CLEVELAND, MISS. – The Delta State University Football team (4-2, 1-1 GSC) will return home this weekend to face the nationally ranked Tigers from the University of West Alabama (5-0, 3-0 GSC) this Saturday (Oct. 19) in Parker Field at McCool Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. (CDT)
The Voice of the Statesmen, Michael Gross will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network and on the live stream on the FloFootball Network.
The Statesmen fell on the road last weekend with a 40-28 against the Argonauts from the University of West Florida. West Alabama earned their third GSC win of their 2024 campaign last Saturday dominating Mississippi College 26-0 last Saturday in Clinton.
THE COACHES
Todd Cooley enters his 11th season as head coach at Delta State.
He was hired as the program's 19th all-time head coach on January 25, 2013. In his first campaign as head coach, Cooley guided the Statesmen to a 7-3 overall record and a second-place finish in the Gulf South Conference. Inheriting a team that went 3-7 the year before, the high-energy Cooley built a cohesive family atmosphere in less than nine months. That energy helped feed a program's turnaround in just one season. In 2014, Cooley led the Statesmen to a 9-2 record, along with DSU's seventh Gulf South Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, the school's first since 2011.
For his efforts, Cooley was named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year by his peers in the league. In all, 11 Statesmen were named to the All-GSC squad, including GSC Freshman of the Year Tyler Sullivan, who quarterbacked DSU to a 4-1 mark as a starter.
DSU averaged 40.0 points per game offensively, while averaging 472.2 yards per game. The Statesmen pulled off three victories over nationally ranked opponents after defeating No. 21 North Alabama 37-34, No. 14 Tarleton State 38-36 and No. 24 Valdosta State 63-55.
In 2014, Cooley earned his second consecutive GSC Coach of the Year accolade, sharing the honor with Florida Tech's Steve Englehart. Twelve Statesmen were selected to the All-GSC squads, while Trey Shaw captured the league's Defensive Freshman of the Year honor. DSU put up an impressive 5,395 yards of total offense, outscoring opponents 491-215.
With expectations riding high entering the 2015 season, the Statesmen raced out of the gate to a 4-0 record and No. 5 national ranking. Unfortunately, the ride would be short-lived, as injuries began to mount and derailed a title run for DSU. The Statesmen finished the year 6-5 overall and 2-5 in GSC play.
The Statesmen finished the year leading the GSC in passing (312.4), while ranking second in scoring (36.4) and third in total offense (426.7).
In 2016, DSU finished its season ranked No. 3 in the GSC in scoring offense (36.9), total offense (446.8) and passing offense (287.7).
After an injury filled 2018 season that saw the Statesmen post a 2-8 mark, Cooley's Statesmen rebounded to finish 6-4 overall and 5-3 in the GSC in 2019. Overall, nine Statesmen earned All-GSC laurels and two were selected to the D2Football.com All-Americans. Additionally, 13 Statesmen made the GSC Academic honor roll for a GPA of 3.0 or higher while four were selected to the GSC All-Academic football team.
After an injury filled 2018 season that saw the Statesmen post a 2-8 mark, Cooley's Statesmen rebounded to finish 6-4 overall and 5-3 in the GSC in 2019. Overall, nine Statesmen earned All-GSC laurels and two were selected to the D2Football.com All-Americans. Additionally, 13 Statesmen made the GSC Academic honor roll for a GPA of 3.0 or higher while four were selected to the GSC All-Academic football team.
In the 2021 campaign, the Statesmen posted a 5-6 overall record, finishing the season strong winning three out of their last four games. Nine Statesmen earned All-GSC honors including the 2021 GSC Defensive Player of the Year in Marvin Terry. The Statesmen ranked third in the nation in time of possession, possessing the ball for an average of 34:15 per game. The Statesmen defense led the GSC as they forced 26 turnovers on the season. The Statesmen Special Teams made it tough for opposing kickers and punters as they were third in the nation with eight blocked field goals and four blocked punts.
The 2022 campaign saw the Statesmen winning their eighth Gulf South Conference Crown and their 10th Playoff appearance as they finished the season with an 11-2 overall record. Cooley earned Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year honors for the third time at the helm for the Statesmen. 12 Statesmen earned All-GSC honors including quarterback
Patrick Shegog, who earned the GSC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. The Statesmen offense ranked within the top 10 in the nation averaging 41.2 points per game, 230.1 yards per game on the ground, and 471.8 total yards per game. The Defense continued to give the Offense opportunities as they led the GSC forcing 27 turnovers in the 2022 GSC Championship season.
