Box Score / Event Stats

Delta State Holds Off Blazers 31-23

Cedric Jones becomes GSC all-time reception leader

CLEVELAND, Miss. - Delta State rushed out to a 21-0 lead and withstood Valdosta State comeback bid as the Statesmen defeated the Blazers 31-23 in Gulf South Conference football action at Parker Field Thursday evening.

Delta State (3-2, 2-1) jumped out to an early lead as it scored on its first two possessions of the game. After forcing a Blazer punt on the opening drive of the game, the Statemen used nine plays to march 80 yards for their first score. DSU picked up 24 yards on its first three plays of the drive as Garrett DeWitt completed a pair of passes for 16 yards and Darnell Taylor carried for nine yards. The Blazer defense stepped up over the next several plays to bring up a third-and-15 from the VSU 49 yard line. However, DeWitt found Eldred King wide open down the middle of the field to give DSU a 7-0 lead.

Valdosta State (2-3, 2-2) marched into Statesmen territory on its next drive and faced a third-and-three situation, only to have a false start back the ball up five yards. A pair of incomplete passes gave Delta State the ball back.

The Statemen responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a six-yard Trevar Deed touchdown run to push its lead to 14-0 before returning an interception 47 yards to push its lead to 21 points.

Valdosta State answered on its next drive with an 18-yard R.J. Bastone touchdown catch. Kellen Lewis completed a nine-yard pass to Kody Case to begin the drive, the first of four passes he would complete on the drive. The senior quarterback also carried the ball twice for 23 yards before hitting Bastone on a third and 10 play for the score and a 21-7 Statesmen lead.

A penalty forced VSU to kick off from its own 15 yard line on the ensuing kickoff and Delta State returned the ball to the VSU 45. On the first play from scrimmage, DeWitt broke through the line and 20 yards later pitched the ball to Deed, who raced the final 25 yards for a touchdown.

The Blazers responded again on their next drive with a 25-yard touchdown by Case to cut its deficit to 14 points. Cedric Jones began the drive with three straight receptions, giving him 248 in his career to establish a new Valdosta State and Gulf South Conference career receptions record. The key play of the drive came on a third and 12 play when Lewis hit Jones for 22 yards. Two plays later, Case caught a pass over the middle to cut the Delta State lead to 28-14.

Justin Kraemer added field goals of 32 and 33 yards to cut the Blazer deficit to 28-20 at the half.

Defense ruled the third quarter as VSU forced a pair of Deed fumbles on the Blazer one yard line and the two teams traded a field goal each to establish a 31-23 Statesmen lead.

Valdosta State threatened in the final quarter as it marched to the Delta State nine yard line. However, a Ronnye Nelson fumble on a second down play was recovered by DSU's Eljae Faoagali and Delta State rushed a series of runs to run out the clock.

Lewis completed 34-fo-56 passes in the game for 316 yards and two touchdowns while also carrying the ball nine times for 113 yards. Jones caught 14 of the pass attempts, tying his career high established against Arkansas Tech September 22, 2007, for 127 yards while Josh Wiley and Demarcus Flanagan tallied 10 tackles each to lead the defense.

Deed carried the ball 21 times for 84 yards while also catching nine passes for 68 yards to lead the DSU squad. Lardester Hicks-Green finished the game with 20 tackles to lead the defense.

Valdosta State returns to action Saturday, October 10 when it hosts Henderson State in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium for the Blazers' Homecoming game. The game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff.

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