CLEVELAND, Miss. -- Connor Mantelli kicked a 28-yard field in overtime to send Delta State University (5-5, 3-4 GSC) past Mississippi College (3-6, 2-5 GSC) 24-21 on Saturday afternoon at Parker Field-McCool Stadium.
 
The kick followed a Delta State defensive stand that saw Ty Woods force a Mississippi College fumble that was recovered by John Valesco to end Choctaws' opening drive of overtime.
 
THE BASICS
Score: Delta State 24 | Mississippi College 21 (OT)
Records: Statesmen (5-5, 3-4 GSC) | Choctaws (3-6, 2-5 GSC)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021
Location: Parker Field-McCool Stadium | Cleveland, Miss.
Series: Delta State leads 23-16-2
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HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Choctaws drove 70 yards in 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a Marcus Williams seven-yard touchdown run with 3:26 left in the first quarter.
• Chris Sehring recovered an MC fumble at the Choctaw eight-yard line, setting up a Cole Kirk one-yard run to tie the game 7-7 with 4:54 left in the second quarter.
• Sam Wilder hauled in a 76-yard touchdown pass from DeAnte' Smith-Moore to give MC a 14-7 lead with 4:41 to go before halftime.
• Deion Dampier raced 51 yards on DSU's first possession of the third quarter to knot the game at 14-14 at the 10:52 mark.
• Cole Fagan broke free for a 64-yard run to put the Choctaws ahead 21-14 with 14:23 remaining in the fourth quarter.
• A Patrick Shegog to Tyler Kennedy 45-yard pass put the Statesmen in scoring range at the MC 15.
• Dampier capped the drive on a five-yard run to tie the game at 21-21 with 1:31 to go in regulation.
• Jance Riley's 46-yard game-winning field goal attempt with one-second was short to send the game to overtime.
• Woods forced a Jaylin Jones fumble that was recovered by Valesco to end MC's opening possession of overtime.
• Mantelli nailed a 28-yard field goal after the Statesmen drive stalled at the MC 19 to post the 24-21 comeback win.  

OFFENSIVE NOTEABLES:

• Dampier rushed for 96 yards and scored two touchdowns for the second straight week.
• Patrick Shegog completed 16-of-25 passes for 187 yards seeing his first action in three games.
• Kirk completed 7-of-10 passes and had five yards on the ground including his first career rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
• The Statesmen finished with 403 yards on offense, 233 passing and 170 on the ground.
• Tyler Kennedy led the Statesmen with eight catches for 112 yards and is the third Statesman with a 100-yard receiving game.

DEFENSIVE NOTEABLES:

• Woods led three Statesmen with double-figure tackles. He posted a career-high 17-tackles, including one tackle for loss and a fumble forced in overtime.
• Tim Hall posted 13 tackles, nine solo tackles, and one tackle for loss.
• Tamos Stevenson registered a career-high 10 tackles.
• Delta State forced three turnovers to take its GSC leading turnovers gained to 25 on the season.
• Marvin Terry combined with Zane Samuel for a sack to move into seventh place on the DSU career sack chart with 15.5 career sacks.
• Terry's half sack gives the senior 9.5 sacks on the year. He is tied with Karl Balls (1984) on the DSU single-season sack list.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEABLES:

• Mantelli's 28-yard field goal was the first game-winning field goal since Taylor Crabtree's game-winner against North Greenville in 2019.
• Kory Gainwell returned four kickoffs for 76 yards and rushed five times for 44 yards.
• Parker Burleson averaged 38.3 yards on three punts including two downed inside the 20.

OTHER NOTEABLES:

• The Statesmen erased a halftime and a third-quarter deficit for the second straight week.
• Delta State has won seven of the last eight Heritage Bell Classics since the series resumed in 2014.
• The Statesmen are now 2-2 in overtime games under Todd Cooley.

UP NEXT:

Delta State travels to the University of West Georgia for the season finale on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. (CT).