GAME NOTES: Florida Tech @ Delta State
Complete weekly release with notes, rankings & stats in PDF format

CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Statesmen (7-3, 4-3 GSC) of Delta State University will host the Florida Institute of Technology Panthers (5-5, 3-4 GSC) on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in the 85th Homecoming Classic and the regular season finale. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Prior to the game, head coach Todd Cooley and Delta State will honor 31 seniors for their service to the program.  Saturday's clash with FIT will be featured as the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week on ESPN3 by Florida's Space Coast. Don Russell (PxP) and former Statesman head coach Rick Rhoades (Color) will have the call. Matt Jones, Philip Tang and Lane Quinton will also broadcast the game on the Statesmen Sports Network (WMJW 107.5 FM).

Delta State and Florida Tech are meeting for the fifth time in series history on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in the 85th Homecoming Classic for the Statesmen. The series is tied 2-2, with each team posting a 1-1 record at home. After winning the first two games of the series, the Statesmen have dropped the last two, falling 41-37 on Oct. 3, 2015 and 42-16 on Nov. 12, 2016 in Melbourne, Fla.       

Heading into the regular season finale, the Statesmen remain in the hunt for the NCAA Division II Football Championship Playoffs. Monday's latest NCAA.com Super Region II rankings saw Delta State remain No. 7 in the poll with only Florida Tech (5-5, 3-4 GSC) standing in the way of an 8-3 season. The Statesmen posted a 3-0 non-conference record with victories over Tarleton State, Chowan and North Greenville. Wingate remained atop the regional rankings followed by West Alabama, Virginia State, West Georgia and Bowie State in the top five. Catawba was sixth with Delta State, Carson Newman, Tuskegee and West Florida rounding out the top 10. The top seven teams from each region will advance to next week's postseason gala.    

Saturday's clash with GSC rival Florida Tech will be the 85th Homecoming game held at Delta State. The Statesmen are 53-29-1 all-time on Homecoming, including a 3-1 mark under head coach Todd Cooley. DSU defeated West Florida 55-51 in last year's classic. The Statesmen have averaged 44.8 points and 476.5 yards per game in total offense in their previous four Homecoming games under coach Cooley.
 

---

FACE THE FOE: FLORIDA TECH PANTHERS

INSIDE THE SERIES: Delta State and Florida Tech are meeting for the fifth time in series history on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in the 85th Homecoming Classic for the Statesmen. The series is tied 2-2, with each team posting a 1-1 record at home. After winning the first two games of the series, the Statesmen have dropped the last two, falling 41-37 on Oct. 3, 2015 and 42-16 on Nov. 12, 2016.

HEARTBREAKING LOSS FOR PANTHERS: After trailing last week's contest for the majority of the game, the Wolves of West Georgia scored 10 points in the final 48 seconds to pull off an improbable 20-13 victory at Florida Tech. Jakyron Young returned a Mark Cato interception 42 yards for a touchdown with 24 seconds left in the game to propel West Georgia to victory.

CATO TRIGGERING FIT ATTACK: Senior quarterback Mark Cato spearheads coach Steve Englehart's offensive attack, averaging 185.1 yards passing per game.  The Gainesville, Fla., native, has completed 123-of-229 passes for 1,666 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

HAYNES TOPPING THE CHARTS: Junior running back Antwuan Haynes (5-8, 160) enters Saturday's game with Delta State leading the GSC in rushing at 96.4 yards per game. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native, has rushed for 964 yards on 177 carries with seven touchdowns.  

STINGY DEFENSE: Steve Englehart's fifth season as head coach at Florida Tech has seen the Panthers playing some of their best defense to date. FIT is allowing a mere 300.6 yards per game, while surrendering 23.3 points per game. Adonis Davis (6-3, 257), a junior defensive end from Columbus, Ohio, currently leads the GSC in tackles-for-loss (17.5) and is tied for the league lead with 7.5 sacks. He has 50 total tackles as well. Yawn Coleman (6-1, 195), a junior corner from Orlando, Fla., leads FIT with three interceptions and 11 passes defended while recording 26 tackles.
 

---

QUICK-HITTERS: DELTA STATE
 

DELTA STATE IN TELEVISED RESULTS: Delta State and Florida Tech will in the final GSC-TV Live Game of the Week, presented by Florida's Space Coast, on ESPN3 this Saturday, Nov. 11 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:05 p.m. with Don Russell (PxP) and former Statesman head coach Rick Rhoades (Color) on the call.

In the history of Delta State football, the Statesmen have appeared on television 35 times, posting a 24-11 record. Saturday's game is the third televised contest this season for the Statesmen, defeating Shorter, 54-20, on Sept. 22 and Mississippi College, 30-17, on Sept. 30 in back-to-back weeks.

