"It doesn't bother me at all," Cooley says, "simply because I'm a person who did what I did, I appreciate the Lord giving me the intelligence to do it, and we did great things with it. Johnson, Wyatt 4 Alcorn State, a fellow undefeated that boasted one of the best defenses in I-AA. The beatdown likely would have been worse, if not for four Totten's interceptions. "So we put it in and it did well, and we found that if you do that, it only takes away from the defense. Canada, Kobe Jerry Rice picking up yards after a catch. The bit of deception worked, as Totten threw for 526 yards and six more touchdowns against Jackson, with four of them going to Rice, who grabbed 15 passes for 284 yards in a 49-32 win. So that meant he got all the work, and it paid off on both ends. 1984 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, 1984 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings, NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll, NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll, "Mississippi Valley State cuts through Washburn 77-15", "QB Totten tosses for 4 TDs as Devils roll", "Qualls captures spotlight as Braves rip Delta Devils", "Valley flood rips Langston in 8311 rout", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984_Mississippi_Valley_State_Delta_Devils_football_team&oldid=1148910991, ^ NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant, This page was last edited on 9 April 2023, at 01:25. Active Coaches: Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Pete Carroll . About logos 1983-84 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 15-13 (6-8, 5th in SWAC MBB ) Coach: Lafayette Stribling PS/G: 77.1 (30th of 275) PA/G: 74.5 (246th of 275) SRS: -5.76 (192nd of 275) SOS: -8.03 (255th of 275) Mississippi Valley State (Men's) School History Roster & Stats I never thought that just because I was putting those outstanding numbers up that it was going to justify drafting me or propel me to the NFL. You can follow Sam Gardner on Twitter or email him at samgardnerfox@gmail.com. ); : Twenty-three FCS players have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft since the sub-division's origins back in the fall of 1978. Quinney, Bobby Other times, Cooley would call for a triple-stack, with one guy in the slot, occasionally putting someone in the backfield with Totten. Alcorn responded with a long drive, and Perry Qualls scored one of five touchdowns on the day to take the lead, 35-28, with less than two minutes left. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Rice's work ethic would go on to become the stuff of legend during his 20 seasons in the NFL, but the first real glimpse into the type of student of the game and gym rat he was came at MVSU. (And if you can't), then you take a three-point stance and say, 'Our Father, who art in heaven .'". Thompson, Eli The key to Cooley's Frankenstein offense, see, was that defenses would never know what was coming, even when the right call seemed obvious. Shanklin, Jaydyn THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS. "But we still just felt like we needed to keep tuning that offense, that system and that speed of play, and we felt we'd be able to do great things on the football field.". For Cooley, though, the lack of recognition isn't an issue. Hide/Show Additional Information For Alabama State - October 15, 2022. "That was the first time I ever in my life had complete, total body cramps," Totten said of training camp before the '84 season. We present them here for purely educational purposes. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Totten finished with nine touchdown passes, five to Rice. To see all of those fans come out, they knew it was going to be a great battle, and I think we went into that ballgame feeling pretty comfortable that we could win. The MVSU offense would start at its own goal line and run a play, at which point another trainer would introduce a new ball and immediately run the next one. Over 25 Mississippi Valley State alumni have played in the National Football League (NFL), including: This American football team article is a stub. ITTA BENA, Miss. They were a great team and had a great offense, too. "We weren't trying to set records or get the national attention. Mumford Stadium The Gold Standard Helmet Campaign Additional Links FOOTBALL History > Mississippi Valley State FOOTBALL History vs Mississippi Valley State from Sep 30, 1967 - Nov 12, 2022 Samuel. And not for spurts or as an occasional change of pace or during the two-minute drill but for the entire game in other words, 60 minutes of chaos. 2022 Football Roster # Name Name Ht. THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS, Copyright 2023 Mississippi Valley State University, Thomas Signs with CFL's Calgary Stampeder, HBCU NATIONAL CHAMPION NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL EAGLES AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE DELTA DEVILS TO APPEAR IN THE 39TH ANNIVERSARY CIRCLE CITY , 2023 Football Season Tickets are Now on Sale, Delta Devils Announces its 2023 Football Schedule. THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS, Copyright 2023 Mississippi Valley State University, Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/LB, Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/DB, Running Back Coach/Run Game & Recruiting Coordinator, Wide Receiver Coach/Passing Game Coordinator, Director of Football Operations / Academic Liason, Hide/Show Additional Information For Javier Anderson, Hide/Show Additional Information For Cayden Betts, Hide/Show Additional Information For Caleb Canada, Hide/Show Additional Information For Kobe Chambers, Hide/Show Additional Information For Zeilon Chestnut, Hide/Show Additional Information For Jaxson Davis, Hide/Show Additional Information For Chris Fagan, Hide/Show Additional Information For Kyrrae Franklin, Hide/Show Additional Information For Donavin Green, Hide/Show Additional Information For Tre Griffin. Davis, Chris So if Jerry wanted to stay after practice and catch balls, then we stayed after practice and we'd throw and catch balls. Through seven games of the '84 season, Rice wasn't just the best player on the field, but perhaps the best receiver in football, his name suddenly being thrown into conversations about more prominent wideouts like Al Toon, Eddie Brown and Jessie Hester. Defense never was MSVU's strong suit, for all the points it scored, so the Braves jumped out to a 28-7 halftime lead. