Offensive woes have kept Mississippi Valley State University from putting a notch in the win column this year. After having a dominate running game carry over from last year, head coach Vincent Dancy knew that having a solid quarterback would add another level to his offense.
Dancy used the offseason to recruit players for a variety of positions and was able to reel in quarterback Jamari Jones, who transferred from East Mississippi Community College, to bring more depth to the position. Jones didn’t play in Valley’s first two games of the year, but when Dancy gave him a shot in Valley’s game last week hosting Delta State University, he provided a boost to the offense and Dancy took notice.
“He gave us a spark. He knew what he wanted to do, once that wasn’t there he used his legs to help with the offense,” Dancy said. “He gave us some type of life and energy that we needed offensively by making some good passes down the field.”
Jones went 17-of-25 for 182 yards and one touchdown on a night where Valley lost 28-17 at home, but Jones was instrumental in putting those points on the board.
“Offensively, we couldn’t get anything going until the second half,” Dancy said.
The second half is when Jones was given the reins of the offense and began to find open targets downfield and extending plays with his legs. He also made good reads on DSU’s defense, handing the ball off to Caleb Johnson who has been the workhorse for Valley. Johnson finished with 80 yards on 17 carries with one rushing touchdown.
After Jones’ performance on Saturday, Dancy said he has his guy moving on to conference play.
“He (Jones) is the starter moving forward,” Dancy said.
Jones will need to be the spark again for the offense as the Devils head to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday to face their toughest opponent yet in Jackson State University.
JSU is a place where Dancy spent a lot of time early in his career, and going back is always a special moment for him.
“Going back to a place you played and coached at, and now you’re coaching against them, it’s a good feeling,” Dancy said. “It brings back memories from playing there. The excitement and the atmosphere you walk into at that stadium is like no other, and seeing people you know that are still there when you played is a good feeling.”
Jackson State is 3-0 so far into the season, equipped with a deep roster packed with firepower.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of JSU head coach Deion Sanders, has been fantastic this season. In the Tigers’ most recent game, a 66-24 win over Grambling State University, Sanders went 21-of-31 for 357 yards and four touchdowns.
In order for MVSU to walk out of Jackson with a win, Dancy said limiting Sanders’ passing is one of the highest priorities.
“We have to stop Shedeur and the passing attack. They’ve gotten better up front and established the run. We’ve got to take away those weapons,” Dancy said. “We have to contain them, and we can’t give up big plays. We just have to do a good job of making them earn the ball.”
College football is a hotbed of crazy comebacks, devastating blowouts and unforeseen upsets. Dancy knows the cards are stacked against his squad, but with a promising starting quarterback in Jones and a dynamic running back in Johnson, Saturday’s game could end in astonishing fashion.
“I’m a firm believer that on any given Saturday, anything can happen. We just have to play hard like we did in the second half last week and fight for our lives. We do that,” Dancy said, “we give ourselves a good chance to come out with a victory.”
-Contact Jared Conerly at 662-581-7237 or jconerly-@gwcommonwealth.com.
