DII and DIII recap: Delta State falls to West Florida but playoff hopes not dead yet

A second-half comeback by No. 18 West Florida resulted in the first loss of the season for the No. 5 Delta State football team.

After the Argos (7-1, 5-1 GSC) got on the board first with a second-drive touchdown, the Statesmen (7-1, 5-1) found some momentum by recovering a muffed punt on the West Florida nine-yard line. Star quarterback Patrick Shegog then found Jaylen Green in the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.

Delta State kept it going in the second quarter when Shegog hit Jalen May in stride as the speedy receiver took it 55 yards to the house. A chip shot field goal from West Florida was responded to with another touchdown drive, capped off by a Shegog pass to tight end Tycen Gray to make the score 21-10 going into the locker room.

The Argos, coming off a hard-to-believe upset loss to West Alabama last week, looked like a different team in the second half. Quarterback Peewee Jarrett connected with almost-CFL wideout John Jiles for his second passing touchdown of the game and to pull within one possession.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Jarrett found Jiles yet again, this time from 19 yards out to take a 24-21 lead. The remainder of the game was good defense from both teams as the Statesmen’s offense couldn’t find any juice to close out what very well could have decided this year’s Gulf South Conference champion.

First loss of the season aside, Delta State head coach Todd Cooley still believes his team has a shot to make the Division II playoffs.

“Truly appreciate all the fans who came out tonight. We truly appreciate you all. Not what we wanted. But we are still together and have a chance to bounce back,” Cooley wrote on Twitter/X.

For context’s sake, the Statesmen defeated West Florida last year as both teams finished the regular season at 9-1 and made the DII playoffs. The two then went on to actually meet in the second round with the Argos coming out on top in that one before falling in the national semifinals. All in all, if Delta State wins its final two games against West Georgia and Mississippi College, it should be a shoo-in for a playoff selection.

Leading the box score

Shegog finished the day with 186 yards on 13 of 33 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while Jarrett threw for 205 yards on 13 of 21 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Both quarterbacks were also threats on the ground – Shegog with 43 yards and Jarrett with 63 yards.

Jiles was the only other skills player to surpass the 100-yard mark with 108 yards on seven catches and two scores. May (78 yards, one touchdown) and Green (63 yards, one touchdown) led Statesmen receivers.

West Florida running back C.J. Wilson rushed for 79 yards and Delta State running back Kelvin Smith ran the ball for 54 yards.

Defensively, Delta State had three players – William Carter, Wydett Williams, Jr., and Adrian Hill – with eight tackles or more. West Florida was led by Jacob Dorn and Walker Robinson, who each had eight tackles.

Other Division II and Division III scores

Mississippi College (3-4, 2-3 GSC) found its way back into the win column with a 38-21 win over Chowan. Carried by the run game, RJ Wilson rushed the ball 26 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Marcus Williams added another 110 yards and a touchdown on the ground, plus a 95-yard kick return touchdown.

Belhaven (7-0, 5-0 USA South) continued its perfect streak as the Division III playoffs feel more tangible with each week that passes. The Blazers gave the Homecoming crowd in Jackson a show with a 45-10 win over Methodist. Tim Johnson threw for 231 yards and a touchdown while Kolbe Blunt had his sixth game in a row surpassing the 100-yard rushing mark.

Homecoming for Millsaps (1-7, 1-5 SAA) did not turn out like that of the Blazers with the Majors dropping their third game in a row, 59-20 to Centre. Freshman quarterback Gray Jennings had 295 yards and three touchdowns on 19 of 33 passing. Temias Mason hauled in six receptions for 93 yards.

Want more Division II and Division III football news? Tune in to the weekly “From D2 to D3” podcast with J.T. Mitchell here.