GAME NOTES: Florida Tech (2-0, 0-0 GSC) @ Delta State (1-1, 0-0 GSC)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Statesmen (1-1) of Delta State University welcome the Panthers (2-0) of Florida Institute of Technology on Saturday, Sept. 21 in the 34th annual Pig Pickin' Classic at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The game will be featured as the Gulf South Conference Game of the Week. Kickoff is set for 6:05 PM. Don Russell (PxP) and former Statesmen head coach Rick Rhoades will have the call on ESPN3. Matt Jones, Philip Tang and Lane Quinton will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network (WMJW 107.5 FM) and online at GoStatesmen.com.

Delta State and Florida Tech are meeting for the 7th time on the gridiron with the series tied at 3-3. The Statesmen are 2-1 against the Panthers at Parker-McCool, including a 42-20 victory in FIT's last trip to Cleveland on Nov. 11, 2017. The Panthers defeated DSU, 30-12, last year in Melbourne on ESPN3, as FIT rushed for a series-high 255 yards. Saturday's game marks the 5th time in the series that the game will be featured in the GSC's weekly TV package. The series dates back to a 52-31 Statesmen victory on Pig Pickin' on Sept. 28, 2013.

Despite forcing three Grand Valley State turnovers and rushing for a season-high 230 yards, including 109 by junior Deion Dampier, the Statesmen (1-1, 0-0 GSC) fell 28-24 at Lubbers Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14 to the 10th-ranked Lakers (2-0). Aryaun Cain-Veasey's 9-yard touchdown run capped a 21-point second half comeback for GVSU and sealed the win with 3:34 to play in the fourth quarter. DSU outgained GVSU 343 to 334 yards.

Florida Tech built a 23-14 half-time lead and held on for a 30-28 victory at Newberry College last Saturday. Trent Chmelik passed for 210 yards while Mike Diliello (66 yards) and Daniel Richardson (70 yards) combined to score three rushing touchdowns in the win. FIT outgained NC 437-380 as well.

The Statesmen and Panthers are opening the 49th season of Gulf South Conference football.  Since 2000, Delta State is 12-7 in league openers with a 3-3 mark under head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen are 286-224-11 all-time in GSC play, tying Valdosta State with a league-best seven championships (1998, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014).

The 34th annual Pig Pickin' Festival will feature the Anything But BBQ Competition, sanctioned by the Memphis BBQ Network. This year's Grand Champion will receive an invitation to the Memphis In May BBQ World Championship. Always one of the largest events on Delta State's campus, the annual affair brings back 10,000-plus to campus each year, Live musical entertainment, a gameday pep rally and some of the best BBQ in the country will be available for fans this weekend. To purchase BBQ tickets or for more information, please visit www.DSUPigPickin.com today!  


INSIDE THE FLORIDA TECH PROGRAM
• Delta State and Florida Tech are meeting for the 7th time on the gridiron with the series tied at 3-3. The Statesmen are 2-1 against the Panthers at Parker-McCool, including a 42-20 victory in FIT's last trip to Cleveland on Nov. 11, 2017. The Panthers defeated DSU, 30-12, last year in Melbourne on ESPN3, as FIT rushed for a series-high 255 yards. Saturday's game marks the 5th time in the series that the game will be featured in the GSC's weekly TV package. The series dates back to a 52-31 Statesmen victory on Pig Pickin' on Sept. 28, 2013

• Florida Tech built a 23-14 half-time lead and held on for a 30-28 victory at Newberry College last Saturday. Trent Chmelik passed for 210 yards while Mike Diliello (66 yards) and Daniel Richardson (70 yards) combined to score three rushing touchdowns in the win. FIT outgained NC 437-380 as well.

• The Panthers enter Saturday's game averaging 449.0 yards and 26.5 points per game while surrendering 324.5 yards and 25.0 points per game.

• Senior quarterback Trent Chmelik (6-0 | 199) leads the GSC with an efficiency rating of 191.3 while ranking 2nd in passing yards (270.5).

• Mike Diliello (6-1 | 204) has rushed for 107 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 18 carries this season. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native, ranks 7th in GSC in rushing yards per game (53.5).

• Safety John McClure (6-0 | 188 | Sr.) has been productive in the back-end of the defense, averaging 9.0 tackles per game to rank 3rd in the league.

• Steve Englehart is in his 7th season as head coach at Florida Tech with a 41-29 overall record. He led the Panthers to an 8-4 mark in 2018.  


DELTA STATE PICKED 6TH IN GSC COACHES POLL: The Statesmen were picked to finish sixth in the annual Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released on Thursday, Aug. 1. Valdosta State, the defending NCAA DII national champion, was picked to repeat as the league's top team with 64 points followed by West Georgia (55), West Alabama (49), West Florida (44), Florida Tech (37), Delta State (28), North Greenville (24), Mississippi College (15) and Shorter (8). The 2019 GSC Preseason Coaches Poll and All-GSC Team were voted on by the league's head coaches.

GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE OPENERS: The Statesmen and Panthers are opening the 49th season of Gulf South Conference football.  Since 2000, Delta State is 12-7 in league openers with a 3-3 mark under head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen are 286-224-11 all-time in GSC play, tying Valdosta State with a league-best seven championships (1998, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014).
 