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. "He said he was at a double-A school, and Bill was extolling his virtues, that's for sure.". That defeat was one of two on the season, however, as the Delta Devils finished 7-2-1. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. He made his announcement via Twitter. Pirtle, Devin "When we got to the stadium, I guarantee that there were already 30,000 or 35,000 people already in there, and to see that happen, that was something that will always be a great feeling for Mississippi and for Valley nation, that we filled that stadium up," Totten said. I'm sure of that.". You'd have guys who'd throw up or guys who'd collapse, but it was part of the process, getting your body ready to be able to endure four quarters of going at a very high tempo where you basically wear out your opponent. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Then, after Rice won MVP honors in the Blue-Gray game, the 49ers eventually took him with the 16th overall pick in the 1985 draft. (); : Of course, in order to outwork the other team, that meant Mississippi Valley State had to be in better shape. It would certainly be easy to attribute those gaudy stats to the style of offense Cooley was running, and you wouldn't be out of line in doing so. "We were scoring so easily, and we hadn't beaten Jackson in so long, that it didn't seem real to me," Cooley said. All of the sudden, after a win over one of the conference's traditional powers in his pocket, Cooley and his offense weren't seen as so gimmicky anymore. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. 1984: Mississippi Valley Time. In the third quarter, Valley was able to close the gap, and tied the score at 28-28 on the first play of the fourth, but in the end, it was Totten's propensity for interceptions that did the Devils in. Visit ESPN to view the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils team roster for the current season Magee, Gregory Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these. As a senior in 1984, Jerry Rice broke his own NCAA Division I-AA records for receptions (112) and receiving yards (1,845). "We knew we had to send Jackson films of the previous ballgames and we didn't want them to see what we were doing to the extent where they could practice on it. "I could hardly wait during practice to do that. Rice was named to every 1984 College Football All-America Team, including the Associated Press squad, and finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting. Do you have a blog? Against another traditional power, Southern, Totten threw for 526 yards and six touchdowns, as Rice had 17 catches for 189 yards and two scores, as MVSU won 63-45. Midway through the fourth quarter, with the game still tied, Valley was driving deep into Alcorn territory, looking to take the lead, but Totten threw an interception at the Alcorn 20. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Former North Carolina A&T offensive lineman Rio Claytor has committed to MVSU after a stint in the transfer portal. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Rice would finish the '83 season with a I-AA record 102 catches and 1,450 yards, with a record 24 catches and 279 yards coming in one game, a 31-28 loss to Southern. THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS, Copyright 2023 Mississippi Valley State University, Rice-Totten Stadium at Chuck Prophet Field. In Mississippi Valley State's first game, against the same D-II Kentucky State team that had shut the Delta Devils out in the season before Cooley got to town, MVSU gained 699 yards with 17 on the ground, on 11 carries and won 86-0. Record: 4-7 (76th of 110) (Schedule & Results). Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, 2023 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team, NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mississippi_Valley_State_Delta_Devils_football&oldid=1134350401, American football teams established in 1953, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 07:13. "We were hungry, we wanted to win and we had great players that came to work every day. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 2023 Schedule. Mississippi Valley State wasn't in the hunt for a national title in 1984, as its neighbors at Ole Miss and Mississippi State are today. Killins, Dejuan "He was the only one out of our group that played (as a true freshman), so he was the big kid on the block and we all kind of did what Jerry did. Cooley and them started that at Mississippi Valley State.' Patterson, Jesse Lacy, Clarence Oct 22 (Sat) 3 p.m. SWAC. A few formations would call for receivers in both slot positions. The way he approached the game, he wanted to be the best guy on the field.". 1983-84 Mississippi Valley State (Men's) Season, Mississippi Valley State (Men's) School History, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:49AM. They have to be in condition because they don't have time to stand around and talk and work out situations and things of that nature.". "We knew we had to have something special to do it against Jackson, so we did a smaller amount of (our offense) against Washburn and Kentucky State," Cooley said. A standard workout that fall started with five trainers, each ready to go with a ball. Fortunately for Rice, that playoff loss was really the beginning, and that game, more than anything, put him on the San Francisco 49ers' radar. Mississippi State --> Tennessee Malik Sanders: Defensive Back: Mississippi State Brandon Pierre: Linebacker: Ole Miss Taures Payne: Defensive End: Houston Jacob Free: Quarterback: Troy Lavante Epson Jr. