The Mississippi Valley State offense is missing in action.
The Delta Devils have averaged less than seven points per game in their last three losses. The latest of those disappointments came Saturday in a 38-6 defeat at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
On its second possession of the game, it looked like it might be a big day for the MVSU offense, which went 87 yards on seven plays capped by a 28-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Dejerric Bryant.
But the highlights basically ended there.
“It was not a good performance for our young men,” Valley coach Vincent Dancy said Monday during his weekly press conference. “We have to find some answers on offense, and that starts, for us, with running the ball, controlling the clock and not turning the ball over.
“You can’t give an explosive team like Pine Bluff extra scoring chances, and that’s what we did with the turnovers.”
Dancy and the Delta Devils will try to work out the kinks this week before Dancy’s former team, Jackson State, comes to Itta Bena Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
The Delta Devils were held to just 80 passing yards while Bryant went 8 for 19 with three costly interceptions. He also was sacked twice.
Bryant was later benched in favor of Roger Totten. Totten’s passing stats in his relief appearance were pretty strange. He completed 5 of 10 attempts for 30 yards — with 29 of those yards coming on one completion.
“(Bryant) hurt his ankle a bit on a run, and we wanted to see what Roger could do in the passing game,” Dancy said. “There is no quarterback controversy moving forward. Dejerric is our starter.”
Pine Bluff’s Shannon Patricks carved up the Delta Devil defense by throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns.
The Golden Lions led 21-6 at halftime.
After a 1-yard end zone plunge made it 28-6 late in the third, following an MVSU pick, Patricks connected with Josh Wilkes for a 56-yard TD pass and a 35-6 lead.
The loss leaves Valley in last place in the SWAC’s Eastern Division at 0-2. JSU is 0-1.
Like Valley, the Tigers come into Saturday in desperate need of a win after falling to 1-5 last week with a 31-16 loss to Alabama State.
Former Delta Devil quarterback Jett Even was 15 of 26 throwing for 189 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
He shares time under center with Derrick Ponder, who passed for 164 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
