Shut up and prove it on the field.
That's the message from Mississippi Valley State to instate rival Alcorn State. The Braves have been talking trash about Saturday's 5 p.m. game in Itta Bena between the two struggling Southwestern Athletic Conference teams.
First-year Alcorn head coach Ernest Jones agitated Valley head coach Willie Totten Monday during the SWAC coaches teleconference when he guaranteed his team would beat Valley. Totten was also told Jones made the same statement Sunday night while appearing on a sports show on a Jackson television station.
"To guarantee a win, that's giving me no respect," said the seventh-year MVSU head coach. "I've played this game at a very high level, and one of the things that I know from that is that you can't talk the game of football. You've got to go out and make plays.
"Alcorn is showing no respect for us, and they better because we've got a good football team. We've just been misfiring."
The Delta Devils are using Jones' words as bulletin board material, looking for a spark to help end a three-game losing streak where MVSU has been outscored by a combined 145-24 by Prairie View, Southern and Alabama State.
Valley senior receiver/kick returner Clarence Cotten says he's heard enough talk.
"Talk is cheap," he said. "They've still got to play ball. We'll see who's talking after the game."
It's hard to believe either team has much to jaw about considering the Braves and Devils are a combined 2-8 on the season.
Valley, which was off last weekend, opened the season with a 38-0 rout over NAIA member Texas College but has since lost three straight.
In their last outing, the Devils were dominated by Alabama State in a 47-7 loss. The Hornets held MVSU to just six first downs and 111 total yards, while racking up 510 total yards.
Alcorn has dropped two straight, including a 45-10 decision at New Mexico State last Saturday.
Both Valley and Alcorn are 0-1 in the SWAC's Eastern Division.
Saturday's loser will fall into the division cellar, while the winner will have new life in a league where the title race is considered to be wide open by both coaches.
"It's a must win for us," Jones said. "You better believe everyone in my locker room and on my coaching staff know this is a game we must win, need to win and plan to win.
"A win keeps us in the race for a conference title because that's what we came here to do. We didn't come here to play well or play hard or just contend."
"This game can be a big spark for the second half of our season. A win would put us at 1-1 in the division where it doesn't look like there is a dominant team.
"Our guys know what this game means to us. We started talking about it last week. We talk about it in practice and in meetings."
Alabama A&M and Alabama State are tied for first place in the East at 1-0.
Jackson State joins Valley and Alcorn at 0-1.
