Last Saturday's 38-36 loss at Alcorn State was tough to swallow for Mississippi Valley State.
But the Delta Devils can't afford to worry about the past - not with a winning season still a possibility. Valley needs to win at least one of its final two games to secure the program's first winning season since 1996.
The Delta Devils finish up with a pair of home games, Saturday against Alabama State and Nov. 19 against Southeastern Louisiana.
"My biggest concern is how we respond after such a devastating loss," said MVSU head coach Willie Totten, whose team gave up two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns and failed to convert a two-point pass late that would have forced overtime.
"We've dug a hole for ourselves, but we've still got two more chances to have a winning season. I have every confidence that our guys will play hard and do all they can to get us that winning season."
Valley linebacker Tyler Knight says he and his teammates are still excited about having a winning season.
"The Alcorn loss hurts, but we've got to get over it and get ready for Alabama State," said Knight, who ranks second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in tackles with 10 stops per game. "It's real important to have a winning season, so people can really see how much improvement we've made the last two years."
The first of two cracks at a winning season comes at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, when the Hornets invade Itta Bena in a battle of the SWAC's top two offensive units.
Alabama State (6-3 overall, 6-2 in the SWAC) is ranked No. 1 in the league in scoring offense with 38.2 points per contest, while Valley (5-4, 4-4) ranks second at 33.4.
Eastern race: Valley's faint hopes to win the SWAC Eastern Division crown were extinguished with the loss to Alcorn.
Alcorn, Alabama A&M and Alabama State are all still alive, but because of its win two weeks ago over Alabama State, Alabama A&M holds the tiebreaker advantage over its instate rival.
Alabama State, the defending SWAC champion, lost control of its own destiny in the race for the SWAC Eastern Division title with last week's 32-27 loss to Grambling State. With the loss, the Hornets, undefeated in the league just two weeks ago, now need help to return to the conference championship game.
They must beat Valley and have Alabama A&M lose to Alcorn State. If both of those things don't happen, ASU's quest for a repeat title is over.
