Delta State Knocks Out Tusculum From Football Playoffs

CLEVELAND, Miss. -- The NCAA postseason run for the Tusculum football team has come to an end with Saturday's 27-19 loss to fourth-ranked Delta State Saturday afternoon in a second round match-up at Parker Field at McCool Stadium.

The Statesmen improved to 10-1 on the season, and will face fifth-ranked North Alabama, who defeated Valdosta State 37-10, next Saturday in the Super Region Two final. The Pioneers end their campaign with a school record nine wins at 9-4, while also halting their four-game winning streak.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Statesmen got on the board when Tom Santos connected on a 35-yard field goal with 12:48 remaining in the half. The kick capped a nine play, 55-yard drive in 2:31.

Tusculum answered at the 10:20 mark with a 10-yard pass from Harlon Hill Trophy national finalist Corey Russell to Calvin Britt. Gareth Rowlands' extra point attempt sailed wide left, as TC held a 6-3 lead. The scoring drive came on five plays and covered 76 yards in 2:22.

Delta State would answer on its next possession with a 77-yard drive in just under four minutes, as running back Blake Barnes cashed in from 17 yards out to give the Statesmen a 10-6 lead, heading into the locker room.

Tusculum would drive get the football to open the second half and drove into DSU territory as Russell completed a pass to Ryan Tallent to the Statesmen 16-yard line, but Dominic Spinks jarred the ball loose and was recovered by Delta State's Robert Watts at the 15.

The Statesmen took the momentum and cashed in on a Santos 37-yard field goal as at the 10:44 mark of the third quarter.

Russell and the Pioneers found a way to answer once again, as the Speedwell, Tenn., native connected with Tallent on a 3-yard touchdown pass. Rowlands' extra-point tied the game at 13-13 with 8:08 remaining in the period. The big play of the drive was 25-yard completion to Tallent on third down and five to the DSU 39.

After exchanging punts, Delta State retook the lead at 20-13, on Barnes second scoring run of the day, a five-yard scamper in the final moments of the quarter.

What proved to be the winning score, DSU's Trevar Deed rumpled in from 32 yards with 9:29 left in the game to increase the Statesmen lead to 27-13.

DSU looked like it would seal the win on the ensuing kickoff as Tusculum fumbled on the return and was recovered by Kyle Van Ness at the TC21. But on the first place from scrimmage, the Tusculum defense bowed up and Jeremy Thompson forced a fumble which TC recovered at its own 18.

Tusculum's drive would stall, but TC faked the punt but John Gregory's pass was incomplete setting up DSU in great field position at the Pioneers 27 with 7:24 left in the contest.

DSU would drive to the three-yard line, but the Pioneer defense held, including huge stops by Justin Scott, Jarvis Littlejohn and Thompson, including a stop on fourth-down and three at the DSU one.

With just under two minutes remaining in the game, Russell engineered a memorable scoring drive that covered 99 yards in 3:09, capped off by a 20-yard TD strike to Tallent with 1:37 remaining. But on the ensuing PAT try, DSU freshman Robert Hogan blocked the attempt from the middle of the pile as TC trailed 27-19.

Tusculum executed the on-side kick, but DSU's Aaron Williams recovered the kick to seal the win.

The two teams nearly combined for a 1,000 yards offensively. Delta State finished with 529 yards of total offense on 92 plays, while Tusculum accumulated 425 on 71 snaps.

The loss ends the stellar playing career for Russell as he established yet another record on Saturday as he has passed for 4,097 yards this year, which is a new Tusculum and South Atlantic Conference record. His 4,907 total offensive yards in 2008 is also a new school and league best, and is the third most ever in NCAA II history.

Russell finished the day with 420 yards offensively (310 passing, 110 rushing). He went 21-for-47, including three TD tosses. Tallent led the TC receiving corps with career-bests with 13 receptions for 176 yards.

Tusculum's Antrez McDaniel led all tacklers with 12 stops on the day, including two for loss. Tagon Richard added 11 tackles, while Antonio Johnson recorded nine stops and broke up three passes on the afternoon.

For Russell's career, he racked up 11,315 total offensive yards, which are the second most in SAC history and the ninth-highest offensive tally ever by a NCAA II football player.