Statesmen Claim 450th in 48-7 Rout of Fort Valley State

CLEVELAND, Mississippi  – The No. 14 Delta State University football team outscored Fort Valley State 39-7 in the first half en route to a 48-7 victory in the season-opener for both teams on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. DSU earned its 450^th all-time win in the rout.

Inside the Matchup:
Score:  Delta State 48, Fort Valley State 7
Records: Delta State (1-0), Fort Valley State (0-1)
Date: Thursday Sept. 3, 2015 | 6:00 p.m. (CST) Kickoff
Location: Parker Field-McCool Stadium | Cleveland, Miss.
Series: Delta State leads the series 3-2
 
Quoting Cooley:



"I was really pleased with our demeanor today. I felt like, starting yesterday, we understood that it was time and started locking in the way the way we like to lock in and I thought we were focused when we came out, which was the key to it. "I think we've got a pretty mature group. They're excited about getting a win, but they know we've made a lot of mistakes tonight and we've got to go get them corrected tomorrow because we're going to play a very tough opponent next weekend."

How it Happened:

• The Statesmen scored on their first five drives. DSU opened the scoring when Tyler Sullivan found Collin Floyd for a 58-yard touchdown pass with 10:52 remaining in the first quarter. 
• Sullivan scored the next two touchdowns on the ground, finding the end zone from 34 and two yards out. 
• Following Sullivan's first touchdown, Vince Sciorrotta knocked home a 38-yard field goal to give DSU an 18-0 advantage. 
• The Wildcats made the score 25-7 with an Otis Brown four yard touchdown run with 11:29 remaining in the first half. 
• Following a 75-yard touchdown pass from Justin Leavy to Jarvis York on a fake punt, Sullivan closed the first half scoring with a 59-yard pass to Patrick Bethley. 
• DSU outgained the Wildcats 346-232 in the first half. Sullivan was 12-of-17 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the opening 30 minutes. 
• Sullivan struck again in the third quarter, as he found Leavy from 60 yards out with 13:23 left in the third quarter. 
• DSU closed out the scoring on a safety with 1:18 remaining.

The Numbers:

•  DSU finished with 475 total yards, while the Wildcats finished with 353. The Statesmen, who finished with 101 rushing yards, held FVSU to 94. 
• Sullivan led the way with 42 yards rushing. Eddie McCadney finished with 35. 
• Jalen White led the Wildcat rushing attack with 34 yards. 
• Sullivan finished 16-of-25 for 293 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. FVSU signal-caller Otis Brown was 17-of-27 for 218 yards with an interception. 
• Patrick Bethley had five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown to lead the Statesmen. 
• Richard Nash and Wilson Curtis led the Statesmen with 5.5 tackles apiece.

 Beyond the Numbers:

• With his third PAT of the contest Sciorrotta became DSU's all-time leader with 113 in his career. He finished with five PATs on the night for 115. 
• DSU is now 7-1 versus non-conference opponents under Todd Cooley. 
• The Statesmen claimed the 450 in school history. DSU now sports a 450-374-23 record in 85 seasons.

Up Next:

• The Statesmen travel to Commerce, Texas for a non-conference contest with Texas A&M Commerce. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be carried live on the Statesmen Sports Network beginning at 6 p.m.

COURTESY DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION