GAME NOTES: Valdosta State @ No. 19 Delta State
Complete weekly release with notes, rankings & stats in PDF format

CLEVELAND, Miss. - The No. 19 Statesmen (6-1, 4-1 GSC) of Delta State and the Blazers (2-3, 2-2 GSC) of Valdosta State meet for the 37th time on the gridiron on Sat., Oct. 21st. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT) at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in Cleveland, Miss. DSU leads the series 20-15-1, falling 56-27 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Ga., last season. The Statesmen are 10-8-1 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. Matt Jones, Philip Tang and Lane Quinton will have the call of the action on the Statesmen Sports Network.

Delta State enters the Valdosta State game with the top ranked rushing defense (74.7) and the second ranked scoring defense in the GSC (19.1 ppg.). DSU also ranks fourth in total defense (329.0). The Blazers are ranked fourth in rushing offense (175.8 ypg.), fifth in pass offense (200.4 ypg.) and total offense (376.2 ypg.) and sixth in scoring (26.8 ppg.) in the GSC.

Senior Chris Robinson is third in the GSC in rushing (84.0 ypg.) and leads the league in scoring (8.9 ppg.) and touchdowns (10). Senior Vince Sciorrotta is tied for second in scoring by kick (7.3 ppg.).

Johnquavious McBride is second in the GSC in tackles (59) while Ovenson Cledanord is second in sacks (5) and tackles for loss (10).  Senior linebacker Landry Tullo is fifth in tackles (50).

The Blazers use a two quarterback system in Rogan Wells and Adam Robles. Wells has completed 54-of-100 passes for 544 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions, while Robles has completed 42-of-84 passes for 458 yards with three touchdowns and two picks. VSU's top targets are Dallas Baldner with 21 catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns and Brian Saunds, who has 12 receptions for 88 yards and a team-high three touchdown grabs.

Wells and Robles have spread the wealth with 18 different receivers catching at least one pass and 15 receivers boasting two or more receptions.
 

---

INSIDE THE BLAZERS

37th MEETING WITH BLAZERS: No. 19 Delta State (6-1, 4-1 GSC) and Valdosta State (2-3, 2-2 GSC) meet for the 37th time on the gridiron on Sat., Oct. 21st. at 2 p.m. (CT) inside Parker Field-McCool Stadium in Cleveland, Miss. DSU leads the series 20-15-1, falling 56-27 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Ga., last season. The Statesmen hold a 10-8-1 record at Parker Field-McCool Stadium, dropping a 40-34 overtime decision in the last meeting in Cleveland on Nov. 7, 2015.  The Blazers have won the last two meeting in the series with the Statesmen winning seven of the nine meetings prior.

BLAZERS' TWO QUARTERBACK ATTACK:  The Blazers use a two quarterback system in Rogan Wells and Adam Robles. Wells has completed 54-of-100 passes for 544 Yyars with five touchdowns and two interceptions, while Robles has completed 42-of-84 passes for 458 yards with three touchdowns and two picks. Valdosta State ranks fourth in rushing offense (175.8 ypg.), fifth in pass offense (200.4 ypg.) and total offense (376.2 ypg.) and sixth in scoring (26.8 ppg.) in the conference.

BLAZERS TOP TARGETS: VSU's top targets are Dallas Baldner with 21 catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns and Brian Saunds, who has 12 receptions for 88 yards and a team-high three touchdown grabs.  Wells and Robles have spreed the wealth with 18 different receivers catching at least one pass and 15 receivers boasting two or more receptions. Kenny Benjamin and Travon Roberts are third on the team with eight catches while Roberts has one touchdown catch.
 

---

STATESMEN QUICK-HITTERS

DELTA STATE RALLIES PAST UWF: The Statesmen scored 14 unanswered fourth quarter points to rally for a 28-25 victory over West Florida on Sat., Oct. 14 at Blue Wahoos Stadium in front of 5,548 fans on Homecoming for the Argonauts. Robinson helped the Statesmen get back in the game, punching it in from five yards out to cut the UWF lead to four, 25-21, with 14:17 to play in the game. Special teams made the difference for the Statesmen, as Kevin White blocked Austin Williams' 52-yard field goal attempt and Johnquavious McBride returned the block 65 yards for the go-ahead score with 12:51 to go in the game. A late drive by UWF to attempt to the tie the game was shutdown, as Chandler Ector recovered Mike Beaudry's fumble to seal the victory.

LOFTON LIFTING DEFENSIVE FRONT: After missing the first four games of the season with an injury, junior defensive end Tramond Lofton has made an immediate impact for the Statesmen in the last three outings, totaling 19 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and a sack. The Waynesboro, Miss., native has also broken up one pass and forced a fumble for Jerry Partridge's defensive unit.  

SCIORROTTA ALONE IN DSU HISTORY WITH 306, APPROACHES GSC RECORD: With Delta State's career scoring record firmly in his grasp, senior kicker Vince Sciorrotta looks to add another notch to the belt this weekend versus Valdosta State, as he needs just three points to become the GSC's career scoring leader by kick. Sciorrotta became the first Delta State player ever to tally 300 points or more in a career, joining only five other players in the history of the Gulf South Conference who have eclipsed the 300-point plateau. The Gainesville, Ga., native, enters Saturday's game with 306 career points after making 38 field goals and 179 extra points in his four-year career. He is 8-of-12 on field goals and 27-of-28 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.

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. After last week's 90 yards of returns at West Flordia, Peterson has amassed 1,287 kick return 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 (74.7 ypg) and sacks (22) while ranking second in scoring defense, allowing 18.1 points per game. Delta State ranks fourth in total defense at 329.3 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 55 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 sacks, while leading the GSC in forced fumbles (3).  
 

GROUND & POUND: The Statesmen enter Saturday's bout with Valdosta State leading the GSC in rushing, averaging 226.0 yards per game on the ground. DSU is one of only two schools to top the 200-yards per game mark. Senior Chris Robinson, who ranks third in the GSC in rushing yards and rushing yards per game, averages 85.0 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry through the first seven games of the season. Breck Ruddick (5th, 62.7 yards per game) is the league's top rushing quarterback with LaDarion Peterson (17th, 34.3 yards per game) also helping spearhead the rushing attack of the Statesmen.

MCBRIDE LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Senior Missouri Southern transfer JohnQuavious McBride enters week eight of the season ranked second in the GSC in tackles with 59, averaging 8.4 tackles per game. In last week's 28-25 win over West Florida, the Atlanta native scored what proved to the game-winning touchdown, returning a blocked field goal 65 yards for a score in the fourth quarter.

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: Delta State is 23-2 under head coach Todd Cooley when winning the turnover battle, including a 5-0 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 7-14 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 on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. 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.