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The game was in such high demand that it was relocated from Itta Bena to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson and rescheduled from Saturday, Nov. 3, to Sunday, Nov. 4, to accommodate for the crowd, which would end up topping 63,000 people to this day one of the largest crowds to fill that stadium. ); : By then, though, the Delta Devils had started to show some promise, especially from Rice, a star in the making who followed up a 30-catch freshman year by hauling in 66 passes for 1,134 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore. Anderson, Cayden Thirty years ago this fall, however, the action in itty-bitty Itta Bena in a situation not unlike this year in Starkville, 100 miles due east down Highway 82, and Oxford, the same 100 miles northeast, up Interstate 55 put the state of Mississippi at the center of the college football universe. "Whenever you get an opportunity to play on a big stage like that, you want to showcase your ability, you want to win that football game, and I remember walking off that field crying like a baby because we lost and it was over. Led by fifth-year head coach Archie Cooley, the Delta Devils played their home games at Magnolia Stadiumnow known as RiceTotten Stadiumin Itta Bena, Mississippi. It was a lot of fun and a lot of people said we were running scores up, but it wasn't that. In fact, the Delta Devils didn't and still don't play in the same class. 10/24/2014 11:28:00 AM. Wilkins, Caleb Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Do you have a sports website? vs Central St. 9/2 . "It was a lot of fun because it was to the point where I wondered what they were going to play against the offense," Cooley said. ", "We were just having fun, playing ball," added Totten, now the quarterbacks coach at Alabama A&M. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The 1984 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils team represented the Mississippi Valley State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season. FIFA World Cup - Best Goals from Every Angle, Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. In MVSU's second game, a 77-15 win over Washburn, Rice hauled in 15 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown a low-key output by his standards with Totten completing 36 of 55 passes for 402 yards and six touchdowns. The game wasn't without its share of controversy, as Cooley, to this day, accuses Tech of sending a scout posing as a newspaper reporter to watch Mississippi Valley's preparations, and there's a thought by Valley fans that the referees allowed Tech to play too physically on defense, making it tough for Totten's receivers to get open. And it was during that wild ride of a 1984 season that Rice and an unheralded quarterback named Willie Totten perfected an innovative offensive scheme that came years before its time, rewriting the NCAA record books with the whole world watching. We were just playing the game, and it just so happened that what we were doing brought a lot of notoriety and attention to us. Stadiums Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The 1981 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season . Williams, Kendrick Here are the highest NFL draft selections in FCS history. Martin, Cole "They weren't even doing that back then in the NFL. Fagan, Kyrrae "Sometimes we'd even (run routes) it in front of the cafeteria, just hanging around the dormitory. The Braves then added another score with a pick-six of Totten on the next Mississippi Valley possession, sending the Devils to their first defeat, despite eight catches for 134 yards from Rice. Executives Bud Adams, Scott Pioli, George Halas . That meant one training camp from hell in the Delta, as Cooley implemented his new offensive scheme and the breakneck pace all at once, for multiple hours at a time, multiple times per day. Everything else was going to take care of itself, and I think it did. "We got very good at it and all the receivers that I had were good. "And I'd say, 'I've played everybody on the team, Coach, what do you want me to do? Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Sunday, April 30, 6:46AM. A crowd of 63,808 saw the game, which was originally scheduled for Saturday in Mississippi Valley's 10,000-seat stadium at Itta Bena. By that point, Mississippi Valley was 7-0 and looked virtually unbeatable. And one can't help but wonder whether any of it would have happened had they not believed in a crazy Gunslinger coach with a gimmicky system to lead them to one of the most exciting seasons football has ever seen. Known as the "Home in the Woods," Itta Bena, with a population of just over 2,000, prides itself as the birthplace of B.B. The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils are the college football team representing the Mississippi Valley State University.The Delta Devils play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Football | March 30, 2023 View Archives HBCU NATIONAL CHAMPION NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL EAGLES AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE DELTA DEVILS TO APPEAR IN THE 39TH ANNIVERSARY CIRCLE CITY Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils Men's, More 1983-84 Mississippi Valley State (Men's) Pages, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. So we gave them just enough, but not enough to prepare for it.". Sisk, Demario The two forged such a bond that they mostly communicated via hand and head signals on the field think Peyton Manning as if opposing defenses needed anything else to worry about.

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