GAME NOTES: No. 21 Delta State @ West Florida
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The No. 21 Statesmen (5-1, 2-1 GSC) of Delta State make their first ever football trip to Pensacola, Fla., on Sat., Oct. 14th to take on the Argos (4-1, 3-0 GSC) of West Florida. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. (CT) at Wahoos Stadium. DSU leads the series 1-0, after claiming a 55-51 home win in the first ever meeting in football between the two schools last season. Matt Jones, Philip Tang and Lane Quinton will have the call of the action on the Statesmen Sports Network.

INSIDE THE MATCH-UP: Delta State enters the game against West Florida, leading the GSC in rushing (233.2 ypg) while ranking third in the GSC in total offense (426.8 ypg) and scoring offense (33.8 ypg).  The Argos are ranked fourth in scoring (28.2 ppg) and passing (198.8 ypg) and eighth in rushing (102.5 ypg). They will face a Statesmen defense that is allowing 17.0 ppg (3rd GSC), 72.3 rushing (1st GSC) and 310 yards per game (T3rd GSC) through six games. UWF signal caller Mike Beaudry ranks third in the GSC in passing, completing 63-of-123 for 833 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Beaudry's top target Antoine Griffith has 18 catches for 290 yards and ranks second in the GSC with 3.6 receptions per game. DSU's Chris Robinson is second in the GSC in rushing (90.3 ypg) and quarterback Breck Ruddick is fifth (61.5 ypg).

SCIORROTTA JOINS 300 CLUB: Senior kicker Vince Sciorrotta surpassed the 300-point mark, converting three field goals and an extra-point against UWA to put him at 302 for his career.  Already the Delta State record holder in the category, the senior kicker is just the sixth Gulf South Conference player ever to achieve the milestone.  The Gainesville, Ga., native needs seven points to surpass the GSC record of 309 career points.

DELTA STATE COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AGAINST UWA: No. 9 Delta State suffered its first loss of the season Saturday night, falling to No. 21 West Alabama at home, 29-26. The Statesmen rallied from a 19-point deficit late in the third quarter only to see Vince Sciorrotta's game-tying 29-yard field goal attempt with a minute left sail wide to give the Tigers the road upset. Senior quarterback Collin Willis completed 20 of 37 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown and rushed 11 times for 53 yards.  Wills Chambers had four catches for 94 yards and Kam Myers had a game-high 9 catches for 78 yards. Tackle Ovenson Cledanord had a career-high of 16 tackles while Landry Tullo added 15 stops.
 

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SERIES NOTEBOOK: WEST FLORIDA ARGOS
 

• 2nd MEETING WITH ARGOS: The Statesmen (5-1, 3-1 GSC) and Argos (4-1, 2-1 GSC) are meeting for the second time on the gridiron this Saturday, Oct.14. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Fla. Delta State leads the all-time series 1-0-0, winning a 55-51 shootout in Cleveland last season.
   
• UWF POTENT OFFENSIVELY: The Argos have proven that they can score points this season, as they rank fourth in scoring (28.2 ppg) in the Gulf South Conference. The   Argos also rank fourth in passing (198.8 ypg) and eighth in rushing (102.5 ypg) through their first five games.
   
• SIGNAL CALLER BEAUDRY LEADS THE WAY: West Florida signal caller and Oviedo, Fla. native, Mike Beaudry ranks third in the GSC in passing, completing 63-of-123 for 833 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also added one touchdown on the ground for the Argos.
   
• GRIFFITH, ASHLEY SURE-HANDED FOR ARGOS: Top target Antoine Griffith has 18 catches for 290 yards and ranks second in the GSC with 3.6 receptions per game. Ka'Ron Ashely has totaled 10 catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns.
   
• SCHWARZ LEADS THE CHARGE IN THE BACKFIELD: Chris Schwarz, a sophomore and New Port Richey, Fla. native, leads the rushing attack for the Argonauts. Schwarz has totaled 76 carries through the team's first five games, and has racked up 300 yards and score four touchdowns.
   

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MCBRIDE PACING THE GSC IN TACKLES: Senior Missouri Southern transfer JohnQuavious McBride    enters week seven of the season tied for the lead in the GSC in tackles with 54, averaging 9.0 tackles per game. In last week's 29-26 loss against UWA, the Atlanta native recorded nine tackles including one tackle for loss. He has twice registered double-digit tackles this year, and has four pass breakups to his credit.

