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LIVINGSTON, Ala. –
The University of West Alabama football team will honor
16 seniors on homecoming, as the Tigers (1-8, 0-6 GSC)
host ninth-ranked Delta State in a 4:00 p.m. kickoff at
Tiger Stadium. It marks the 53rd meeting in the series
that began in 1940.
The Statesmen (7-1, 6-0 GSC) hold the series advantage
at 30-19-3. The initial contest in the series witnessed
the two teams fight to a scoreless tie in Cleveland,
Miss. The two would not meet again until 1946, when the
Tigers blanked the Statesmen 14-0 in Cleveland and then
shutout them out the following year 7-0 in Livingston.
UWA held a 4-1-1 record against the Statesmen in the
first six meetings of the series.
In
1953, DSU would start a string of seven straight
victories beginning with a 67-6 win in Cleveland. UWA
would notch its first victory in over 16 years, when the
two would meet in 1968 in Cleveland, as the Tigers
downed DSU 24-13. Since 1970, the Tigers have picked up
13 victories, including five consecutive from 1979 to
1983. The Statesmen have claimed 22 wins during that
span with the two teams forcing ties, twice (1987,
1989).
Delta State has won nine of the last 10 outings and the
last four in a row. UWA’s last victory came in 2002 in
Cleveland, 30-24. The two have played 19 times in
homecoming games with nine taking place in Livingston.
UWA is 5-2-2 against Delta State in the Tigers
homecoming games.
The Tigers enter the contest looking for its first
victory in conference play this season. UWA dropped a
44-36 decision against the University of Arkansas at
Monticello in the GSC Game of the Week last Thursday,
while DSU remained undefeated in conference play,
turning back West Georgia 41-9 in Cleveland.
The two teams rank second and third respectively in the conference in rushing offense
with the Statesmen averaging 236.5 yards per contest with the Tigers averaging 222.8 yards
per outing. Cole Mason, who ranks fifth in the conference in rushing, leads the way for the UWA
rush offense with 85.9 yards and nine touchdowns. The Statesmen Dedrick Wilson sits just
behind Mason with 83.2 yards, also with nine touchdowns.
The game can be heard on WSLY-Gospel Hits, Y-104.9 FM
and at athletics.uwa.edu. |
