Statesmen to the 2000 Gulf South Conference and

2000 NCAA DII National Champions
Statesmen steamroll Bloomsburg,
63-34 for NCAA Championship
FLORENCE, ALA. — Eighteen of the 27 teams that scored first
have won the NCAA Division II National Championship, but Delta
State did what it has been doing all season long as the Statesmen
overcame the odds to win their first National Championship,
63-34.
Delta State not only overcame Bloomsburg scoring first, the
Statesmen also overcame their first post-season deficit. All told,
Delta State would establish four new NCAA records in the
process, as the Statesmen scored the most points in the game
since Northwest Missouri scored 58 last season. The Statesmen
would also set a new game rushing record with 524 yards rushing,
while accumulating 649 yards total offense, also a new NCAA
record. Delta State’s 36 first downs in the game also set a new
NCAA mark.
After a Bloomsburg score in the opening minutes of first
quarter, the Statesmen took to the field with a seven-point answer
of their own. Junior quarterback Josh Bright rushed 35 yards for
the Delta State touchdown with 9:55 left in the half. Bright would
the day with 175 yards rushing with three touchdowns and 80
yards passing on a 6-of-11 day. Billy Dorgan would miss the
extra point attempt on the five-play, 62-yard scoring drive to leave
the score, 7-6.
On the preceding kick-off, Delta State surprised the
Bloomsburg with an on-side kick, which was successfully
recovered by Archie McDonald at the Delta State 46. With the
favorable field possession, Delta State took to the ground, as
Rico McDonald carried twice for a combined 22-yards on the
drive, while teammate DeForest Hart ran for 5 yards to set up
Bright’s second rushing touchdown of the afternoon.
From 7-yards out, Bright muscled in for the score. Electing
for the 2-point try, Bright connected with James Grubbs to give
the Statesmen a 14-7 advantage with 5:04 left to play in the first
quarter. Huskies quarterback Eric Miller aired out a 44-yard pass
to Tierell Johnson and a 22-yard bullet to Mike Lielko to set up
“Where Champions Play”
the short 2-yard touchdown connection
with Lielko. Chris Thompson would
convert the point after attempt to
complete the seven-play, 74-yard
scoring drive to tie the contest at 14-14
with 2:16 left in the first quarter.
The Statesmen would again try to
keep the Bloomsburg defense
guessing, as Delta State showed its
patented quarterback swap. With his first
snap in play-off action, Jeff Smith came
through with back-to-back completions
to Jody Jennings for 15-yards and Jason
Franklin for 21-yards. With 12:26 left in
the half and Delta State facing 4th and
goal, Tanny Flowers dove in for the
Statesmen score. Dorgan split the
uprights for the point after to finish the
11-play, 75-yard scoring drive to put Delta
State on top, 21-14.
Delta State would engineer a nineplay,
50-yard scoring drive on its next
possession to build a 28-14 lead. The
Statesmen scoring effort was
highlighted with 15-yard Bright-to-
McDonald connection on a screen pass
and capped off with a 1-yard McDonald
touchdown run with 7:26 left in the half.The Statesmen defense
squashed Bloomsburg’s scoring hopes on the play as Andre
Brown recovered a Jerrod Beckett forced fumble.
The Delta State offense took over on the 36-yard line to watch
Flowers scramble 25 combined yards to set up a Bright-to-
Franklin 9-yard touchdown score. The Statesmen would use
ten-plays, 65-yards and 3:42 to take the 35-14 advantage in the
locker room at the half.
The Statesmen ended the first half tied for the most points in
a half and a new record for the most points combined in the first
half. Turn about became fair play in the opening ticks of the
second half, as Bloomsburg successfully operated its own onside
kick. Facing a 4 th and 15, Miller dropped back to find Johnson
open in the flat for an 18-yard pick-up, which would set up a 1yard
Miller touchdown run. Thompson would successfully
attempt the extra point to pull the Huskies with a touchdown at
35-21.
Delta State would respond with 8:28 left in the third as Hart
muscled in from 2-yards out to complete the seven-play, 65yard
scoring drive. As quickly as the Statesmen posted the 42-
21 lead, Bloomsburg tagged seven more to the board, as Miller,
on a 4th and 10, connected with Darryl Williams for the 16 yard
touchdown strike with 5:49 in the third.
On the Statesmen’s next possession, Bright would rumble
25-yards for his third and final rushing touchdown of the game,
putting Delta State , 49-28.
Entering the fourth quarter with a commanding 49-28, Hart
powered in from 7-yards out with 12:03 left in the game to
complete the 13-play, 74-yard scoring drive. Dorgan would
complete the PAT for the insurance padding 56-28 lead. With
5:26 left in the quarter, Gary Smith got into the scoring act for the
Statesmen as he rushed 18-yards for Delta State’s final
touchdown of the afternoon. Bloomsburg would add a laststitch
effort on Arrastene Henry’s 5-yard TD with 3:32 left in the
game, but it would not be enough as Delta State clinched its first
NCAA Division II National Championship, 63-34.
G 1 0
2 0
3 0 4 0 5 0
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