FB Fist pump
0
FSU FSU 9-3
51
Winner Delta State DSU 11-1
FSU FSU
9-3
0
Final
51
Delta State DSU
11-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
FSU FSU 0 0 0 0 0
DSU Delta State 21 17 6 7 51

Game Recap: Football |

Statesmen Football Wins Big In First Round of NCAA Playoffs

CLEVELAND, Miss.  -- Delta State Football (11-1 overall) took care of business at home in the first round of the NCAA football playoffs against the Fayetteville State Broncos (9-3). The Statesmen scored 28 points off of the five Bronco turnovers and managed to score on offense, defense, and special teams in their 51-0 win.
The reward for their first round victory is a rematch with conference rival West Florida (10-1) on Saturday 11/26 at Parker-McCool. Delta State won the previous meeting on Sept. 24 at West Florida 45-42 in double-overtime.

THE BASICS

Score: Delta State 51 | Fayetteville State 0

Records: Statesmen (11-1, 6-1 GSC) | Broncos (9-3, 7-2 CIAA)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022

Location: Parker Field at McCool Stadium | Cleveland, MS

Get Social: Twitter - @DeltaStateFB | Instagram - @DeltaStateFB

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • Delta State rusher Kory Gainwell started the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown rush to cap a 10-play, 65-yard drive. 7-0 Delta State.

  • Patrick Shegog found Dohnte Meyers on a 14-yard touchdown strike as the Statesmen capitalized three plays after a fumble recovery by linebacker Christian Gomez. 14-0 Delta State.

  • The DSU defense forced a punt on the following Fayetteville State drive. The punt attempt was blocked by Delta State's Tyler Kennedy and returned by Bernard Thomas for a 17-yard score just before the end of the quarter. 21-0 Delta State.

  • Christian Gomez recovered his second fumble of the game early in the second quarter. However, Gomez was able to find enough running room to take it to the house himself for a 23-yard scoop-and-score. 28-0 Delta State.

  • The Statesmen offense drove down to the FSU 10-yard line on their next drive and used the leg of Nick Herber to add three more Delta State points. from 27-yards out. 31-0 Delta State.

  • Delta State's Jarvis Townsend recovered another Bronco fumble with 7:35 left in the first half. Shegog found the endzone on a 1-yard rush 6 plays later to extend the DSU advantage with 5:41 left in the half. 38-0 Delta State.

  • Fayetteville State drove down to the DSU 6-yard line, but an interception by William Carter on 3rd-and-goal ended the Bronco scoring threat with 7 seconds left in the half. 38-0 Delta State.

  • Nick Herber split the uprights from 34-yards out on the first DSU drive of the second half to end a 9-play, 52-yard drive. 41-0 Delta State.

  • William Carter recorded his second interception of the game on the next Bronco drive. Five plays after Carter's 58-yard interception return, Nick Herber hit a new season-long 41-yard field goal to once again extend the Statesmen lead. 44-0 Delta State at the end of the third.
     
  • Delta State would find the endzone one last time at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Rusher Kelvin Smith capped off an 8-play, 59-yard drive with his 3-yard touchdown run. 51-0 Delta State Final.

OFFENSIVE NOTABLES:

  • Patrick Shegog was 14-for-22 for 137 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also carried the ball 10 times for 56 yards and a touchdown.

  • Kelvin Smith recorded 58 yards rushing with a touchdown on 9 carries.

  • Kory Gainwell had 8 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown.

  • Dohnte Meyers caught 3 passes for 42-yards and a score.

  • Robbie Evans caught two passes for 42 yards.

DEFENSIVE NOTABLES:

  • William Carter intercepted two passes and forced a fumble to go with his 6 tackles (3 solo) on Saturday.

  • Christian Gomez recovered two fumbles and scored on a 23-yard scoop-and-score. He also recorded 5 tackles.

  • Demetrius Swilley was credited for a team-high 8 total tackles, including 1.5 TFLs.

  • 2 of Demario Martin's 2.5 TFLs were sacks. He finished with 4 total tackles.


SPECIAL TEAMS NOTABLES:

  • Nick Herber hit all three of his field goal attempts, including a new career-long 41-yarder. He also went six-for-six in his PAT attempts.

  • Tyler Kennedy's punt block allowed Bernard Thomas to pick up the loose ball and score from 17-yards out. 

  • Parker Burleson averaged 60.8 yards per kick in his 10 kickoffs. He also recorded one touchback.

OTHER NOTABLES:

  • Wolves out-gain the Statesmen 591-434 in total yardage. Delta State out-rushed the Wolves 147-88.

  • Delta State finishes GSC play as co-conference champions with West Florida. The conference title is the first for the Statesmen football program since 2014.

UP NEXT:

Round two of the NCAA Division II football playoffs will bring the West Florida Argonauts (10-1) to Cleveland on Saturday, November 26 at 1 pm.

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