GAME NOTES: Delta State (2-1, 1-0 GSC) @ North Greenville (1-2, 0-1 GSC)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Statesmen (2-1, 1-0 GSC) of Delta State University travel to Tigerville, S.C. on Saturday, Sept. 28 to face the Crusaders (1-2, 0-1 GSC) of North Greenville University. Kickoff is set for 7 PM EST at Younts Stadium. 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 North Greenville are meeting for the 4th time this Saturday, Sept. 28 at Younts Stadium. The Statesmen hold a 2-1 edge in the series standings, including a 33-30 (OT) victory in their last trip to Tigerville, S.C., on  Nov. 4, 2017. The Crusaders defeated DSU, 33-20, in the last year's meeting in Cleveland. The schools met for the first time on Dec. 3, 2011 in the NCAA DII Quarterfinals, a 28-23 DSU victory at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.  

Behind a season-high 462 yards of total offense, including 255 yards rushing, and a GSC record tying five field goals from Taylor Crabtree, Delta State claimed a 30-28 victory over Florida Tech in the 34th annual Pig Pickin Classic. Deion Dampier rushed for a career-high 121 yards and a touchdown while Breck Ruddick completed 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and score. Marvin Terry turned in 10 tackles with 3.0 TFLs, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble.  

The Crusaders (1-2, 0-1 GSC) are coming off a 39-27 loss at Mississippi College this past Saturday in Clinton. The Choctaws rallied from a 27-26 4th quarter deficit with a pair of late scores for the win. NGU out-gained MC, 466-363, but a pair of lost fumbles and an interception proved costly. London Johnson completed 21-of-28 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

Senior kicker Taylor Crabtree was named the Gulf South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after booting a team and league record tying five field goals, including the game-winning 38-yard kick in the 4th quarter.The former East Mississippi CC transfer, is 7-for-10 on field goal attempts and 8-for-8 on PATs this year. He leads the league with seven field goals and 11.0 points per game.

Deion Dampier, a junior from Pinola, Miss., continues to see his work load increase each week. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound tailback enters the week ranked 2nd in the GSC at 90.0 yards rushing per game. The former Copiah-Lincoln CC transfer leads the Statesmen with 54 carries for 270 yards and a touchdown. In his last two starts, Dampier has rushed for 109 yards at No. 10 Grand Valley State and 121 yards and a touchdown versus Florida Tech. He sits 37th in NCAA DII for rushing yards (270) and 39th rush yards per game.

Senior linebacker Vada King is leading the GSC in tackles (33) entering week four of the campaign. After back-to-back 13 tackle performances versus Tusculum and Grand Valley State, the former Holmes CC transfer recorded 6.0 tackles and 2.0 tackles-for-loss in DSU's 30-28 win over Florida Tech. The Smiths Station, Ala., native, is tops in the GSC in tackles (33) and tackles-for-loss (6.0).



SERIES NOTEBOOK: NORTH GREENVILLE
• Delta State and North Greenville are meeting for the 4th time this Saturday, Sept. 28 at Younts Stadium. The Statesmen hold a 2-1 edge in the series standings, including a 33-30 (OT) victory in their last trip to Tigerville, S.C., on  Nov. 4, 2017. The Crusaders defeated DSU, 33-20, in the last meeting.
• The Crusaders (1-2, 0-1 GSC) are coming off a 39-27 loss at Mississippi College this past Saturday in Clinton. The Choctaws rallied from a 27-26 4th quarter deficit with a pair of late scores for the win. NGU out-gained MC, 466-363, but a pair of lost fumbles and an interception proved costly. London Johnson completed 21-of-28 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
• North Greenville ranks 7th in the GSC in total offense (346.7) and 8th in scoring offense (20.3) while allowing 331.7 (5th) yards and 22.0 (4th) points per game. The Crusaders are 3rd in the GSC in rushing, averaging 191.3 yards per contest.
• London Johnson, a senior quarterback from Clio, S.C., has completed 32-of-69 passes for 466 yards with five TDs and one INT.
• Kyle Belack is 5th in the GSC with 14 receptions for 246 yards and four TDs. He is averaging 82.0 yards and 4.7 catches per game.
• Junior DB Johnny Worthy leads the Crusaders with 27.0 tackles and currently ranks 2nd in the GSC in tackles-per-game (9.0).
• Chauncey Haney, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound middle linebacker, and Caleb Bynum, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound outside linebacker, have lived in opponent's backfields this season, as the tandem is tied for 3rd in the GSC in tackles-for-loss (4.0). 



