These are desperate times for Mississippi Valley State.
The Delta Devils are 0-3 after last week’s second-half collapse at Alcorn State, which outscored them 28-7 after the break for a 35-28 victory.
“We fell apart in the second half. It was real disappointing,” Valley coach Karl Morgan said. “Initially, you’re thinking how do we come back from this, but we saw a lot of positives when we watched the film on Sunday. There were some good things to build on, but we’ve got to get better and get better quickly.”
Morgan said his preseason goal was to be at least 2-2 heading into next week’s open date, but now the Delta Devils are just hoping to avoid an 0-4 hole.
“We’re desperately seeking a victory. We need it for confidence sake. We just need it,” said the fourth-year Valley coach.
MVSU entered the year with the hopes of reaching its first winning season since 2006 after finishing 2012 with three straight wins to end up 5-6. But the confidence and momentum the Delta Devils started with is gone.
“That three-game win streak is so far away now,” Morgan said. “Man, you couldn’t beat that feeling. Now, it’s just the opposite.”
The Devils will try to rekindle some of that faded hope with a win Saturday at home against Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Southern University, which is 1-2, 1-0 in league play after last week’s stunning rally for a 62-59 double overtime win against Prairie View.
Losers of two straight to begin the year, the Jaguars’ hopes appeared bleak last week, trailing 35-13 to Prairie View late in the third quarter. SU scored 42 points in the fourth quarter to prolong the game and eventually save its season in double overtime.
But lost in the pandemonium of the epic rally was the Jaguars’ continued inability to stop the run.
After giving up 564 combined rushing yards in its first two contests against Houston and Northwestern State, the Jaguars saw Prairie View shredded them for another 422 yards on the ground.
“I think they gave up 700-something yards so that’s encouraging for our offense. When someone gives up 700 yards in a game, something is wrong,” Morgan said. “But it’s not a weakness if you can’t exploit it.”
Southern ranks 108th out of 114 teams in the Football Championship Subdivision against the run, yielding 327.7 yards per game.
“We’re looking for answers for these spread offenses,” said SU coach Dawson Odums. “When you’re playing against elusive running backs and wide receivers, if the first guy doesn’t slow him up and make the tackle when they get there, there’s going to be some big plays.”
Odums expressed particular concern with the number of yards after first contact his defense gave up.
“Three hundred fifty yards of (Prairie View’s) offense probably came after our first guy missed the tackle,” Odums said. “So it’s not that players aren’t in position. They just have to finish and have to make those tackles.
The Valley offense struggled in its first two games but got a spark from the return of starting quarterback Patrick Ivy, who missed the Delta State game with a shoulder injury. He passed for 152 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 79 yards vs. Alcorn.
Offensively, the Jags are led by senior quarterback Dray Joseph, named SWAC offensive player of the week after throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns against Prairie View. Joseph leads the SWAC in passing with 922 yards this season with nine touchdowns and one interception.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow on Twitter:@Bill_Burrus.
