CLEVELAND – The fourth ranked Delta State University football team will open the 2008 NCAA Division II Playoffs Saturday, Nov. 22, against the twenty-third ranked Pioneers (8-3) of Tusculum College. Kickoff is set for noon at Parker Field-McCool Stadium. Saturday's game will mark the fourth time in school history that DSU will open the playoffs with a home game. 

The Statesmen, Gulf South Conference champions for a second consecutive season, received a first round bye after being selected as Super Regional II's top seed. Delta State blasted West Georgia on Nov. 8, 68-10, to close out the regular season and clinch back-to-back GSC titles. 

Tusculum fought off Albany State, 34-22, by scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter Saturday, Nov. 15 to advance to the second round. Russell, the SAC Offensive Player of the Year, accounted for five touchdowns on the day in the win. The junior passed for three touchdowns and rushed for two more, as TC rallied for the win. Russell finished the day 274 yards passing, and 361 total offense yards, establishing a new NCAA DII record with his tenth-straight 300-yard game. 

“Tusculum has been an impressive football team this season,” said Statesmen head coach Ron Roberts. “Coach (Frankie) DeBusk is one of the top coaches in the South Atlantic Conference and the Pioneers are always ready to play. We'll have to play to the best of our abilities Saturday against one of the nation's top quarterbacks in Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Corey Russell.” 

The Pioneers and Statesmen have never met on the gridiron, but both schools have met in several other sports. The two programs have several ties that make the contest a family affair. Coach Roberts served as defensive coordinator at TC for several years, while Pioneers defensive coordinator Pete Golding and linebackers coach Karl Scott both served as graduate assistants on the Statesmen coaching staff. 
Golding was a four-year letter winner and All-GSC standout at safety for the Statesmen from 2002-2005. Scott coached linebacker at DSU last season. 

“Having coached at Tusculum and having Pete and Karl on their staff, I am fairly familiar with their program. Coach DeBusk's wife and my wife are good friends, so Saturday's game will be a bit of a get together for our families,” added Roberts. “Pete is one of the youngest defensive coordinators at 24 in college football. He has done a tremendous job this season and coach Scott has helped improve their defense. Offensively, TC is very good and will cause us some matchup problems.” 

The Pioneers claimed a share of the South Atlantic Conference championship this season and established a school record for victories with nine. 

The Statesmen made it two straight GSC titles this season in coach Ron Roberts' second season as head coach. DSU has marched to a 9-1 record with their lone loss coming to FCS power and then fourth-ranked McNeese State in the season opener. Since that time, Delta State has used the GSC's top-ranked defense to reel off nine-straight victories, including wins over North Alabama and Valdosta State. 

“We're exactly where we want to be at this time of year. We hold our own destiny and it's a big advantage to have a few home games guaranteed for us with the top seed,” said Roberts. “Defensively, we are playing well, but there's always room to improve. Offensively, we have rushed for almost 700-yards in our last two games and we've increased our points production tremendously.” 

GSC Defensive Player of the Year Lardester Hicks-Green will lead the charge for the green-and-white Saturday. Hicks-Green, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound outside linebacker from Chicago, Ill., is the third straight Statesmen to earn the honor after recording a team-high 77 tackles, 13.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. The junior linebacker also earned his second straight first-team honor after leading the Statesmen to the No. 1-ranked defense in the GSC. 

All-GSC first team receiver Trevar Deed and All-GSC second team receiver/punt returner Chad Schroeder bring one of the GSC's most prolific offenses into the contest. Deed, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound sophomore from Phoenix, Ariz., has scored 10 touchdowns and amassed 1,318 all-purpose yards this season. Schroeder, a 5-foot-10, 178-pound senior from Demopolis, Ala., leads the Statesmen with 61 receptions and the GSC in punt returns with 16.2 yards per return. 

Delta State enters the contest averaging 37.4 points and 458.3 yards per game on offense, both top 10 totals in the GSC. Defensively, the Statesmen boast the top-ranked total defense (296.4 yards per game) and run defense (73.0 ypg), and the third-ranked pass and scoring defenses in the league. 

Tusculum averages 36.3 points and 452.3 yards per game. Defensively, the Pioneers allow 27.4 points and 384.9 yards per game. Russell has passed for 3,777 yards and 34 touchdowns this season. He has also amassed an SAC-best 4,487 yards of total offense. 

The game will be broadcast on the Statesmen Sports Network starting at 11 a.m. with the SouthGroup Insurance Locker Room Report. Matt Jones, Richard Webster and J.T. Webb will have the call. At this time, the NCAA has not announced whether the game will be web telecast. 

Tickets are also on sale now. General admission tickets are $10 dollars for adults and $5 for students with valid ID. Tickets are also available online at www.GoStatesmen.com. The DSU Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please contact the DSU Athletic Department at (662) 846-4300.