This Week In GSC Football, Aug. 31
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Birmingham, AL—The 2011 Gulf South Conference Football season got off to an exciting start on Saturday with Pre-Season Favorite Delta State needing overtime to avoid a home upset.
The No. 2 Statesmen hosted CIAA foe Elizabeth City State in one of just four games this past Saturday, trailing 21-7 at halftime before scoring 21 unanswered points in a 28-21 overtime win. Delta State found pay dirt on its overtime possession thanks to a five-yard rush by Brandon Lucas and linebacker Xavier Triplett iced the contest with an interception at the DSU 10-yard line.
All five GSC squads take the gridiron this week, led by three Thursday night games and a pair of Saturday contests. Thursday’s trio is headlined by Game One of the GSC-TV LIVE Game of the Week package between No. 6 North Alabama and visiting Central Oklahoma. No. 2 Delta State and West Alabama complete the night by traveling to Division I-FCS foes. DSU takes on Northwestern State, while UWA remains in-state battling South Alabama.
No. 20 Valdosta State and West Georgia hit the road on Saturday with each facing in-region, South Atlantic Conference teams. UWG journeys to the Volunteer State to face Tusculum, while VSU heads to the Tar Heel State to take on Wingate.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS
Saturday, August 27th
@ #2 DSU 28, Elizabeth City State 21 OT
GSC Teams in ALL CAPS
NEXT WEEK’S GAMES
Thursday, September 1st
#2 DSU @ Northwestern Louisiana, 6:00 pm
UWA @ South Alabama, 6:30 pm
$Central Oklahoma @ #6 UNA, 7:00 pm
Saturday, September 3rd
UWG @ Tusculum, 12:00 pm
#20 VSU @ #14 Wingate, 12:30 pm
All times Central; GSC Teams in ALL CAPS; $--GSC-TV Game of the Week; Division I-FCS opponents in Italics
WEEK IN REVIEW
@ #2 DELTA STATE 28, ELIZABETH CITY STATE 21 OT
No. 2 Delta State (1-0) thrilled its home crowd of 5,700, scoring 21 unanswered points in a 28-21 overtime triumph over Elizabeth City State.
Three DSU turnovers led to all three of ECSU’s first-half touchdowns. The Vikings lit the scoreboard first at 6:20 in the opening frame and followed with another touchdown at 9:42 in the second quarter. The Statesmen cut their deficit in half at 8:28 when wide receiver Chance Dennis collected a four-yard TD catch, only to see Elizabeth City answered just 17 seconds later.
Delta State opened the third stanza by driving 65 yards on six plays capped by running back Brandon Lucas’ 35-yard touchdown reception at 11:45. The turnover bug continued to bite the Statesmen’s offense the rest of the second half until quarterback Micah Davis sent the game into overtime via a one-yard TD sneak with 30 seconds on the clock.
The Statesmen dug themselves out of a first-and-20 hole in their overtime possession, driving 20 yards until Lucas found pay dirt from five yards out. Delta State’s defense iced the game from there, sacking ECSU’s quarterback on first down and then nabbing the game-winning interception on second down.
Davis completed 20-of-33 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, while Lucas added 114 total yards and two scores. Dennis led all players with seven catches for 88 yards. Delta State secured its first season-opening win since 2007 in its first overtime game since 2008. The Statesmen also moved to 2-0-0 all-time versus the Vikings. Box scoreTHE WEEK AHEAD
The 2011 Gulf South Conference football slate shifts into high gear this week with all five member schools in action.
Leading off this week’s schedule are three Thursday night games headlined by Game One of the GSC-TV LIVE Football Game of the Week package. No. 6 North Alabama opens GSC-TV action, hosting Central Oklahoma for the first time ever. Meanwhile, No. 2 Delta State and West Alabama also take the field on Thursday with each traveling to NCAA DI-FCS schools. DSU returns to the field for the second time in five days versus Northwestern State, while UWA remains in-state to face South Alabama.
