HeritageBellTrophy_FB_092916
Elisabetta Zengaro
31
Mississippi College MC 2-3 , 0-3
61
Winner Delta State DSU 3-2 , 2-1
Mississippi College MC
2-3 , 0-3
31
Final
61
Delta State DSU
3-2 , 2-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MC Mississippi College 14 10 7 0 31
DSU Delta State 14 14 20 13 61

Game Recap: Football | | J.T. Webb

Statesmen Storm Past Mississippi College

CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The Delta State University football team outscored in-state rival Mississippi College 33-7 in the second half to help secure a 61-31 Gulf South Conference victory on Thursday night at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.
 
The Basics
How It Happened

Scoring:
  • The Statesmen opened the scoring with 7:20 left in the opening period, when Chris Robinson caught a pass from Tyler Sullivan and raced into the end zone from 21 yards out.
  • After a fake punt and a roughing the passer penalty during the same play, the Choctaws tied it up on the ensuing play on a 25-yard run by quarterback Sharone Wright.
  • Robinson responded three minutes later by scoring his second touchdown of the quarter, making the score 14-7 with 1:50 remaining in the opening 15 minutes.
  • On the next play from scrimmage, Wright delivered an 83-yard touchdown pass to Marcel Newson. The extra point tied the score at 14 with 1:33 left in the first quarter.  
  • Robinson gave DSU the lead for good with his third touchdown of the half as he plunged in from 10 yards out with 13:24 left in the second quarter.
  • The Statesmen struck six and a half minutes later on Robinson's fourth touchdown of the half, when he found the end zone from two yards out.
  • Matt Brasher pulled the visitors to within 28-17 on a 22-yard field goal with 3:13 left in the half.  
  • MC made the score 28-24 with just 14 seconds left in the half, as Michael Hodges Jr. hauled in an 18-yard pass from Wright.  
  • Sullivan opened the second half scoring, as he snuck in from a yard out, giving the Statesmen a 35-24 lead with 12:26 left in the third quarter.
  • The visitors responded just over two minutes later, as Wright scrambled down the left side for a 26-yard touchdown.
  • DSU scored just 40 seconds later on a 12-yard touchdown catch by D'Juan Bellaire. The extra point was blocked, making the score 41-31.
  • Decory McGee intercepted the first of his two passes and ran 58 yards untouched to the end zone, giving DSU a 48-31 lead with 6:54 left in the third quarter.
  • DSU helped put the game away, on a seven-yard touchdown grab by LaDarion Peterson with 9:45 left, and a 15-yard pass by Jabe Burgess to Chris Cooley with 4:36 remaining.

Offense:
  • Robinson led the Statesmen with 21 carries for 140 yards and three touchdowns. D'Juan Bellaire had 13 rushes for 115 yards.
  • Sullivan finished 14-of-22 for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Jabe Burgess was 2-of-3 for 25 yards with a score. Sullivan also had three carries for 62 yards.
  • K'Shun Evans had four catches for 42 yards, while Robinson led DSU with three catches for 49 yards.
  • The Statesmen finished with 40 rushes for 318 yards, and 176 passing yards.
  • MC finished with 328 yards passing and 229 rushing yards, on 44 carries.

Defense:
Special Teams:
  • Zane Samuel blocked his second of his career, as he blocked Matthew Turcotte's effort in the second quarter.
  • Mills also punted three times for an average of 42.3 yards.
 
Key Stats:
  • The Statesmen scored 27 points off four MC turnovers.
  • DSU finished 7-for-7 in the red zone.
  • The Statesmen were just 3-of-14 on third down, but 4-of-6 on fourth down.

Game Changer
  • The Statesmen outscored MC 33-7 in the second half.

Notables
  • The four touchdowns by Robinson marked the first time a Statesmen found the end zone more than three times, since Trevar Deed had four receiving scores against North Alabama in 2008.
  • DSU recorded 300 rushing yards for the first time since a victory over West Georgia in 2011.
  • Robinson and Bellaire became the first two Statesmen to rush for over 100 yards since Brandon Lucas and Deed in 2010.
  • Robinson, who has 12 touchdowns this season, became the first DSU player since Timothy Foy in 2013 to catch and rush for a touchdown.
  • DSU has returned an interception for a touchdown in two straight games.
  • The Statesmen have won five straight games over MC.
  • The 61 points scored by DSU were the most scored against MC in the 37-game series history.
  • McGee's two interceptions and a fumble recovery marked the second straight week (Keith Flanigan) that a Statesman defender accomplished the feat.
  • The touchdown catch by Cooley was the first of his career.
 
 Up Next
The Statesmen travel to Livingston for a Gulf South Conference matchup with West Alabama. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.  
 
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