GAME NOTES: Delta State at West Alabama
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State University will face its oldest and longest-running Gulf South Conference rival on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m., as the Statesmen (0-6, 0-4 GSC) travel to Livingston, Ala., to play the Tigers (4-2, 1-2 GSC) of the University of West Alabama. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Tigers Stadium. Saturday's match-up with UWA will also be featured on ESPN3 as the Florida Space Coast GSC-TV Game of the Week. Don Russell and Rick Rhoades will have the call for the GSC. Rhoades is a familiar face to the #DSUFamily, as the former DSU head coach returns to the GSC-TV Live production for another year as color analyst. Rhoades led the Statesmen to a 38-20 record from 2002-2006, including a run to the NCAA DII National Semifinals in 2006.     

Delta State and West Alabama, founding members of the Gulf South Conference, are meeting for 65th time in the series on Saturday and the 28th time at Tigers Stadium in Livingston. The Statesmen lead the series 35-26-3, but the Tigers have won seven of the last 10 meetings, including a pair of narrow victories last season. UWA claimed a 29-26 win during the regular season at Parker Field-McCool Stadium before narrowly escaping the Statesmen 27-20 in the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs on Nov. 25, 2017 at Tigers Stadium. It was the first postseason meeting between the two schools in a series dating back to 1940.  
 
The Statesmen have gotten off to an uncharacteristically slow start at 0-6 this season. In the 84-year history of the program, Delta State has gone 0-6 to start a campaign only three times, including the 1997 club that got off to the worst start in school history at 0-7 under Todd Knight before winning its last three games. Knight's 1998 squad would go on to win the program's first Gulf South Conference title. In 1958 with coach Gene Chadwick at the helm, DSU went 0-6 to start the year before clipping Henderson State 13-6 in week seven.        

Patrick Shegog, a 5-foot-11 freshman from Batesville, Miss., continues to grow into his role as Delta State's starting quarterback. After setting career-highs for completions (23), attempts (44) and passing yards (295) versus North Greenville, the former South Panola High star has shown improvement each week. Shegog completed 16-of-26 passes for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns versus No. 11 West Florida, and followed up that outing by completing 17-of-23 passes for 162 yards and touchdown at No. 10 Valdosta State.  He has completed 90-of-165 passes for 947 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. The speedy signal-caller is also lethal with his feet, rushing for 264 yards on 86 carries with three touchdowns.
 

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BEHIND ENEMY LINES: WEST ALABAMA

• Delta State and West Alabama, the reigning Gulf South Conference champions, are meeting for 65th time in the series on Saturday, Oct. 13, as the Statesmen travel to Tigers Stadium in Livingston. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN3 as the Florida Space Coast GSC Game of the Week. The Statesmen lead the all-time series standings 35-26-3, but the Tigers have won seven of the last 10 meetings.
   
• The reigning GSC Offensive Player of the Year, Harry Satterwhite, is averaging 252.4 yards passing per game. The senior from Mobile, Ala., has completed 108-of-181 passes for 1,262 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.  He is third in the GSC in passing yards per game.
   
• Bayley Blanchard and Qua Boyd give Satterwhite a tough combination at receiver. Blanchard has caught 27 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns, while Boyd has caught 20 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Boyd was named All-GSC and All-American last season.
   
• Fueling the ground game, Tyler Rogers has rushed for 416 yards on 74 carries with a pair of touchdowns. The senior from Mobile, Ala., ranks sixth in the GSC in rush yards per game (69.2) and fifth in total rushing yards (416).
   
• Jordan Jones, a junior linebacker from Lawrenceville, Ga., has recorded 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks to lead the Tigers' defense. He is currently second in the GSC in TFLs and seventh in sacks.
   
• Danny Rambo is a one man "No Fly Zone" this season for UWA, ranking third in the GSC in passes defended with six.      

 

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TALE OF TWO HALVES: Delta State will be looking to break the cycle of halves this week versus West Alabama. In their last three games, the Statesmen have scored a combined 59 points in the first half, with just 10 points coming in the second half. In last week's contest at Valdosta State, DSU had its biggest first half offensive output, scoring 28 points and amassing 306 yards of total offense.    

AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS: The Statesmen have faced four ranked opponents thus far in 2018 after falling to  No. 10 Valdosta State University, 59-28, this past Saturday. DSU is 0-4 this season against opponents in the AFCA Top 25 Poll after losses to No. 3 Grand Valley State (21-10), No. 11 West Florida (30-21), No. 21 Tarleton State (44-13) and last week's result versus VSU. Delta State is still scheduled to face No. 4 West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 3. The Statesmen and 11-11 all-time under coach Todd Cooley against teams in the nation's top 25.

WILSON SETS CAREER-HIGH VERSUS BLAZERS: Sophomore running back Kelon Wilson had a career-high 95 rushing yards on 17 carries with a touchdown against the No. 10 Blazers of Valdosta State. The Sacshe, Texas, native's previous best was 73 yards versus No. 11 West Florida. He has rushed 69 times for 349 yards and three touchdowns, ranking eighth in the GSC in rushing yards per game (58.2).    

GALBRAITH SCORES FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN: Senior tight end Benji Galbraith caught a career-high four passes for 29 yards, including his first career touchdown in last week's game at No. 10 Valdosta State. The Olive Branch, Miss., native, has battled injuries throughout his career, including this season, but will graduate in May with a degree in pre-med (4.0 GPA).

MILLS PACING GSC PACK: Senior punter Cody Mills has been a major weapon for the Statesmen this season, nailing a GSC leading 1,944 yards on 42 kicks. The Oxford, Miss., native is averaging a career-high 46.3 yards per punt, including 17 kicks downed inside the 20-yard line. He's also booted 15 punts greater than 50 yards, including the fourth longest punt in school history, a 76-yard effort at Tarleton State. In last week's match-up with No. 10 Valdosta State, Mills averaged 45.6 yards per punt, including a long of 55 yards.

ON THE BIG SCREEN: Delta State will appear three times this season on ESPN3 in the GSC-TV Game of the Week, presented by Florida's Space Coast. The Statesmen fell to Florida Tech, 30-12, in their first appearance on ESPN3 this year. DSU will also appear on ESPN3 at West Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 13 and again versus Shorter on Thursday, Oct. 25 at Parker-McCool. The Statesmen are 22-12 all-time in televised contests, including a 11-5 mark under coach Cooley.          

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: Delta State is 25-2 under head coach Todd Cooley when winning the turnover battle.     

RACE TO 30: The Statesmen are 31-5 all-time when scoring 30 or more points against an opponent under head coach Todd Cooley.

CRADLE OF COACHES: Delta State University has more than 300 alumni coaching football at every level of the game? In fact, Cleveland has become a "Cradle of Coaches" as several high-profile jobs have been filled recently by Statesman alums or former assistants. This summer former Delta State standout Pete Golding was hired by Nick Saban as his co-DC at the University of Alabama. From 2002-2005, Golding anchored the Statesman secondary, racking-up 285 tackles with five career interceptions. The two-time All-Gulf South Conference selection ranks fourth in school history in career tackles. He began his career as a graduate assistant under former head coach Rick Rhoades and thrived as DC for four-time GSC champion head coach Ron Roberts at DSU and SE Louisiana before heading to UT-San Antonio.