We know they played in the national title game last year. We know their quarterback is a Harlon Hill finalist. And we know they have an uncanny obsession with Okra.

But besides that, what do we really know about Delta State. Well, we know they are coming to Pittsburg, Kan., on Saturday night to face off with Pitt State in the Division II national semifinal.

Well, to get started, they're from Cleveland, Miss., a little town in the northwestern part of the state about 120 miles north of Jackson and about 140 miles east of Pine Bluff, Ark. The school has about 4,500 students.

Moving past that, yeah, I really didn't know too much about them either. Earlier this week, I took a look at their statistics and put them side-by-side with Pittsburg State's. It's pretty evident that the Gorillas have the advantage in nearly everything. In fact, statistically speaking, the Statesmen appeared to be a really good team that wasn't really that good at anything.

Obvioulsly, that couldn't be the case, so I wanted to see what the secret was to their success.

So to get a little more acclimated with the team, I sat down with Matt Jones, the assistant athletic director for external affairs, and more importantly, the play-by-play voice of the Statesmen.

Right off the bat, let's get one thing clear. Delta isn't going to be shell-shocked by coming into the Jungle. Granted, the Delta players have not seen anything like Carnie Smith Stadium (Delta road-tripped there in 2005 and won the season opener) but this team is "battled-tested" as Jones says and doesn't get intimidated.

"This team has a way of carrying itself that the veneue is just a side show to the football," he says. And that all starts with head coach Ron Roberts, who began his career at Delta State in that 2005 game as the defensive coordinator. Two years later, he was the head coach, and the team has seen great success since then, winning the GSC and advancing to the playoffs four out of fives years since Roberts took over.

"With Ron Roberts football, we play 160 or 170 miles an hour every football game and there are going to be mistakes made," Jones said. That's undeniably true, as Delta has turned the ball over 34 times on the year, while picking up just 29 takeaways.

Their balls-to-the-wall style of play is a reason they've had to play from behind several times this year. The Statesmen have won five games where they had to make fourth-quarter comebacks, including last week against North Greenville.

"This team has a moxie about itself. It doesn't get down," Jones said, adding they have an "uncanny ability to find that extra gear when they need to late in the ball game."

Pitt State will need to watch out if they are in a close game, as Delta is 19-5 in games decided by a touchdown or less in Roberts' five years in Cleveland.

To hear more about what Jones had to say about the team, their ability to come back in games and their 2005 trip to Pittsburg, watch this video: (more on the players below)


Now, obvioulsy when you talk Delta State, you gotta talk Micah Davis. The senior quarterback, who Jones calls the smartest player he's ever met, has piled up 22 touchdowns through the air and another 13 on the ground. He's thrown 17 interceptions, but Jones is quick to point out eight of those were on tipped balls.

Davis has completed 62.7 percent of his 466 passes, runs nearly exclusively out of the shotgun/pistol, and has thrown for 3,423 yards in 13 games (263.3 yards a game).

"He's a quarterback that puts his team in winning situations," Jones said, and that's obvious with the five come-from-behind victories the team has piled up this year. Three of those comeback victories have come on drives of more than 89 yards. "He accels in those kinds of situations."

Hey MIAA fans, remember last year when Central Missouri QB Eric Czerniewski blew up for 8 milliion yards and 4,000 touchdowns? One of the keys to his success was a variety of options to throw to. CZ completed passes to 18 different guys last year, but Delta boasts an even higher number.

"The Statesmen are very diverse in their offense," Jones said. "We spread the ball out a pretty good amount amongst our receivers."

That might just be the understatement of the year. Davis has throw complete passes to 20 (yes TWENTY) different guys. Much like CZ had Jamorris Warren last year as his go-to guy, Davis has a favorite option too.

Chance Dennis isn't putting up Warren-like numbers, but the 6-foot-2, 200 pounder has reeled in 69 catches for 891 yards and seven touchdowns.

Jones says other receivers to watch out for are Tim Smith (Mr. Third Down), Lavon Downs and DeJarrius Adams.

Running backs Brant Botill and Brandon Lucas are both threats to catch passes out of the backfield, and you're likely to see heavy doses of both running the ball.

Throw in Richard Freelon, who carried for 130 yards and three touchdowns last week, and you have a trio of backs who know how to hurt you.

Lucas, who Jones said burst onto the scene in last year's playoffs, is who you might call the "feature" back, leading the team in carries (116) and yards (659). Freelon is the power-runner of the bunch and Botill is the "multi-purpose guy" who has scored three game-winning touchdowns this year.

Defensively, just like Pitt State, the Statesmen's best player might be a sophomore linebacker. Ixavier Triplett leads the team in tackles (72), is second in tackles behind the line of scrimmage (10) and has picked up 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two recovered fumbles and an interception on the year.

Cornerback Dominique Davenport, a first-team All GSC selection, leads the team with four interceptions and led the conference with 16 passes defended.

Defensive lineman Robbie Mayers joins Davenport on the all conference team. The 285-pound senior picked up 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks on the season and is the best of a five or six man rotation Jones says you'll see Saturday in Pittsburg.

The guy to watch on defense though, according to Jones, is strong safety Jerry Barnes. His numbers recently back up that claim. He picked up 14 tackles against North Greenville and another nine against North Alabama in their second-round win. His 71 total tackles and three inteceptions are one behind Triplett and Davenport for the team lead, respectively.

So you put it all together, and what do you get? It's a good football team with a good coach and a great quarterback who knows what it takes to win football games. The statistics sure don't scare you, but don't be fooled. This is a formidable opponent coming to the Jungle this weekend.

What's my prediction? I'll make you wait until tomorrow for that one. For now, enjoy more of Matt Jones, this time breaking down the players I just told you about.