CLEVELAND, MISS. – The Delta State University Football Team are set to host the 38^th annual Pig Pickin' game this Saturday (Sept.7) as they host the Miners of Missouri University of Science and Technology. Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m., (CDT) at McCool Stadium
The Voice of the Statesmen, Michael Gross will have the call on the Statesmen Sports Network and on the Flo Sports Network.
Delta State, the No. 18 team in the preseason AFCA NCAA Division II Top 25 poll, enter this week's contest 1-0 after a 47-16 statement win on the road last Thursday (Aug. 29) at Mars Hill to kick off the 2024 season.  
The Statesmen have won consecutive GSC Championships in 2022 and 2023. Last season, the Statesmen made their 11th playoff appearance, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs before falling to Valdosta State 38-31.
Missouri S&T fell on the road last Thursday (Aug. 29) to the Wildcats of Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. 49-17.
 
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. Thursday's action will mark Wright's third match-up against WU. He is 1-1 against the Ichabods. 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.
Andy Ball is beginning his third season at the helm of the Missouri S&T football program after previously serving two stints on the Missouri S&T football coaching staff as an assistant coach and as associate head coach.
Ball became the head coach on March 28, 2022 after serving as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Miners for four seasons while also serving as the associate head coach during the final three seasons of that span.  He took over the reins of the S&T program when Todd Drury stepped down from the post after the 2021 season to accept a position at Western Illinois University.
STATESMEN At home
Delta State holds a 39-19 (.588) record in 58 games at McCool Stadium under Head Coach Todd Cooley . Delta State posted an 5-2 record at McCool Stadium in 2023.
Missouri S&T is 24-26 (.620) in its last 50 road games dating back to the start of the 2014 season. The Miners are 2-3 in their last five road trips counting last week's season opening 49-17 loss at Wayne State.
 
The DELTA STATE-MISSOURI S&T SERIES
This will be the second time meeting between the Statesmen and Missouri S&T as the two teams met last season with the Statesmen winning 48-20 up in Rolla, Mo.
In last year's matchup, the Statesmen forced three turnovers (two fumble, one interception) as they outscored the Miners 31-14 in the second half in their season opener.
 The Statesmen have a 28-5-1 record against schools from the state of Missouri
The Statesmen in PIG PICKIN' GAMES
Delta State has compiled a 26-11-1 (.684) record in the annual Pig Pickin' game dating back to the 1985 season.
The Statesmen hold a 19-4 (.826) record in Pig Pickin' games dating back to the 2000 season. Under Head Coach Todd Cooley, Delta State has built a 8-2 (.800) record in Pig Pickin' games. 
The history of both programs
 The Statesmen, who are embarking upon their 94th season of intercollegiate competition, have compiled a 501-411-23 overall record, winning 54.8 percent of their 934 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
Missouri S&T has a 457-584-35 (.439) record in 118 seasons of intercollegiate play.
 
Scouting the Statesmen
Senior quarterback Cole Kirk Completed 16 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns in the Statesmen's 47-16 statement win on the road to start the 2024 campaign. Kirk also ran for 55 yards, averaging 6.1 yards a carry. The Statesmen's experienced Offensive Line allowed no QB sacks in the win.
The Depth in the Statesmen's Wide Receiver room showed in the season opener. Senior wide receiver, Jaylen Green had five catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Transfer Neno Lemay got some action as he had four receptions for 77 yards including a 30-yard catch in the second half. Preseason All-GSC wideout Jalen May also had three receptions for 49 yards including a 21-yard reception.  Sophomore transfer Qualon Farrar had 70 total yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Farrar also had a reception on a 30-yard screen play that led to his second touchdown on the evening. Preseason All-GSC running back Kelvin Smith had 77 total yards including 65 rushing yards on only eight attempts.
 In the second half, the Statesmen scored on five out of six of their possessions. From the 2:32 mark in the third quarter, to the end, the Statesmen outscored Mars Hill 30-6.
 On the defensive side of the ball, the Statesmen currently lead the nation with seven sacks. In last week's win against the Lions, sophomore defensive lineman Chris Bonner had a career-high three sacks putting himself at the top of the national rankings. Jarius McFarland got his first interception as a Statesmen on Mars Hill's first possession as the Lions were threatening. Sophomore defensive back Tye Holsey, and Senior defensive lineman Ahmir Taylor both had a team high eight total tackles on the night for the Statesmen defense that had nine TFLs. Taylor had 1.5 TFLs and .5 Sacks on the night against a mobile Quarterback in JR Martin. Holsey broke up a pass on the evening as well. Mario Martin had .5 sacks on the evening but had a team high two QB hits.
Parker Burleson had a night as the Kickoff Specialist for the Statesmen. Six of Burleson's eight kickoffs ended in touchbacks and one kickoff went 73 yards. Nick Herber went 1-1 with a 35-yard Field Goal.