GAME NOTES: Delta State (4-5, 3-4 GSC) at No. 23 Florida Tech (7-2, 4-2 GSC)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State University will play its final game of the 2016 season this Saturday, Nov. 12, as the Statesmen (4-5, 3-4 GSC) travel to Melbourne, Fla., to face the Panthers (7-2, 4-2 GSC) of the Florida Institute of Technology. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. EST and the game will be televised as the Florida's SpaceCoast Beaches GSC Game of the Week on ESPN3. Former DSU head coach Rick Rhoades (2002-2006) will serve as color commentator for the broadcast with Don Russell providing play-by-play. Philip Tang, Lane Quinton and Cody Clark will have he call on the Statesmen Sports Network.

Delta State and Florida Tech are meeting for the fourth time in the series, with the Statesmen owning a 2-1 edge in the series. FIT's lone win came last year on Oct. 3, 2015 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in a 41-37 setback for the Statesmen. DSU is 1-0 in Melbourne, Fla., claiming a 58-20 victory on Oct. 2, 2014 at Panther Stadium.

The Lions (6-1, 5-0 GSC) of the University of North Alabama used a 28-point third quarter to claim a 49-19 victory over the Statesmen (4-5, 3-4 GSC) of Delta State University on Saturday, Oct. 29 in the final home game for 24 seniors at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. Junior running back Chris Robinson tied the Gulf South Conference's single-season touchdown record with his 24th of the year, equaling University of Central Arkansas running back Kentrel Rogers' 2005 mark.  
 

STATESMEN FOOTBALL GAME DAY
Date/Location:	• Nov. 12, 2016 | Panther Stadium | Melbourne, Fla.
Kickoff Time:	• 2:00 p.m. EST
Radio:	• Statesmen Sports Network | WMJW 107.5 FM  • Talent: Philip Tang (PxP), Cody Clark (Color), Lane Quinton (Sidelines)
TV:	• ESPN3 | GSC-TV Game of the Week  • Talent: Don Russell (PxP), Rick Rhoades (Color)
Rankings:	• Delta State: NR - AFCA | NR - D2Football.com  • Florida Tech: RV - AFCA | No. 23 - D2Football.com
Series History:	• Fourth Meeting | Delta State leads 2-1  • Last Meeting: Oct. 3, 2015 | FIT 41 - DSU 37 (Cleveland, Miss.)
Coaches:	• Delta State: Todd Cooley (26-15, 4th season)  • Florida Tech: Steve Englehart (25-18, 4th | 51-32 overall)
Live Audio:	• Statesmen Sports Network (Click Here)
Live Stats:	• Live Stats (Click Here)
Live Video:	• Web Stream (Click Here)

 

MAKING A CASE FOR THE HARLON HILL: Junior running back Chris Robinson is making a case that he should be considered one of the leading candidates for the Harlon Hill Trophy, presented annually to NCAA Division II Player of the Year. The Gulf Coast (Miss.) CC transfer is the nation's leading scorer, averaging 16.0 points per game. The 5-foot-8 lethal weapon also leads NCAA Division II in touchdowns (24) and rushing touchdowns (19) while pacing the GSC in rushing (894 yards) and yards per game (99.3). A dual-threat target for opposing defense, Robinson has caught 30 passes for 485 yards and five scores. In fact, he's turned in back-to-back 130-yard rushing games for DSU and has scored at least two touchdowns in seven of nine games.

SULLIVAN NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY FINALIST: The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the finalists for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments® and prominently displayed at its official home inside the New York Athletic Club. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation and Delta State University quarterback Tyler Sullivan was one of the 12 finalists named by the NFF. The 12 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments.

The finalists will travel to New York City for the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 27th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. Sullivan joins Michael Eubanks (LB, 2008) and Micah Davis (QB, 2011) as NFF Scholar-Athletes. Delta State University has more NFF Scholar-Athletes in NCAA Division II than any other school since 2008.

The 12 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 27th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

Selected from a nationwide pool of 156 exceptional semifinalists from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, the 12 finalists are:
 

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE	POSITION	SCHOOL	GPA	MAJOR
Chris Beaschler	LB	Dayton	3.72	Mechanical Engineering
Tim Crawley	WR	San Jose State	3.78	Business Management
DeVon Edwards	S	Duke	3.35	Psychology
Brooks Ellis	LB	Arkansas	3.82	Exercise Science
Carter Hanson	LB	Saint John's (Minn.)	4.00	Business Leadership
Taysom Hill	QB	BYU	3.45	Finance
Ryan Janvion	S	Wake Forest	3.53	Business Management
Zay Jones	WR	East Carolina	3.56	Communications
Cooper Rush	QB	Central Michigan	3.86	Actuarial Science
Karter Schult	DL	Northern Iowa	3.87	Exercise Science
Tyler Sullivan	QB	Delta State (Miss.)	3.68	Biology
Zach Terrell	QB	Western Michigan	3.66	Finance

NEW SCORING RECORD: One week after Chris Robinson tied the school & GSC record for touchdowns record  in a game with six,  the junior from Bude, Miss., accounted for 210 yards, rushing for 131 yards, and three touchdowns to become Delta State's single-season points-scored leader with 138. Robinson broke Josh Bright's previous mark of 126 in 2000.   

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: Delta State, which moved to 18-2 under head coach Todd Cooley when winning the turnover battle, forced three West Florida turnovers last week while giving away a lone interception.   

GREEN ZONE EFFICIENCY: Delta State is 40-for-44 inside the "Green Zone" this season in scoring situations. In fact, the Statesmen have scored 33 TDs and converted seven field goals inside the opposition's 20-yard line.

LEADING AT THE HALF: Delta State is 21-0 under head coach Todd Cooley when leading at half-time. The Statesmen are 5-10 when trailing and 0-2 when tied at the half.

RACE TO 30: The Statesmen are 24-5 all-time when scoring 30 or more points against an opponent under head coach Todd Cooley.

TELEVISED RESULTS: Delta State's clash with Mississippi College was the 33rd game televised by the GSC/NCAA/ESPN. The Statesmen are 22-11 all-time in televised contests, including a 3-0 mark again the Choctaws. In his three-plus seasons at DSU, coach Todd Cooley is 7-4 in televised games.