In his five seasons as head coach, Todd Cooley and the Statesmen have been featured 13 times in the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week. In those contests, DSU is 9-4, including a 1-1 mark against the Panthers of Florida Tech.

STATESMEN STILL HUNTING FOR POSTSEASON PLAY: Heading into the regular season finale, the Statesmen remain in the hunt for the NCAA Division II Football Championship Playoffs. Monday's latest NCAA.com Super Region II rankings saw Delta State remain No. 7 in the poll with only Florida Tech (5-5, 3-4 GSC) standing in the way of an 8-3 season. The Statesmen posted a 3-0 non-conference record with victories over Tarleton State, Chowan and North Greenville. Wingate remained a top the regional rankings followed by West Alabama, Virginia State, West Georgia and Bowie State in the top five. Catawba was sixth with Delta State, Carson Newman, Tuskegee and West Florida rounding out the top 10. The top seven teams from each region will advance to next week's postseason gala.

GRAHAM LEADING SECONDARY: Senior corner Jamoral Graham has developed into one of the GSC's toughest defensive backs, ranking second in the league with 13 passes defended and tied for third with three interceptions. The Mississippi State transfer enters week 11 with 33 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, three interceptions and 13 passes defended.  

SCIORROTTA TOPS GSC RECORD BOOK FOR KICKERS: With his seven points versus Valdosta State, Delta State senior Vince Sciorrotta became the career scoring leader in the Gulf South Conference by a kicker. His 317 career points scored broke the record held previously by former Valdosta State kicker Will Rhody (2002-2004), who accumulated 309 points (51 FG/158 PAT). Sciorrotta has connected on 43 career field goals and a GSC record 188 PATs. He ranks fourth all-time in the GSC record book in scoring overall, trailing only Demarcus Blount (UNA, 382), Kentrel Rogers (UCA, 322) and Aaron Jenkins (VSU, 318). The Gainesville, Ga., native, could easily finish his career ranked as high as second in career points.     

CLEDANORD LEADING STATESMEN DEFENSE: Heading into week 11 of the season, junior linebacker Ovenson Cledanord is fourth in the GSC in tackles (76) while leading the league in sacks with 7.5 for minus 50 yards. The Greenacres, Fla., native, is also second in the GSC with 13.0 tackles-for-loss.

TULLO LEADING STATESMEN IN TACKLES; ECLIPSES 200 CAREER STOPS: Senior linebacker Landry Tullo's distinguished career at Delta State has been hampered at times by injuries, but despite the setbacks, the Hoover, Ala., has remained a highly productive member of the Statesman defense eclipsing the 200 career tackle mark this season with 228. A two-time All-Gulf South Conference selection, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound middle linebacker ranks third in the GSC this year in tackles with 78, while his 9.0 tackles-for-loss are tied for sixth.

ROBINSON & RUDDICK PACING GROUND GAME: Senior Chris Robinson enters week 11 leading the Statesmen rushing attack with 869 yards (86.9 YPG) and 10 touchdowns. The Bude, Miss., native, ranks third in the GSC in rushing yards per game while sitting third in scoring (7.4 PPG). Junior quarterback Breck Ruddick has proven to be one of the elusive runners in the league this year, rushing for 501 yards (50.1 YPG) to rank ninth in the GSC. The duo form a one-two punch that powers DSU's league-leading 205.5 yards rushing per game.

ROBINSON 9TH AND CLIMBING: Senior running back Chris Robinson rushed for 184 yards last week at North Greenville, pushing him past Willie Dickson (1,696 yards) into ninth place overall in the career rushing rankings with 1,845 yards. The senior from Bude, Miss., has 372 career attempts for 1,845 yards and 29 touchdowns, while catching 62 passes for 698 yards and seven scores in 20 games at DSU. He currently ranks third in the GSC in rushing yards per game (86.9) and points per game (7.4).  

TEN STRAIGHT UNDER 450 YARDS & 35 POINTS: Delta State's defense enters week 11 on a 10 game streak of holding opponents under 450 yards of total offense and 35 points. In fact, West Florida (443),  North Alabama (417) and North Greenville (438) are the only teams this year to top 400 yards of total offense against the Statesmen, while Valdosta State (34) and North Greenville (30) are the only opponents to eclipse 30 points in a game.    

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 95 yards of returns at North Greenville, Peterson has amassed 1,608 kick return yards.

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: Delta State is 24-2 under head coach Todd Cooley when winning the turnover battle, including a 6-0 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 4-16 when trailing and 0-2 when tied at the half.

RACE TO 30: The Statesmen are 29-5 all-time when scoring 30 or more points against an opponent under head coach Todd Cooley.