Vincent Dancy has a tough job of ahead of him if he is to build a winning program at Mississipi Valley State.
He took over a program in January with a dismal 8-47 record over the last five seasons. It’s been since 2006 that the Delta Devils have had a winning season.
If MVSU is going to make much of a jump in Dancy’s first year, it will have to do so against a tough 2018 schedule, which features three non-conference games, including season-opening visits to North Dakota (Thursday, Aug. 30) and FCS power Jacksonville State (Sept. 8).
What makes things even tougher is the fact that only four of the Delta Devils’ 11 games are at home.
“The schedule was in place before I was the head coach,” said Dancy, who served as MVSU’s defensive coordinator the last three seasons before replacing Rick Comegy after a 2-9 campaign.
“It will be a challenge for sure because recovery time in football is important, and being on the road takes away from that time.”
The Valley coach added: “But at the end of the day, we have to roll up our sleeves and get after it and play the schedule that is in front of us.”
MVSU’s home and SWAC opener on Sept. 22 will be against Alcorn State, which has won four straight East Division titles.
The other non-SWAC games are also tough ones — Oct. 6 at Bethune-Cookman and Nov. 10 hosting Hampton University.
Jacksonville State in Week 2 could be the toughest of them all. After going 10-2 last season, it is ranked No. 8 in the preseason Football Championship Subdivision poll.
In JSU, Valley will face a program that's been to five FCS semifinals in the last seven seasons.
The Gamecocks have a 32-game winning streak in the Ohio Valley Conference as they seek a sixth consecutive season with at least 10 wins. The team has brought in Clemson transfer Zerrick Cooper to battle all-conference quarterback Bryant Horn and keep the offense moving.
North Dakota is playing as an independent
North Dakota, which went 3-8 last year, is classified as an FCS independent this season but will continue to play a full Big Sky schedule for the next two seasons. The football program will join the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2020.
Bethune-Cookman went 7-4 last season and finished third in the MEAC.
The Wildcats gave up fewer than 20 points per game against FCS competition, including only 24 to the HBCU National Champions at North Carolina A&T in a four-point loss on the road.
Hampton, which went 6-5 last year, has moved from the MEAC, where it finished in fourth place a season ago, to the Big South.
Hampton’s lineup is relatively intact from a winning team last year. That defense was pretty stingy last year, holding six opponents to 17 or fewer points.
Hampton went to overtime before losing to FCS playoff team Monmouth.
That’s a tough non-conference for anyone in the SWAC but particularly so for a program that has struggled as mightily as MVSU has through the years.
“As a staff, we know the challenge that lies ahead, but our kids are up for it,” Dancy said. “They are just ready to play football. It doesn’t matter who it’s against.”
The Delta Devils report to preseason camp Monday and begin practice on Wednesday.
Here’s the complete schedule:
Aug. 30, at North Dakota
Sept. 8, at Jacksonville State
Sept. 22, Alcorn State
Oct. 6, at Bethune-Cookman
Oct. 13, at Jackson State
Oct. 20, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Oct. 27, at Texas Southern
Nov. 3, at Grambling State
Nov. 10, Hampton
Nov. 17, Alabama A&M
Nov. 22, at Alabama State
