GAME NOTES: Tusculum Pioneers @ Delta State Statesmen (9.5.19)
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CLEVELAND, Miss. - The 2019 campaign kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5, as the Statesmen (0-0, 0-0 GSC) of Delta State University host Tusculum University (0-0, 0-0 SAC).  Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. The game marks the 90th season-opener for the Statesmen and the 50th year at Parker-McCool. The Statesmen are 5-1 in season-openers, including a 3-0 mark at home, under head coach Todd Cooley. The lone opening loss came on the road last year at Tarleton State, 44-13, in Stephenville, Texas. DSU has outscored the opposition 132-52 in its three season-opening wins at home.

Thursday's match-up is the 2nd meeting between the schools on the gridiron. Delta State defeated Tusculum, 27-19, in the Quarterfinal round of the NCAA DII playoffs on Nov. 22, 2008 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in the previous meeting. Blake Barnes and Trevar Deed, who also caught 10 passes for 133 yards, accounted for 141 yards rushing and three touchdowns while Garrett DeWitt passed for 340 yards en route to the win . Roberts Watts led Statesmen defenders with eight tackles, a sack and one interception.

DSU boasts a 147-87-6 record in the month of September, including a 16-9 record under coach Cooley.

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).


SERIES NOTEBOOK: TUSCULUM

• Delta State and Tusculum are meeting for just the 2nd time on the gridiron. Delta State defeated Tusculum, 27-19, in the Quarterfinal round of the NCAA DII playoffs on Nov. 22, 2008 under then head coach Ron Roberts at Parker Field-McCool Stadium in the previous meeting.
• The Pioneers are entering their fourth season under head coach Jerry Odom (Florida, 1991). Tusculum went 5-5 in 2018 finishing South Atlantic Conference play with a 4-3 record. TU closed the season 3rd in the final SAC standings.
• Tusculum averaged 25.7 points and 365.3 yards of total offense in 2018. The Pioneers were quite balanced, rushing for 173.2 yards and throwing for 192.1 per game. TU was a solid 3-1 at home while going 2-4 on the road.  
• Led by junior linebacker Ivan Hogans, the Pioneers return nine starters on a defense that allowed a mere 21.9 points and 312.9 yards per game. Hogans (6-1, 220) closed the year with a team-leading 92 tackles including 12 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks and a pair of interceptions. Tusculum closed the year among the nation's leaders in tackles-for-loss (110) and sacks (26).
• Senior running back Jordan Shippy (5-9, 190) is back for his final year at Tusculum after rushing for a team-best 694 yards and five touchdowns on 116 carries a year ago. Senior Keveon Broadwater (6-4, 315) and juniors Bailey Herring (6-1, 300) and Brandon Harrison (6-3, 305) return to anchor the O-line.
• Tusculum went 1-1 against the Gulf South Conference last year, falling to North Greenville (13-3) before defeating Shorter (61-14).

SADLER READY TO TAKE LEAD ON STATESMEN DEFENSIVE FRONT: Named All-Gulf South Conference (Second Team) at the end of 2018 after playing in 10 games for the Statesmen and making nine starts at defensive end, Eric Sadler is ready to take a leadership role up front in 2019. The Northeast Oklahoma transfer recorded 27 tackles, 5.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks, including a career-high six tackles versus North Greenville. Sadler was named to the 2019 Preseason All-GSC Team by a vote of the league's head coaches.

SHEGOG SETTLED IN AS DELTA STARTER: Named the 2018 Gulf South Conference Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year after playing in 10 games for the Statesmen at quarterback, Patrick Shegog enters the 2019 season as the unquestioned starter. The former South Panola HS star completed 168-of-268 passes (58.7 percent) for 1,722 yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He averaged 172.2 yards passing per game while rushing 144 times for 546 yards and four touchdowns. Led all freshmen in the GSC with 226.8 yards of total offense per game.



COORDINATOR SHAKEUP: As Todd Cooley (37-28) enters his 7th season as head coach, he will do so with a new set of coordinators. Kelvin Green (Defensive Coordinator), Jonathan Fletcher (Run Game Coordinator) and Tyler Hasty (Pass Game Coordinator) were all promoted last spring after spending the past six years on the staff.

RETRO LOOK FOR 2019: Since taking over the program in 2013, head coach Todd Cooley has not been afraid of change. However, the one constant each year has been Delta State's green helmets. This year, Cooley and his staff are paying tribute to the teams of the late 1980s and 1990s by going "old school" with white face masks and the DSU block state logo.

90TH SEASON SET TO BEGIN FOR DELTA STATE: The #DSUFamily is set to embark on its 90th year on the gridiron, as Delta State welcomes Tusculum University to Parker Field-McCool Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 5 for the season-opener.  Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. In its previous 89 seasons, Delta State is 470-396-23. 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 47-38-4 all-time to open a season.   

SEASON-OPENERS UNDER COOLEY: The Statesmen are 5-1 in season-openers, including a 3-0 mark at home, under head coach Todd Cooley. The lone opening loss came on the road last year at Tarleton State, 44-13, in Stephenville, Texas. DSU has outscored the opposition 132-52 in its three season-opening wins at home.

STATESMEN IN SEPTEMBER: DSU boasts a 147-87-6 record in the month of September, including a 16-9 record under coach Cooley.

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.

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 twice 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. The Statesmen are 24-15 all-time on TV.   

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. 12 Grand Valley State, No.  15 West Georgia, and No. 24 West Alabama. Florida Tech and West Florida were among schools receiving votes. Delta State is 11-12 against ranked opponents under head coach Todd Cooley.

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 154-89-8 at Parker-McCool, including an 8-3 record in NCAA postseason play.  

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. This summer former Delta State standout Pete Golding was hired by Nick Saban as his DC at the University of Alabama. More on the "Cradle of Coaches" on page seven.