CLEVELAND, Miss. — In a battle between two of Division II's top programs, No. 15 Delta State (7-2, 1-1 GSC) came up short in a high-scoring contest, falling 51-38 to No. 3 West Florida (9-0, 2-0 GSC) on Saturday evening at Parker Field–McCool Stadium.

West Florida struck first with back-to-back first-quarter touchdowns before a 27-yard field goal from Dean Roberts put the Statesmen on the board. After falling behind 21-3 early in the second quarter, Delta State roared back with a flurry of big plays.

Curtis Rearden hauled in his first touchdown of the night from 33 yards out, and moments later, Neno Lemay electrified the home crowd with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 28-17. Rearden's second score just before halftime made it a 28-24 game, but a late UWF field goal sent the visitors into the break ahead 31-24.

Delta State tied it at 31-31 early in the third quarter when Austin Collins recovered a UWF fumble for a touchdown, but West Florida answered with two rushing scores to regain control.

Rearden's 86-yard strike from Ames midway through the fourth quarter brought DSU back within a possession 45-38, but the Argos sealed the game with a 61-yard touchdown run with under two minutes remaining.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Garrett Ames led the Delta State offense with 232 passing yards and three touchdowns, all to wideout Curtis Rearden, who turned in a career night with four catches for 207 yards and three scores. Rearden's explosive performance included touchdown grabs of 33, 39, and 86 yards, keeping DSU in striking distance throughout the contest.

Defensively, Taylon Doss paced DSU with 13 tackles, while Joshua Phillips added eight stops. Kicker Dean Roberts was perfect on the day, connecting on all five extra points and a 27-yard field goal.

The Statesmen will look to rebound next week when they travel to Valdosta, Ga. Kickoff against the Valdosta State Blazers is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m.