CLINTON, Miss. - In a back and forth game between Mississippi College and Delta State, it was the visiting Statesmen that came out on top by a final score of 52-38 in the Heritage Bell Classic.

In the first quarter, the Statesmen scored first with a nine-yard rush from Kory Gainwell to take an early 7-0 lead at the 11:53 mark. The Choctaws answered with a score of their own to tie the game at 7-7 after  a two yard rush by John Henry White  with 4:15 left in the opening period.

Delta State regained the lead with a 36-yard field goal by Nick Herber and led 10-7, but Choctaws' running back Marcus Williams took the ball down to the 22-yard line after a 53 yard run which led to an eight yard rush by Cole Fagan two plays later, putting MC on top for the first time of the evening 14-10 that carried into the final fifteen minutes of the half.

In the second quarter, the Statesmen  returned fire with a 20-yard rush by Patrick Shegog to retake the advantage 17-14 with 12:45 left in the first half. The two teams exchanged possessions, but a 33-yard scoop and score by Zadok Esters gave the Choctaws a 21-17 lead at the 6:24 mark. Delta State answered with a nine yard run by  Kelvin Smith and took a 24-21 advantage which held until halftime.

As the second half began, Williams returned the kickoff 92 yards, setting up great field position for the Choctaws, but a huge penalty caused them to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Ben Pledger tying the game 24-24 at the 12:54 mark of the third period. 

Gainwell found the end zone again for Delta State at the 9:36 mark making the Statesmen lead 31-24, but MC answered back with a seven yard run by Williams knotting the game at 31-31 after a five minute drive and minutes later Fagan gave the Choctaws a 38-31 lead after a 51-yard run to cap an 87-yard drive at the 2:16 mark. With 31 seconds remaining in the period, the Statesmen tied the game again at 38-38 until the final minutes of play.

With 11:02 remaining, Smith plunged across the goal line from five yards out, shifting the lead to 45-38 for Delta State. MC failed to convert a fourth down and with 2:02 remaining Shegog delivered a 37-yard run to extend the lead for the Statesmen to 52-38 until the final horn of the contest. 

The Choctaws fall to 4-5, 3-3 in GSC play return to action next week, November 5th at West Alabama for a 2 pm kickoff.