The GSC and the South Atlantic Conference battle it out on Saturday, when West Georgia goes to Tusculum and No. 20 Valdosta State journeys to Wingate.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st
GSC-TV LIVE GAME OF THE WEEK
Central Oklahoma (0-0) @ #6 North Alabama (0-0)
Time: 7:00 pm (Central)
Location: Braly Municipal Stadium, Florence, AL
Press Box Phone: (256) 765-5576 or 5575
Series: 0-0-0
Last Meeting: First meeting
Television: CSS, CoxSports, MediCom, WGLH-TV Mississippi, TV-24, Alabama Cable Network, Bright House Sports Network (Florida)
No. 6 North Alabama seeks to extend its home-opening winning streak to nine when its hosts Central Oklahoma in Game One of the 2011 GSC-TV LIVE Game of the Week package. UNA opens the GSC-TV schedule for the first time since 2007 when the Lions topped Harding, 58-17. North Alabama is 6-4 all-time in GSC-TV action.
UNA and UCO lock horns for the first time ever. The Lions are 2-0 all-time versus teams from Oklahoma after wins over Langston in 1979 and 1980. Conversely, the Broncos have never played a team from Alabama in their 106 years of collegiate football. History is on North Alabama’s side as it has not lost a regular-season home game to a non-Gulf South Conference squad since 1998 (Pittsburg State). Thursday’s game is the first of a four-game road streak for Central Oklahoma, while UNA returns home to face Glenville State next Saturday.
No. 2 Delta State (1-0) @ Northwestern State (0-0)
Time: 6:00 pm (Central)
Location: Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, LA
Press Box Phone: (318) 357-4529
Series: NSU leads 13-2-0
Last Meeting: @ NSU 35, DSU 7 (2002)
No. 2 Delta State retakes the field just five days after Saturday’s home overtime triumph, traveling to face NCAA I-FCS Northwestern State.
DSU and NSU clash for the 16th time with the Demons owning a 13-2 edge led by a 35-7 win in the last meeting in 2002. Northwestern State was a brief member of the GSC from 1972-1974 before changing classification. The Statesmen earned their lone victories over NSU during those three seasons in 1973 and 1974. Delta State has had success versus DI-FCS opponents since 2003, earning three victories in six games.
West Alabama (0-0) @ South Alabama (0-0)
Time: 6:30 pm (Central)
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
Press Box Phone: (251) 208-2677
Series: 0-0-0
Last Meeting: First meeting
Television: TV44/ESPN3
West Alabama’s Will Hall officially starts his head coaching career at in-state foe South Alabama which is in its third-year of building a NCAA I-FCS program.
UWA opens the season away from home for the third year in a row and seeks its fourth consecutive season-opening win. The Tigers began 2009 at Belhaven, 47-3, and faced Shorter on neutral ground in Demopolis, Alabama, 37-7. West Alabama’s last opening season setback came at the hands of another in-state Division I foe in 2007 when the Tigers nearly upset Samford on the road, 23-21. USA is the first of two schedule Division I-FCS opponents for UWA as it wraps up the regular season at Georgia State on November 12th.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd
West Georgia (0-0) @ Tusculum (0-0)
Time: 6:00 pm (Central)
Location: Pioneer Field, Greenville, TN
Press Box Phone: (432) 636-7344
Series: UWG leads 1-0-0
Last Meeting: @ UWG 69, TC 0 (1996)
For the third straight year, West Georgia starts the season versus a member of the South Atlantic Conference when the Wolves journey north to Tusculum.
UWG has a chip on its shoulder, entering the contest after dropping back-to-back openers versus Wingate including a 10-7 home loss a year ago. West Georgia and TC have meet on one previous occasion when UWG eased past the Pioneers at home in 1996, 69-0. The win was one for the record books as the Wolves set single-game marks for points, touchdowns and margin of victory. West Georgia has lost its last three season openers after topping Clark-Atlanta in 2007, 23-11.
No. 20 Valdosta State (0-0) @ No. 14 Wingate (0-0)
Time: 6:30 pm (Central)
Location: Irwin Belk Stadium, Wingate, NC
Press Box Phone: (704) 233-8289 or 507-0056
Series: VSU leads 1-0-0
Last Meeting: @ VSU 25, WU 22 (2010)
For the second straight year, No. 20 Valdosta State starts the season against South Atlantic Conference member No. 14 Wingate.
VSU won the first-ever meeting between the schools in thrilling fashion at home in 2010 when placekicker Daniel Anderson nailed the game-winning, 42-yard field goal as time expired. The Blazers have won two in a row versus SAC foes after also topping Newberry in Game Two of 2010. Valdosta State starts the season on the road for the first time since 2006 when it clipped in-state rival Albany State, 20-16.
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