GAME NOTES: No. 13 Delta State @ Mississippi College
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State University will hit the road for the second-straight week, as the No. 13 ranked Statesmen (4-0, 2-0 GSC) travel to Clinton to face the Choctaws (0-4, 0-2 GSC) of Mississippi College in the "Heritage Bell Classic." The game will be featured as the Gulf South Conference TV Game of the Week. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Robinson-Hale Stadium and the event will be live streamed on ESPN3 with Don Russel (PxP) and former Delta State head coach Rick Rhoades (Color) on the call.

The Statesmen and Choctaws are meeting for the 38th time on the gridiron this Saturday, with DSU leading the all-time series standings 20-15-2. MC owns a slim 10-9-1 edge in games played at Robinson-Hale Stadium. This week marks the fourth time the GSC has chosen the "Heritage Bell Classic" to be featured on its weekly ESPN3 package.

Delta State has won the previous three televised matchups, including a, 61-31, victory last season on Sept. 29, 2016 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. In their last trip to Clinton since the mid-90s, the Statesmen edged the Choctaws, 37-29, on Nov. 13, 2015.
 

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FACE THE FOE: CHOCTAWS

BATTLE FOR THE HERITAGE BELL: The Statesmen (4-0, 2-0 GSC) and Choctaws (0-4, 0-2 GSC) are meeting for the 38th time on the gridiron this Saturday, Sept. 30 in the Gulf South Conference TV Game of the Week. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Robinson-Hale Stadium and the game will be live streamed on ESPN3.

DSU leads the all-time series 20-15-2, while posting a 9-10-1 mark in Clinton. It's the fourth time the GSC has chosen the "Heritage Bell Classic"to be featured on its weekly ESPN3 package. Delta State has won the previous three televised matchups.

CHOCTAWS SLOW OUT OF THE GATE: As we enter week five of the college football season, the Choctaws are still looking for their first win of the season. Mississippi College dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in GSC play after falling 35-0 to Florida Tech at home last weekend.

FIT held MC to a mere 176 yards of total offense while racking up 476 yards, including 290 through the air. Antwuan Haynes rushed for 139 yards as well for the Panthers.

STRUGGLE SCORING: The Choctaws have found it difficult to find the endzone this season, averaging a GSC-low 12.8 points per game. MC scored a season-high 29 points in a 32-29 overtime loss at Clark Atlanta to open the season. In the last three games, the Choctaws have scratched double digits only once, scoring 13 in a 42-13 loss at West Alabama.  

LAMPKIN PACING GROUND GAME: Mississippi College fullback Tiberias Lampkin is pacing the ground game for the Choctaws, rushing for 51.3 yards per game. The 5-foot-9, 220-pound Mississippi State transfer has rushed 42 times for 205 yards on the year, but has yet to find the endzone. The former Bulldog is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and ranks seventh in the GSC in yards rushing per game.

BLAND ENTERING FOURTH SEASON: MC head coach John Bland, a former University of Arkansas quarterback and assistant coach, is entering his fourth season with the Choctaws. He has a 6-28 record at MC, but his overall record is 81-54.

LAST MEETING WITH DELTA STATE: 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.

Chris Robinson led the Statesmen with 21 carries for 140 yards and three touchdowns. D'Juan Bellaire had 13 rushes for 115 yards. Tyler Sullivan finished 14-of-22 for 151 yards and three touchdowns. K'Shun Evans had four catches for 42 yards, while Robinson led DSU with three catches for 49 yards.

Landry Tullo led the Statesmen with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, a quarterback sack and an interception.
 

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1ST-&-10: INSIDE THE STATESMEN

DELTA DEFENSE CONTINUES GROWTH: Jerry Partridge has made an immediate impact in his first season as defensive coordinator for the Statesmen. Entering week five, the Statesmen rank No. 1 in the Gulf South Conference in rush defense (49.8 ypg), interceptions (7), sacks (17) and tackles-for-loss (44.0). The unit has made major strides in scoring defense, ranking third with a 14.0 points allowed per game average. DSU is also third in the GSC in total defense at 310.5 yards per game.
 

