Box Score CLEVELAND, Miss. – The Delta State University football team scored six first-half touchdowns to defeat Kentucky Wesleyan College, 50-29, in the season-opener on Thursday at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.
 
THE BASICS

• Score:  Delta State 50, Kentucky Wesleyan 29
• Records: Statesmen (1-0), Panthers (0-1)
• Date: Thursday, Sept. 1 | 6:00 p.m. (CT) Kickoff
• Location: Parker Field-McCool Stadium | Cleveland, Miss.
• Series: Statesmen lead 2-0

 
HOW IT HAPPENED | OFFENSE:

• Junior running back Chris Robinson scored the first touchdown of the season, when he raced to the end zone from 67 yards out with 12:23 left in the first quarter. Cody Mills extra point was wide left.
• Preseason All-Gulf South Conference performer Tyler Sullivan threw the first of his three first half touchdowns, when he found Casey Osborne for a 69-yard score. Mills connected on the extra point, making the score 13-0 with 10:59 left in the opening quarter.
• Junior transfer LaDarion Peterson caught Sullivan's second touchdown strike of the quarter, making the score 19-0 with 5:14 left in the first quarter.  
• DSU scored the first of its three-second quarter touchdowns, as Shawn Sanks hauled in a two-yard pass from Sullivan. The extra point by Mills made the score 27-0 with 14:35 left in the half.
• Robinson scored his second touchdown of the half, on a five-yard scamper, with 5:15 left in the second quarter.
• Mills finished the first half scoring when he connected on his first career field goal attempt, a 27-yard effort, as time expired in the first half.
• The Panthers found the end zone for the first time, when All-American receiver Keelan Cole hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from DaMarcus Smith. Chris Logsdon's kick clanked off the upright, making the score 43-6 with 11:18 left in the third quarter.
• D'Juan Bellaire scored his first touchdown of the season, when found the end zone from 15 yards out. Jacob Hauenstein converted his first career extra-point attempt, making the score 43-6 with 11:18 left in the third quarter.
• The Panthers scored 23 unanswered points on a five-yard run by Smith, and a pair of touchdown grabs by Cole, including an 82-yard strike in the second half.
• With KWC trailing 43-29, the Statesmen finished a six-play, 65-yard drive with a 15-yard scamper by Robinson to make the score 50-29 with 2:38 remaining.
• Osborne led the way for DSU with five catches for 110 yards and a score, while Cole led KWC with six catches for 181 yards and three touchdowns.

HOW IT HAPPENED | DEFENSE:

• The Statesmen held KWC to just 72 yards in the first half, including just 20 through the air.
• Jamel Dennis led the way with eight tackles, including two for loss.
• True freshman Cole Baker and junior transfer Eric Sadler recorded 1.5 sacks apiece.
• Eight Statesmen defenders recorded eight tackles-for-loss.

 
SPECIAL TEAMS:

• In his first field goal kicking duties of his career, Mills was 3-of-4 on PAT attempts, while Hauenstein was 2-for-2.
• Mills punted one time for 66 yards, and Thomas Boone punted four times for an average of 50.5.

 
KEY STAT:

• The Statesmen gained 593 yards, including 241 on the ground.

 
GAME CHANGER:

• The Statesmen scored three touchdowns in both of the first two quarters.

 
NOTABLES:

• The 593 yards of offense is the second-highest total for DSU in its last 12 games.
• With his 162 yards, Robinson became the first Statesman since 2011 to rush for over 150 yards in a game. He also became the first player with three rushing touchdowns since 2014.
• With his touchdown in the third quarter, Bellaire now has 16 for his career.

UP NEXT:

The Statesmen host Lone Star Conference foe No. 9 Texas A&M Commerce, on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. DSU claimed a thrilling 51-44 victory in Commerce last season.