CLEVELAND, Miss. – No. 15 West Alabama falls 41-37 in a football thriller at No. 19 Delta State. The two teams combined for 1,061 yards of total offense in the game. UWA finished with 523 yards while the Green and White racked up 538 yards.

UWA falls to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in GSC action. The Statesmen improve to 4-1 and 3-0 in the conference.

L.J. Castile hauled in his team-leading ninth reception to put DSU on top for good. Castile’s ninth catch was his third TD of the game as he finished 89 yards, the second most for the Green and White.

Randy Lowery hauled in his second TD of the game from 15 yards out to place the Tigers in front with 1:23 remaining in the game. The Red Bay, Ala native finished the contest with a team leading eight catches and 85 yards receiving.

The Statesmen struck the first blow as Castile hauled in a nine yard pass from Micah Davis, capping a five-play, 51 yard drive. DSU’s short field was set by Maurice Moore’s 46 yard return on the opening kickoff.

A 27-yard field goal from Brock Sharp put the Tigers on the board as the Okemos, Mich. native capped an 11-play, 65 yard drive. The junior kicker extended UWA’s opening drive as he rushed for 18 yards on fourth down and one. The rush was the Red and White’s first, fourth down conversion of the season.

The Tigers benefited from a short field on their next two possessions as UWA took control of the ball on the 43 and 45 yard line. Both Tiger drives would stall and Sharp would come on to connect on back-to-back field goals of 32 and 29 yards, putting UWA up 9-7.

DSU answered the Red and White scores as the Green and White put together an eight-play, 62-yard drive – capped on a four yard reception by Dex Hopkinsfrom Davis.

UWA put its first touchdown on the board as Deon Williams connected with Kendrick May from 29 yards out – placing the Tigers up 16-14.

Williams finished the night with 321 yards passing and a team-best 101 yards rushing. The Tuscaloosa, Ala. senior moved to second all-time in passing with 5,313 yards. He currently sits 1,376 passing yards behind UWA leader Brett Gilliland.

Castile added his second TD of the game, placing the Statesmen back on top with just under two minutes before the half, but the Tigers roared back down the field. Williams would find Mark Weathersby from 27 yards out placing the Red and White back in front, 23-21, at the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, DSU’s Brandon Lucas pushed across the goal line from one yard out to give the Statesmen a 27-23 lead with 11:10 remaining. The Green and White attempted a two-point conversion, but the Davis pass fell incomplete.

Lowery’s first TD of the game, a five-yard reception, concluded a nine-play, 75-yard drive, placing the Tigers back in front 30-27. The Statesmen answered with a 25 yard catch by Tim Smith lifting DSU back on top.

West Alabama returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9 as UWA travels to Searcy, Ark. to face the Bisons of Harding University. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.