SCIORROTTA ALONE IN DSU HISTORY WITH 302, APPROACHES GSC RECORD: With Delta State's career scoring record firmly in his grasp, senior kicker Vince Sciorrotta added another notch to the belt this past weekend, as his 10 points pushed him up over 300 points for his career. Sciorrotta became the first Delta State player ever to tally 300 points or more in a career. Only six players in the history of the Gulf South Conference have eclipsed the 300-point plateau, including the Gainesville, Ga., native, who enters Saturday's game with West Florida with 302 career points. Sciorrotta has 38 field goals and 179 extra points in his four-year career, and is 8-of-12 on field goals and 23-of-24 on extra points this season for the Statesmen. Former Valdosta State kicker Will Rhody (2002-2004) owns the GSC record for points scored kicking with 308. Sciorrotta needs seven points to become the GSC's all-time leading scorer by kick.

PETERSON BREAKS CAREER KICK RETURN RECORD: Senior running back and return specialist LaDarion Peterson broke the Delta State career kick return yards record, returning five kickoffs for 80 yards against West Alabama, giving him 1,211 career kick return yards. The Woodville, Miss., native, who was named First Team All-GSC last year as a returner, is the fourth member of the 1,000-Kick Return Yards Club. Peterson broke Jesse Jackson's (1974-77) school record of 1,197 yards.

DELTA DEFENSE CONTINUES GROWTH: Jerry Partridge has made an immediate impact in his first season as defensive coordinator for the Statesmen. Entering week seven, the Statesmen rank No. 1 in the Gulf South Conference in rush defense (72.3 ypg). The Statesmen are tied for first in sacks (19) and are second in the league in interceptions (10), and have made major strides in scoring defense, ranking third in the GSC (17.0 points per game). Delta State ranks third in total defense at 310 yards per game.

CLEDANORD CAUSING A RUCKUS IN BACKFIELD: Outside linebacker Ovenson Cledanord (6-2/210/Jr.) has been a major thorn in the side of opponents this season, tallying 51 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 10.0 tackles-for-loss, three forced fumbles and an interception. He is currently second in the GSC in TFLs and leads the GSC in forced fumbles (3) while ranking second in sacks (5.0). In last week's loss to West Alabama, the Greenacres, Fla., native tallied a career- high 16 tackles, and had 1.0 TFL.

GROUND & POUND: The Statesmen enter Saturday's bout with West Florida leading the GSC in rushing, averaging 233.2 yards per game on the ground. Chris Robinson, who ranks second in the GSC in rushing yards and rushing yards per game, averages 90.3 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry through the first six games of the season. Breck Ruddick (5th, 61.5 yards per game) and LaDarion Peterson (17th, 32.8 yards per game) also help spearhead the rushing attack of the Statesmen. Delta State ranks 16th in NCAA DII in rush yards per game. The Statesmen rushed for a season-best 394 yards versus Chowan (W, 42-13) and totaled 280 yards in their 30-17 win at Mississippi College.      

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: Delta State is 23-2 under head coach Todd Cooley when winning the turnover battle, including a 4-0 mark this season.     
 
LEADING AT THE HALF: Delta State is 26-0 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 28-5 all-time when scoring 30 or more points against an opponent under head coach Todd Cooley.

BALLS & BELL WELCOMED INTO DSU SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Former DSU All-Americans Karl Balls (DE | 1983-86) and Rory Bell (SS | 1996-2000) were inducted into the DSU Sports Hall of Fame this past weekend. Balls lettered for the Statesmen from 1983-1986 for coach Jimmy "Red" Parker, while earning All-American honors on the defensive line in 1986. In 1984, Balls finished with 9.5 sacks to rank second in single-season history, while his 19.5 career sacks still rank fifth in program history. Bell helped lead one of the greatest turnarounds in Mississippi football history and propel the Statesmen to the 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship. The New Orleans, La., native lettered for coaches Todd Knight and Steve Campbell from 1996-2000. A unanimous All-America selection as a senior in 2000 and a three-time All-GSC pick, Bell finished his career with 282 tackles, including the second most in a single season (138, 2000). He ranks fifth on the career tackles chart today.