VALDOSTA, Ga. — The Delta State University Football team came out firing on all cylinders Saturday afternoon, jumping on Valdosta State early before falling just short in a hard-fought 27–23 battle at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

The Statesmen (7–3, 1–2 GSC) opened the game with a dominant first quarter, racing to a 21–7 lead thanks to a balanced offensive attack led by senior quarterback Cole Kirk. Kirk accounted for all three of Delta State's touchdowns in the first quarter—rushing for one and throwing for two more. His 9-yard keeper put the Statesmen on the board first, followed by a 60-yard strike to Neno Lemay and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Carter Coullard.

Delta State's defense continued to show its trademark toughness, holding Valdosta State to just 10 points in the opening half and forcing an early interception. Jonathan James paced the unit with nine total tackles, while William Carter added eight stops and half a sack. Up front, Aaron Robinson and Austin Collins each notched a sack as the Statesmen pressured the Blazers' backfield all game long.

The second half saw Delta State continue to battle, highlighted by a third-quarter safety that stretched the lead to 23–10. Despite a late push from the Blazers, the Statesmen defense forced multiple key stops and nearly came away with a late turnover.

Offensively, Delta State totaled 328 yards—242 through the air and 86 on the ground. Lemay led all receivers with seven catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, while Lawrence Armstrong added six receptions for 77 yards. Kirk finished the day completing 10 of 18 passes for 177 yards and two scores, while adding 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

On special teams, Price Nixon was sharp, averaging 39.3 yards on nine punts with four pinned inside the 20-yard line, while Dean Roberts went a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points.
 
The Statesmen wait to see if they play Kentucky State next weekend at Parker-McCool Stadium at 2 p.m. (CT).