TRIO OF STATESMEN NAMED PRESEASON ALL-GSC; FOUR TABBED TOP NEWCOMERS: Senior defensive end Eric Sadler, junior center Innis Claud, V and redshirt sophomore punter Sam Barge were all named to the Preseason All-GSC Team. Four junior college transfers were also named to the GSC's Top Newcomers team, including Deion Dampier (RB | Mendenhall | Co-Lin), Rodrick Jarrett (LB | Brandon | Co-Lin), Rico Owens (RB | Greenwood | Co-Lin) and Dayreke Snow (DB | Newton | Gulf Coast).

ON THE BIG SCREEN: Delta State will appear three times this season on ESPN3 or ESPN+ in the GSC-TV Game of the Week, presented by Florida's Space Coast. DSU's televised contests include Florida Tech on Saturday, Sept. 21 for Pig Pickin' and West Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 19. Delta State's non-conference match-up at Grand Valley State on Sept. 14 will also appear on ESPN3. The Statesmen are 24-15 all-time on TV.

STINGY AGAINST THE RUN: Through the first two games of the year, Delta State is allowing just 78.5 yards rushing a game to lead the GSC. Grand Valley State entered last week's game averaging 319.0 yards rushing but were held to a mere 76 yards on 30 carries.
   
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS: The Statesmen will face four ranked opponents in 2019, including defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Valdosta State.  DSU also squares off against No. 10 Grand Valley State, No.  15 West Georgia, and No. 20 West Alabama. Florida Tech  and West Florida are among schools receiving votes. Delta State is 11-13 against ranked opponents under coach Todd Cooley.

GROUND & POUND: The Statesmen rushed for a season-high 230 yards at No. 10 Grand Valley State, which entered the game allowing 13 yards rushing, last Saturday. Deion Dampier, a junior from Pinola, Miss., rushed for a career and game-high 109 yards on 23 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per touch. Patrick Shegog also rushed for 106 yards on 17 carries, including a 40-yard touchdown, but finished the night with 79 yards after being sacked four times. Rico Owens added 32 yards on nine carries and Kelon Wilson scored his first touchdown of 2019, a 10-yard effort in the fourth quarter.

KING CONTINUES TORRID PACE: Senior linebacker Vada King turned in his second-straight 13 tackle performance at Grand Valley State, closing the game with seven solo stops and six assists. The Smiths Station, Ala., native, also collected 1.5 TFLs and two QB hurries. King, who was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Week after leading the Statesmen to a 24-10 win over Tusculum, leads the Statesmen and the GSC with 26 tackles and 3.5 TFLs.

FORCING TURNOVERS: Delta State has picked-off five passes, including three in last week's game at Grand Valley State. Junior Faulk snagged his third interception of the year while Jakwon Lipscomb, a sophomore from Riverdale, Ga., intercepted his first career pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown against the Lakers. R.J. Jarrett also collected his first against the Lakers.
 

BARGE BOOMING THE BALL: Redshirt sophomore and preseason All-GSC selection Sam Barge is off to a fast start for the Statesmen, averaging 43.4 yards per punt. After punting three times for 153 yards, a 51.0 average, at GVSU, he ranks 2nd overall in the GSC in YPP.     
FAULK LEADING GSC IN INTs: Southwest Mississippi CC transfer Junior Faulk had an outstanding debut for the Statesmen, recording five tackles and intercepting a pair of passes in his first career start. The Jayess, Miss., native followed that up with four tackles and an interception at No. 10 Grand Valley State. He currently leads the GSC with three inceptions and six passes defended.

SAMUEL'S RETURN LARGE FOR DEFENSE: Junior Zane Samuel has given a big boost the Statesmen defense. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native, missed all of last season with an injury. A speed rusher off the edge, Samuel has 6.0 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks thus far this season. He ranks 4th in the GSC in TFLs and 3rd in sacks.

CRADLE OF COACHES: Delta State 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. A list of head coaches and coordinators is below. This past summer, former All-GSC safety Pete Golding, who also served DSU as DC under Ron Roberts, was named defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama for Nick Saban.   

90TH SEASON ON THE GRIDIRON FOR DELTA STATE: The #DSUFamily is set to embark on its 90th year on the gridiron this season. Delta State opened the campaign with a 24-10 victory over Tusculum at Parker Field-McCool Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5.  In its previous 89 seasons, Delta State is 471-397-23. The Statesmen have captured seven Gulf South Conference titles, made nine appearances in the NCAA DII playoffs, earned four Super Region II crowns, and defeated Bloomsburg, 63-34, to claim the 2000 NCAA DII National Championship. DSU is 48-38-4 all-time to open a season.

PARKER-McCOOL HOSTING 50TH SEASON: As the 2019 season gets underway, the Statesmen are set to begin their 50th season at Parker Field-McCool Stadium, the home of DSU football since moving over from Delta Field, the current site of Wyatt Hall. The Statesmen defeated Southeast Missouri State, 14-8, under one of the facility's namesakes Horace McCool in the first ever game played at the site in 1970. Since that time, DSU is 155-89-8 at Parker-McCool, including an 8-3 record in NCAA postseason play.  
 
STATESMEN IN SEPTEMBER: DSU boasts a 148-88-6 record in the month of September, including a 17-10 record under coach Cooley after DSU's 24-10 victory over Tusculum and last week's 28-24 loss at Grand Valley State.