In the 2023 season Cooley led the Statesmen to back-to-back GSC Championships for his first time as the Head Coach at DSU, the first time the Statesmen won back-to-back GSC championships since 2010-11. Cooley was named the GSC Coach of the Year for the fourth time at the Helm for the Statesmen Football Program. 14 Statesmen earned All-GSC honors including Offensive Player of the Year
Patrick Shegog. Shegog was also the first Statesmen since Josh Bright in 2000 to win the C Spire Conerly Trophy. The Statesmen offense, averaging 42.9 points per game continued to be ranked amongst the top of the GSC averaging 451.3 total yards per game, and 224.2 rushing yards per game. The Statesmen Defense's four defensive touchdowns ended up leading the GSC along with being ranked in the top 10 in the nation.
Brett Gilliland enters his 11th season at the helm of the West Alabama football program. He was tapped to serve as the Interim Director of Athletics, effective June 1, 2024.
Record-setting quarterback and University of West Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame member Brett Gilliland is his alma mater's 21st head football coach. The winningest coach in school history, Gilliland is 61-41 in charge of the Tiger program and showing no signs of slowing down.
In just his fourth year as head coach at UWA, he led the Tigers to a 10-3 record and the 2017 Gulf South Conference championship, and a third-round trip in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Under Gilliland, the Tigers became just the third team in school history to win at least ten games and the first since 1975. He followed that with an 8-4 mark in 2018 and another playoff trip.
Following his playing days at UWA, Gilliland began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech before moving on to the offensive staff at Georgia Southern. While at Georgia Tech, Gilliland was a part of three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coastal Division Championships (2006, 2008, and 2009). In 2007, Gilliland worked with Yellow Jacket quarterbacks after assisting with the receiving corps in 2006, including Biletnikoff Award winner and current Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson. In addition, Gilliland coached the running backs for two seasons at Tech, a group that included Doak Walker semi-finalist Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer was the ACC rushing leader and player of the year in 2008.
In three seasons at Georgia Southern, Gilliland worked with the running backs (2010), tight ends and tackles (2011), and wide receivers (2012). In addition, he took over the recruiting coordinator duties following the conclusion of the 2011 season. With Gilliland on staff, Georgia Southern posted a 31-12 (.721) overall record, won two Southern Conference titles (2011, 2012), and made three consecutive NCAA Football Championship Series (FCS) semifinal appearances during Gilliland's time as an Eagle.
STATESMEN AT HOME
Delta State holds a 42-19 (.688) record in 61 games at Parker Field at McCool Stadium under Head Coach
Todd Cooley. Delta State currently holds an unblemished 3-0 record at home in 2024 as they defeated Chowan 54-9, Fort Valley State 27-24, and Missouri S&T 55-18.
West Alabama holds a 31-19 (.620) record in their last 50 road games dating back to the 2014 season. The Tigers are currently 2-0 as they have traveled to West Florida and Mississippi College in the 2024 campaign.
THE DELTA STATE-WEST ALABAMA SERIES
This will mark the 71th matchup in the history of both programs. The Statesmen hold a five-game winning streak as they hold a 39-28-3 overall record in the series against West Alabama. The first meeting between both teams was in September of 1940 when the Statesmen and the Tigers tied 0-0. In the last 10 games, the Statesmen are 5-5 against the Tigers. At home, the Statesmen hold a 24-12-1 overall record against West Alabama.
THE HISTORY OF BOTH PROGRAMS
The Statesmen, who are embarking upon their 94th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 503-413-23 overall record, winning 53.5 percent of their 937 all-time games.
Delta State is one of just 38 NCAA Division II institutions to have recorded 500 all-time victories. The Statesmen have the second most program victories out of any Gulf-South Schools
West Alabama has a 345-437-15 (.719) record in 82 seasons of intercollegiate play.
SCOUTING THE STATESMEN
The Statesmen enter this weekend with a 4-2 record and a 1-1 GSC mark after falling in a back-and-forth battle with West Florida. The Statesmen came back from a two-touchdown deficit against the Argonauts twice but West Florida would answer with big plays. Junior quarterback
Cole Kirk comes into this weekend with 83 completed passes for 1160 yards and 12 touchdowns as well as 288 yards on the ground.
Kelvin Smith leads the Statesmen ground game with 425 yards on 65 carries and five touchdowns including a 66-yard touchdown run last week against West Florida.
