CLEVELAND, Miss. - The Statesmen are back in Cleveland this Saturday for the 37th Annual Pig Pickin' game. The Top-10 Statesmen will look to keep the good times rolling as the Shorter Hawks come to town for the final GSC matchup between the two schools. Michael Gross will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network. All remaining Statesmen Football games will be broadcast exclusively through FloFootball.

Delta State started a new home-win streak last Saturday with a 35-7 victory over in-state FCS rival Mississippi Valley State. The Statesmen out-gained the Delta Devils 510-156 in total offense in front of a packed Parker-McCool crowd. 

Kickoff between the Delta State Statesmen and the Shorter Hawks is scheduled for Saturday, September 23 at 6:00 pm.



SERIES NOTEBOOK: SHORTER
• This is the eleventh meeting between Delta State and Shorter, and the final meeting as GSC opponents with Shorter making the move to the Conference Carolinas next season. Delta State owns a 9-1 record in the series, having won all but the first meeting in 2012. The Statesmen won last season's meeting in Rome 45-10, but the Hawks seem to have improved from last season and only lost by one (14-13) in their last trip to Parker-McCool.

• The Hawks opened their season with a 69-14 loss at FCS Samford in Birmingham, AL. They returned to Rome the next two weeks for home games against Erskine College and Chowan.

• Shorter picked up 372 yards of offense in their 28-7 week 2 win over Erskine. The Hawks scored 28 unanswered after Erskine scored on their opening drive as their defense held the visitors to just 224 yards of offense. The attack was fairly balanced for the Hawks as well offensively with 175 rushing yards as a team and 197 passing yards for quarterback Josh Brown.

• The Hawks opened GSC play last Saturday against a common opponent with DSU, Chowan. The battle of the Hawks resulted in a 57-20 victory for Shorter, despite Chowan out-gaining them 334-290 in total offense. Shorter scored 20 points in the second quarter against Chowan with scoring plays including an 88-yard punt return and a 76-yard pick-six on the last play of the half.


HOG HEAVEN: Pig Pickin' weekend has been kind to the Statesmen over the last few years. The Statesmen will be aiming for their fourth straight Pig Pickin' win and have won 12 of the last 15 in the annual event.

GUARD DOGS: DSU's punt team has made a difference this season with their ability to flip the field. The punt team has earned praise from their coaches for playing clean through the first three games and are holding their opponents to less than three yards per punt return.

GO GREEN: DSU fans are asked to wear green for this season's home-opener. Get your official game day gear at www.StatesmenStore.com!

WHAT TO BRING: Only clear bags are permitted in McCool Stadium. Delta State logoed bags will be available for purchase between gates 4 and 5; pouches are $10 and totes are $15. No outside food/drink, pets, or weapons are permitted.

TICKETS:  Visit https://deltastatetickets.universitytickets.com/ to purchase in advance or visit the ticket booths next to gates 3 or 4 on the west side, or gate 14 on the east side on game day.

GETTING THERE: Kickoff is at 6 pm. Gates open two hours pregame. A limited number of Lot 6 parking spots will be available beginning two-and-a-half hours before kick-off Saturday for $15. Additional parking will be available at Shumate Park, Walter Sillers Coliseum, Kent Wyatt Hall, and across MS Highway 8 on campus. Delta State student parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the grass lot next to Lot 1 for vehicles with current Resident or Commuter parking decals. All game-day traffic should enter via Statesman Boulevard.

TAILGATING: Register for FREE tailgating in Statesmen Park at https://forms.office.com/r/N87YW2dzPW.

FOOD AND DRINK: Concessions will be available on both the west and east sides of McCool stadium. Beer and wine will be available at kiosks on the west, north, and east concourses.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: Kids can join the Statesmen Football team as they take the field at 10-minutes on the game clock. The Punkin' Patch KidsZone will open one hour before kickoff; admission is $10 but Future Statesmen Club members get into the KidsZone free so join today at www.StatesmenClub.com.

STAY IN THE KNOW: You can listen or watch along! Visit www.GoStatesmen.com > Sports > Football > Schedule and click the speaker (Magic 107.5) in the game information and follow the prompts. Download the Statesmen Nation app where you can listen to or stream the event, see rosters and stats, receive notifications about promotions and partnerships, and much more!