2018 Delta State Statesmen football team

The 2018 Delta State Statesmen football team represented Delta State University in the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Todd Cooley. The Statesmen played their home games at McCool Stadium and were members of the Gulf South Conference.

2018 Delta State Statesmen football
ConferenceGulf South Conference
Record2-8 (2-6 GSC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJoel Williams (6th season)
Defensive coordinatorJerry Partridge (2nd season)
Home stadiumParker Field at Horace McCool Stadium
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →
2018 Gulf South Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Valdosta State $^   8 0     14 0  
No. 16 West Georgia ^   7 1     10 2  
Florida Tech ^   5 3     8 4  
West Alabama ^   5 3     8 4  
West Florida   4 4     6 5  
North Greenville   3 4     4 6  
Delta State   2 6     2 8  
Mississippi College   1 6     3 7  
Shorter   0 8     0 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll

Preseason

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Gulf South Conference coaches poll

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On August 2, 2018, the Gulf South Conference released their preseason coaches poll with the Statesmen predicted to finish in 4th place in the conference.[1]

Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 West Alabama 62 (6)
2 West Florida 59 (3)
3 West Georgia 44
4 Delta State 41
5 Valdosta State 38
6 Florida Tech 32
7 North Greenville 24
8 Mississippi College 16
9 Shorter 8

Preseason All-Gulf South Conference Team

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The Statesmen had three players at three positions selected to the preseason all-Gulf South Conference team.[2]

Schedule

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Delta State 2018 football schedule consists of five home and away games in the regular season. The Statesmen will host GSC foes Mississippi College, North Greenville, Shorter, and West Florida, and will travel to Florida Tech, Valdosta State, West Alabama and West Georgia.

The Statesmen will host one of the two non-conference games against Grand Valley State from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and will travel to Tarleton State from the Lone Star Conference.

Three of the ten games will be broadcast on ESPN3, as part of the Gulf South Conference Game of the Week.[3]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 306:00 p.m.at Tarleton State*L 13–444,781
September 86:00 p.m.No. 8 Grand Valley State*L 10-215,514
September 156:00 p.m.at Florida TechESPN3L 12-303,567
September 226:00 p.m.North Greenville
  • McCool Stadium
  • Cleveland, MS
L 20-336,660
September 296:00 p.m.No. 11 West Florida
  • McCool Stadium
  • Cleveland, MS
L 21-305,678
October 612:00 p.m.at No. 10 Valdosta StateL 28-592,036
October 132:00 p.m.at West AlabamaESPN3L 14-173,872
October 256:00 p.m.Shorter
  • McCool Stadium
  • Cleveland, MS
ESPN3W 46-203,333
November 32:00 p.m.at No. 3 West GeorgiaL 17-293,281
November 106:00 p.m.Mississippi College
  • McCool Stadium
  • Cleveland, MS (rivalry)
W 28-215,432

[4]

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011Final
AFCARVRV

Game summaries

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At Tarleton State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Statesmen 3 3 0 7 13
Texans 6 17 21 0 44

Grand Valley State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Lakers 0 7 7 7 21
Statesmen 3 0 7 0 10

At Florida Tech

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1 2 3 4 Total
Statesmen 0 6 6 0 12
Panthers 21 9 0 0 30

North Greenville

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1 2 3 4 Total
Crusaders 14 3 13 3 33
Statesmen 10 0 3 7 20

West Florida

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1 2 3 4 Total
Argonauts 3 3 10 14 30
Statesmen 7 14 0 0 21

At Valdosta State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Statesmen 14 14 0 0 28
Blazers 14 14 17 14 59

At West Alabama

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1 2 3 4 Total
Statesmen 7 0 7 0 14
Tigers 7 7 0 3 17

Shorter

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1 2 3 4 Total
Hawks 6 7 0 7 20
Statesmen 14 14 18 0 46

At West Georgia

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1 2 3 4 Total
Statesmen 7 10 0 0 17
Wolves 3 9 10 7 29

Mississippi College

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1 2 3 4 Total
Choctaws 0 14 0 7 21
Statesmen 7 7 14 0 28

References

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  1. ^ "West Alabama Tops GSC Football Preseason Poll". Gulf South Conference. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  2. ^ Gulf South Conference
  3. ^ "GSC Announces 2018 Football Game of the Week Schedule". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  4. ^ "2018 Delta State Statesmen Football Schedule". Delta State University of Athletics. Retrieved June 22, 2018.