Jaylen Green continues to create explosive plays for the Statesmen as he leads the deep wide receiver room with 23 receptions for 421 yards and six touchdowns. Green had four receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown last weekend in Pensacola. Junior transfer
Neno Lemay also had four receptions for the Statesmen last weekend in Pensacola.
Senior defensive back
Marlon Windham leads all tacklers on the Statesmen defense playing in the Dog position. Windham had five tackles including an assisted TFL against the Argonauts last weekend. Senior defensive end
Ahmir Taylor has been all over the field for the Statesmen in the past two weeks as he led the Statesmen with eight tackles last weekend against West Florida and was Co-Defensive Player of the Week after his efforts in the previous week against Chowan. Taylor and
Tylenn Bridges lead the Statesmen each with five TFLs on the season. Cornerbacks Jarius McFarland and
Cameron Threatt have been making plays for the Statesmen Secondary. McFarland leads the Statesmen with three interceptions on the season while Threatt has broken up four passes in the secondary.
Nick Herber connected a perfect 4-4 on PATs last weekend in Pensacola.
Parker Burleson had four of his five kickoffs go through the endzone for touchbacks along with a 51-yard punt and pinned the Argonauts inside their 20-yard line.
Tamaj Hoffman had three kickoff returns for a total of 64 yards for the Statesmen last Saturday at West Florida.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
The Tigers enter this weekend ranked number 10 in the nation in the American Football Coaches' Association poll with an unblemished 5-0 record and a 3-0 GSC mark. The Tigers continued their perfect season on Saturday, by shutting out Mississippi College, 26-0, in Clinton.
West Alabama (5-0, 2-0 GSC) out-gained Mississippi College (0-6, 0-4 GSC) 328-143 and converted 23 first downs, while holding the Choctaws to nine in route to their first shutout since September 10, 2022 when they blanked Miles College, 31-0.
The West Alabama offense is led by junior quarterback Spencer Arceneaux and a running back duo of Brayden Jenkins and Devontae Causey. Both running backs have over 200-yards rushing on the season. The Tiger offense put up a total 328 yards in their 26-0 shutout against Mississippi College.
After not playing in 21 full days, the UWA offense dealt with a bit of rust to begin as they were flagged for a delay of game before their first offensive play. The Tigers then went three-and-out, having to punt from near their own end zone. Like they've done all season, the Tigers' defense clamped down and didn't allow MC to score even with great opening field position. The West Alabama offense found their rhythm at the end of the first quarter, moving the ball with relative ease behind the running of Devontae Causey. The Tiger offense got stagnant once they hit the red zone though, resulting in Elijah Guyton putting through a 33-yard field goal to get UWA on the board first.
Neither team could move the ball in the second quarter until around the six minute mark where West Alabama began to pull away from Mississippi College. Spencer Arceneaux and Caeleb Bass capped off a 13-play, 90-yard drive by connecting on a 19-yard touchdown, extending UWA's lead to 9-0. The Tigers' defense kept the Choctaws' offense at bay, forcing another MC punt, setting the stage for West Alabama to run their two-minute offense. UWA's two-minute drill was ran to perfection as Arceneaux and the Tigers marched down the field and ended with Causey punching in a two-yard touchdown to send West Alabama to the locker room up 16-0.
UWA out-gained MC 201-84 in the first half and moved the chains 11 more times than the Choctaws, leading to their dominant 16-0 lead at the break.
Graduate linebacker Delawrence Butler being named the Defensive Player of the Week and Trey Sullivan being named the Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday.
Butler secures his first GSC Weekly award after turning in the best performance of his career against the Choctaws. Returning to his hometown of Clinton, Mississippi, Butler flew around the field for the Tigers, registering a game and career-high 13 tackles along with a tackle for loss. With Mississippi College utilizing a heavy rushing attack, the Graduate Student Linebacker was instrumental in UWA's success on Saturday and propelled West Alabama's defense to their first shutout in over two years.
The Tiger Special Teams unit has been highlighted by punter Trey Sullivan. Sullivan captured his second GSC Weekly award of the year. The Punter also played an important role in the Tigers' shutout win as he pinned the Choctaws within their own 20 twice in the game. Sullivan punted the ball five times for a total of 201 yards, netting 40.2 yards per punt. Out of his five punts, the Graduate Student boomed one of them over 50 yards, giving him a conference-high six 50 plus yard punts on the year.
