DSU Statesmen let lead slip away against Fort Valley State

CLEVELAND, Mississippi – The Delta State University football team kicked off the Jamey Chadwell era against Fort Valley State Saturday at Parker Field at McCool Stadium. The joy the Statesmen felt when they held the lead at halftime turned to dismay, as the Wildcats rallied to a 31-23 victory.

The Statesmen (0-1) got on the board first on their first drive of the game. Avery Horn recovered his own fumble and ran 14 yards for the Touchdown. A missed extra point had the Statesmen up 6-0 early.

After a missed field goal by the Wildcats, the Statesmen put up three points of their own on their next drive. D.J. Jarrin kicked a 30-yard field goal through the uprights to put the Statesmen up 9-0.

Fort Valley (1-0) then got back into the game thanks to a Statesmen miscue. Lavon Downs mishandled a punt, and tried to recover. However, Downs was called for illegal batting out of the end zone, which resulted in a safety for Fort Valley State.

The Statesmen made sure the Wildcats did not score on the ensuing drive. Eric Williams picked off his first pass of the game, and returned it 41 yards into FVSU territory.

The Statesmen had to settle for a punt, but would make a big special teams play of their own on the next Wildcat drive. Rondreas Truesdale broke through the FVSU line, and blocked the attempted Fort Valley punt. A Wildcat penalty put the ball on the 16-yard line.

Statesmen quarterback Trevor Wooden then extended the Statesmen lead when he hooked up with receiver Kevin Jackson for a 19-yard touchdown pass. The score put the Statesmen up 16-2.

The Wildcats answered the Statesmen touchdown on their next drive. Fort Valley running back Seth Hill broke through the Statesmen defense and ran for a 64-yard touchdown. The extra point cut the Statesmen lead to 16-9.

The two teams once again traded punts before the Statesmen offense extended their lead. Wooden connected for his second passing touchdown of the day, this time he found tight end Reed Falkner for a 17-yard touchdown.

The Statesmen ended a Fort Valley rally just before halftime when Williams intercepted his second pass of the game, as he took the ball away from the Wildcats in the end zone. The turnover sent the Statesmen into the locker room at halftime with a 23-9 lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Wildcats made the most of a Statesmen penalty, and cut in the Statesmen lead. After driving down the field, Antonio Henton threw the ball to Hill for a 28-yard touchdown. Henton then found Chris Slaughter in the end zone for a two-point conversion, which made a six-point game, 23-17 with 12 minutes to go.

With momentum on their side, the Fort Valley defense made a play, as Jabioas Glenn picked off a Wooden pass in Statesmen territory. The Wildcats marched down the field, and inside the Statesmen 10-yard line. The Statesmen defense held their ground, as Fort Valley went three-and-out, and missed a field goal.

After the Statesmen were forced to punt from their end zone, the Wildcats once again took over in Statesmen territory. This time they made the Statesmen pay, as Henton hooked up with Slaughter for a 13-yard touchdown. The extra point gave Fort Valley their first lead of the game 24-23 with seven minutes to go.

After the Statesmen offense was again forced to punt, the squad had their second special teams miscue of the day. Downs muffed a punt, and Fort Valley jumped on it at the Delta State 26. Hill then scampered for a touchdown to put the Wildcats up 31-23.

Down eight with 3 minutes to go, the Statesmen offense needed to find the end zone. That need however would go unfulfilled, as the Wildcat defense held to take over on downs. The stop allowed the Wildcats the run the clock out for the 31-23 victory.

Wooden finished the game 13-of-25 for 167 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Wooden also led the team in rushing with 58 yards on 12 carries. Henton finished 19-of-42 for 234 yards, two touchdowns, and two picks. Seth Hill ran 17 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats.

The Statesmen finished with 306 yards of total offense compared to 353 for Fort Valley. The Statesmen were penalized 10 times for 78 yards. Fort Valley was flagged seven times for 68 yards.

The Statesmen will look to rebound next Saturday as they travel to face the Vikings of Elizabeth City State. Kick off is set for 6 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Central time in Elizabeth City, N.C., and pregame on the Statesmen Sports Network will begin at 4 p.m. Central time.

COURTESY DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS