CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College football team will close out the 2018 campaign on Saturday when they travel to face rival Delta State in Cleveland, Miss. Kick-off at McCool Stadium is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

The Choctaws are led by 5th-year head coach John Bland, who got the Choctaws off to their first 2-0 start since 2010 and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 37-24 win over Shorter on October 20th. Last week, MC saw a tight 10-3 halftime deficit slip away to a 24-3 victory for West Alabama in the home finale.

The Statesmen are led by 6th-year head coach Todd Cooley, who led DSU to a playoff appearance a season ago and has twice been named GSC Coach of the Year (2013, 2014). Last week, DSU jumped out to a 17-6 lead over West Georgia before the #3 Wolves stormed back for a 29-17 victory.

This will be the 39th all-time meeting between the two Magnolia State rivals with Delta State holding a 21-15-2 edge in the series. The Statesmen have won six straight, including all four games since MC came back to Division II and the Gulf South Conference. The last Choctaw win came on November 13, 1993 with a 13-7 victory in Cleveland.
 

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GAME INFORMATION

The Matchup: Mississippi College (3-6, 1-5 GSC) vs. Delta State (1-8, 1-6 GSC)
Location: Cleveland, Miss.  |  McCool Stadium
Date: Saturday, November 10th, 2018
Time: 2:00 p.m.
 

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WHEN MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE HAS THE BALL

The MC offense is run-heavy in 2018, averaging 271.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 12th in all of Division II. Quarterback Detric Hawthorn (101.8 ypg) leads the team and ranks 2nd in the Gulf South Conference. He has tallied nine rushing touchdowns this season, which is more than the entire team amassed in the 2017 season.

Tiberias Lampkin (73.4 ypg) ranks 5th in the Gulf South Conference in yards per game and 6th in total rushing yards with 661. He and Ja'Mori Mark (43.0 ypg) are tied for second on the team with five rushing touchdowns apiece.

Cole Rotenberry leads the team with 16 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns, while Chakel Gates and Drew Croegaert have also caught scoring passes this season.

Defensively, Ovenson Cledanord paces the DSU attack with a team-high 65 tackles. He also has 8.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, which is second on the team behind Tramond Lofton, who has 10.0 and 6.0, respectively.

Cledanord also leads the team with two interceptions, while Ryan Hudkins leads the team with two fumble recoveries and Darren Gardenhire has a team-high three forced fumbles.
 

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WHEN DELTA STATE HAS THE BALL

The Choctaw defense played their tightest game of the season against West Alabama, allowing a season-low 294 yards. Derric Hawthorn had a team-high nine tackles in the loss.

Hawthorn leads the squad with 49 tackles to go along with an interception, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Turner Rotenberry (42 tackles) and Elijah Rogers (41 tackles) are just behind Hawthorn in total tackles.

Rogers has a team-best four interceptions to go along with 10 passes defended, while Rotenberry has three picks and has already set a school record with 157 interception return yards.

Freshman quarterback Patrick Shegog runs the DSU offense, passing for 1,632 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for 343 yards and four scores this season.

Kelon Wilson leads the squad with 425 rushing yards and six scores. Tyler Harrell has caught a team-high 34 balls for 451 yards and three scores, while Jakaylen Jackson is second on the team with 22 catches.
 

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SPECIAL TEAMS

Drake McCarter handles all the kicking duties for the Choctaws, hitting 7-of-10 field goals with a long off 44 on the season. He ranks 2nd in the league in punting average at 43.3 yards per kick, while he has booted 11 touchbacks this year.

Cody Mills is the top punter in the conference, averaging 45.3 yards per kick on 61 punts. He has landed 24 punts inside the 20-yard line with 19 punts over 50 yards. Mills has also kicked five touchbacks on the season. Taylor Crabtree has hit 7-of-13 field goals in 2018 with a long of 47 yards.
 

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GAME NOTES

The Choctaws are 7-5 all-time in their 106-year history as a football program when they play on November 10th. MC has won four straight on the date, including a 35-17 victory against Delta State in 1990.

The Choctaws are 75-62-9 all-time when they play teams from the State of Mississippi. The most-played opponent is Millsaps (52 Games), while they have played 38 against Delta State. This will be the only game this season they will play against a team from the Magnolia State.

The 2018 season has been a much different story than just a year ago. Through nine games this season, the 2018 Choctaws have outscored the 2017 squad (230-122), have more rushing yards (2,407-1,485) rushing touchdowns (23-8) and total touchdowns (30-14). MC has more interceptions than a season ago (11-5) and many more interception return yards (323-24). In 2017, the Choctaws averaged just 4.0 yards per play, while they are averaging 5.9 yards per snap in 2018.

The Choctaws have 54 players from the State of Mississippi on the 2018 squad. It represents the largest population on the team. MC has four players from Jackson (Richard Butler, Joshua Moore, Justin Jackson and Elijah Rogers) and four from Tylertown (Colton Magee, Mason Stinson, Ja'Mori and Ja'Moz Mark).

Of the 11 regular season games for the Choctaws in 2018, six will come against teams that are at least receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Top 25. West Florida (2), West Alabama (12) and West Georgia (19) are all in the Top 25, while Delta State, Florida Tech and Valdosta State received votes.

The Choctaws have wrapped up the 2018 season with Saturday's game against Delta State. MC is slated to open the 2019 campaign on Saturday, September 7th against Alcorn State in Lorman, Miss. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools that sit just 64 miles apart.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and will be competing for conference and national championships in the 2018-19 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.