STATESMEN CAGE PANTHERS ON PIG PICKIN: Behind a season-high 462 yards of total offense, including 255 yards rushing, and a GSC record tying five field goals from Taylor Crabtree, Delta State claimed a 30-28 victory over Florida Tech in the 34th annual Pig Pickin Classic. Deion Dampier rushed for a career-high 121 yards and a touchdown while Breck Ruddick completed 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and score. Marvin Terry turned in 10 tackles with 3.0 TFLs, a pair of sacks and a FF.  

STINGY AGAINST THE RUN: Through the first three games of the year, Delta State is allowing just 66.3 yards rushing a game to lead the GSC. The Statesmen have held every opponent under 100 yards, with Florida Tech's 42 yards rushing a season-low. Grand Valley State entered the game on Sept. 14 averaging 319.0 yards rushing but was held to a mere 76 yards on 30 carries.
   
RUNNING PAST THE OPPOSITION: The Statesmen enter this week's game at North Greenville averaging 205 yards rushing per game, which ranks 2nd in the GSC. DSU rushed for a season-high 255 yards in a 30-28 win over Florida Tech a week after totaling 230 yards at No. 10 Grand Valley State, which entered the game allowing 13 yards rushing.

CARRYING THE LOAD: Deion Dampier, a junior from Pinola, Miss., continues to see his work load increase each week. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound tailback enters the week ranked 2nd in the GSC at 90.0 yards rushing per game. The former Copiah-Lincoln CC transfer leads the Statesmen with 54 carries for 270 yards and a touchdown. In his last two starts, Dampier has rushed for 109 yards at No. 10 Grand Valley State and 121 yards and a touchdown versus Florida Tech.

STILL ON HIS THRONE: Senior linebacker Vada King is leading the GSC in tackles (33) entering week four of the campaign. After back-to-back 13 tackle performances versus Tusculum and Grand Valley State, the former Holmes CC transfer recorded 6.0 tackles and 2.0 tackles-for-loss in DSU's 30-28 win over Florida Tech. The Smiths Station, Ala., native, is tops in the GSC in tackles (33) and tackles-for-loss (6.0).

TERRY BREAKS OUT VERSUS PANTHERS: Junior linebacker Marvin Terry had his best game as a Statesman last week versus Florida Tech, turning in a career-high 10 tackles with 3.0 TFLs, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble. The Dallas, Texas native ranks 10th in the GSC in TFLs (3.0) and 7th in sacks (1.5).

BALL HAWKS: Delta State has picked-off five passes, including three Grand Valley State. Junior Faulk, who leads the GSC in interceptions, 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 pick against the Lakers.

SEEING GREEN: Senior wide receiver Leon Green caught a career-high six passes for 54 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown in DSU's 30-28 win over Florida Tech. The Cleveland, Miss., native, leads the team with 10 receptions for 82 yards and a score.

APPROACHING 100: Junior linebacker Dante Williams needs nine tackles to eclipse 100 in his career at DSU. The Bossier City, La., native, has recorded 91 tackles and 8.0 tackles-for-loss in 26 career games. He is currently 5th on the team with 10 stops after totaling four tackles versus Florida Tech.    

SHEGOG ECLIPSES 2,000 YARDS: Sophomore quarterback Patrick Shegog has eclipsed the 2,000 career passing yards mark. The Batesville, Miss., native, has completed 203-of-351 passes for 2,074 yards, including 12 touchdowns. In 13 career games, Shegog has amassed 2,768 yards of total offense, averaging 212.9 yards per.

SACKING THE COMPETITION: Under new defensive coordinator Kelvin Green, the Statesmen have been relentless in their pursuit of the opposing quarterback, racking up aleague-leading 9.0 sacks for 58 yards through their first three games. DSU has also recorded 21 tackles-for-loss, accounting for 126 negative yards.
      
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. For more on the Cradle of Coaches, see page 7 of the game notes.  

90TH SEASON ON THE GRIDIRON; 50th FOR PARKER-McCOOL: 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 472-397-23. 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. 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 156-89-8 at Parker-McCool, including an 8-3 record in NCAA postseason play.  

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 25-15 all-time on TV, including a 14-7 record under coach Cooley.

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.

GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE OPENERS: The Statesmen defeated the Panthers of Florida Tech, 30-28, in the league-opener on Sept. 21 at Parker-McCool.  Since 2000, Delta State is 13-7 in league openers with a 4-3 mark under head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen are 287-224-11 all-time in GSC play, tying Valdosta State with a league-best seven championships (1998, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014).