Delta State football dominates in second half to beat Mississippi Valley 21-6

ITTA BENA, Miss. — Delta State University’s football team outscored Mississippi Valley State 21-0 in the second half to secure a 21-6 victory Saturday evening at Rice-Totten Stadium.

The game was scoreless after the first quarter. Mississippi Valley State’s Luka Sari kicked a 52-yard field goal with 9:34 remaining in the second quarter, giving the Delta Devils a 3-0 halftime lead.

Delta State responded quickly after the break. Early in the third quarter, Jordan McKnight recovered a blocked punt and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown. Price Nixon added the extra point, putting the Statesmen ahead 7-3 with 9:45 remaining in the quarter.

The Delta Devils responded with a 31-yard field goal from Sari, narrowing the deficit to 7-6. Delta State regained momentum on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Emile Picarella to Lawrence Armstrong with 5:10 left in the third quarter. Nixon’s extra point extended the lead to 14-6.

In the fourth quarter, Nick Clark scored on an 11-yard run after a second blocked punt, giving Delta State a 21-6 lead with 8:10 remaining. Clark finished with 96 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Zamariyon Kendall added 50 yards on nine carries.

Delta State totaled 284 yards of offense, including 189 rushing yards. The team held a 19-12 advantage in first downs and controlled the clock for nearly 33 minutes. Picarella completed 5 of 6 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, while Jayvon Gilmore threw for 34 yards and rushed for 18.

Defensively, Alonzo Jackson II led the team with eight tackles, with Jordan Bradley adding seven. The defense recorded three tackles for loss and limited Mississippi Valley State to 180 total yards and 75 rushing yards.

The team will enjoy a bye week before returning to McCool Stadium on October 3 to face Shorter University at 6 p.m.

Source: Original Article