ROBINSON'S HARLON HILL CAMPAIGN GAINING MOMENTUM: Senior running back Chris Robinson, a 2016 AFCA All-American, rushed for a season-best 118 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns in DSU's 54-20 win at Shorter. He has topped the 100-yard mark in three of Delta State's four games and for his efforts, the 5-foot-9 speedster continues to lead the GSC in rushing yards per game (105.0) with six touchdowns.  The Gulf Coast (Miss.) CC transfer led the nation in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game on 24 touchdowns in 2016.  

PETERSON ECLIPSES 1,000 CAREER RETURN YARDS: Senior running back and return specialist LaDarion Peterson returned four kicks for 89 yards on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Shorter to eclipse the 1,000 kick return yards mark at Delta State with 1,084. The Woodville, Miss., native, who was named All-GSC First Team last year as a returner, is the fourth member of the 1,000-Kick Return Yards Club.  Jesse Jackson (1974-77) holds the school record with 1,197 yards. Maurice Moore (1,094) was the last Statesman to join the club in 2010.  

RUDDICK & FLETCHER HAVE BREAKOUT GAMES: Junior quarterback Breck Ruddick and freshman wide receiver Gary Fletcher turned in their best performances to date for the Statesmen in last week's 54-20 win at Shorter. Ruddick, a 6-foot-4 transfer from Missouri State, completed 19-of-27  passes for a career-high 272 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Fletcher, a 5-11 freshman from Winnsboro, La., caught three passes for a career-best 116 yards and a score as well.  Fletcher was named the GSC Freshman of the Week on Monday, Sept. 25 after his performance this past week at Shorter. He is DSU's first freshman to honored with the award since its inception.

STATESMEN CLIMB TO NO. 13 IN AFCA COACHES POLL: After defeating the Hawks of Shorter University, 54-20, last week, Delta State climbed to No. 13 in the latest American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll. DSU entered last week ranked No. 17 and have vaulted 11 spots in the last two weeks. The Statesmen were picked to finish sixth in annual GSC Coaches Preseason Top 25 and started the year unranked. They enter Saturday's Heritage Bell Classic as the league's lone ranked team. North Alabama, West Georgia, West Alabama and Florida Tech are among the other teams receiving votes.

ROBINSON & PETERSON TOP 3,500 ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Senior running backs Chris Robinson and LaDarion Peterson have topped the 3,500 career all-purpose yards mark. Robinson enters week five with 2,011 all-purpose yards while Peterson has 1,516 yards, accounting for 251.8 all-purpose yards per game for the Statesmen in their careers.    

MCBRIDE PACING THE GSC IN TACKLES: Senior Missouri Southern transfer JohnQuavious McBride enters week five of the season leading the GSC in tackles with 34, averaging 8.5 tackles per game. In last week's 54-20 win at Shorter, the Atlanta native recorded nine tackles.
   

 
CLEDANORD PROVING TO BE A TERROR FOR OPPONENTS: Outside linebacker Ovenson Cledanord (6-2/210/Jr.) has been a major thorn in the side of opponents this season, tallying 23 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 8.0 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and an interception. He is currently leading the GSC in sacks and TFLs.

GROUND & POUND: The Statesmen enter Saturday's contest with Mississippi College leading the GSC in rushing, averaging a whopping 257.0 yards per game. Chris Robinson, who also paces the GSC as the league's top running back, averages 105.0 yards per game and 6.1 yards per carry through the first four games of the season. Breck Ruddick (8th) and LaDarion Peterson (16th) are also in the top 20 in the GSC in yards per game. Delta State ranks 11th in NCAA DII in rush yards per game.       

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: Delta State is 22-2 under head coach Todd Cooley when winning the turnover battle, including a 4-0 mark this season.     
 
LEADING AT THE HALF: Delta State is 25-0 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 27-5 all-time when scoring 30 or more points against an opponent under head coach Todd Cooley.

TELEVISED RESULTS: Delta State will have three games featured this season on the Gulf South Conference's ESPN3 Game of the Week. The Statesmen are 23-11 all-time in televised contests, including a 3-0 mark again the Choctaws. In his three-plus seasons at DSU, coach Todd Cooley is 8-4 in televised games.