards.
 
 Up Next

The Statesmen host the University of West Florida for homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 15. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.  
 
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