Sunday Morning Quarterback – Week 9 Review

Finally, the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils are winners.

With a stout defense leading the way, Mississippi Valley ended a 19-game losing streak with a 12-9 victory over the Texas Southern Tigers on Saturday.

Mississippi Valley (1-8) had not won since Nov. 14, 2009 and their skid was the longest in school  history. The Delta Devils no longer will have to hear about closing in on fellow Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Prairie View’s record 80-game losing streak.

MVSU secured its first win against a league opponent since knocking off Alabama State 10-3 Sept. 26, 2009 at the Chicago Football Classic.

At one point during the tailspin, MVSU lost 14-straight games by 10 or more points. To start the 2011, season the team was outscored 80-9 in defeats to Alabama State and Murray State.

However, Karl Morgan, who has the toughest job in all of collegiate football, never stopped believing his team could win. Week after week the former UCLA Bruin would reassure the press the Delta Devils were better than their winless record.

And even though Mississippi Valley was 0-8 facing the Tigers, they had lost three of its last four games by a total of 14 points.  Signs of improvement could be seen earlier in the season when the Delta Devils went back and forth with then SWAC West Division leading Prairie View losing 43-34.  The next week Southern had to stage a second-half rally top MVSU.

Just two weeks ago, Mississippi Valley held the Jackson State offense (a team who put up more than 700 yards of total offense in a 44-14 win versus Prairie View at the Shreveport Classic) to 17 points for the game, and zero points in the first and fourth quarters.

Against Grambling State and down by as many as 17, MVSU rallied to send the game into overtime before having their hearts ripped out again.  The Delta Devils finally became a team to be reckoned with in the process.  No longer were they doormats.  They were an actual functioning football team who could no longer be viewed as the school opponents were eager to schedule for homecoming.

One could probably say Mississippi Valley was the better football team during those recent losses.  Saturday’s win was no fluke, though.  We should have seen it coming.  This time the better team did win.  It was a well deserved win.  Being seven games under break even never meant so much.

Player of the Week:  Mississippi Valley State defensive back Marquez Floyd.  His interception sealed the Delta Devils 12-9 win over Texas Southern.

Quote of the Week:

“I think we should be No. 1,” said Alabama A&M linebacker Willie Fuller after the Bulldogs 20-19 win versus  SWAC East leading Alabama State Hornets. “They beat Jackson State and we beat Alabama State so I think it’d only be right for us to be No. 1 since we beat Alabama State.”

Week 9 Report Card

Jackson State: A
After a lackluster performance against Mississippi Valley State, the Tigers offense put up a near school record 722 yards of total offense against Prairie View.

Prairie View: F
See above

Texas Southern: F
There was a team bound to lose to Mississippi Valley State sooner or later. Saturday it was the Tigers.

Mississippi Valley State: A
The two-year nightmare is finally over.

Grambling State: A
Three weeks ago I told head coach Doug Williams his team’s season was over.  Look who has got egg on his face now.

Alcorn State: F
This might be one of the worst weeks in the history of the program with the release of Brandon Bridge combined with a loss to Southern.

Southern: B
Don’t look now but the Jaguars are one game out of first place in the SWAC West.

Alabama State: D
Reggie Barlow said his team played its worst game of the season. Their shot at a Black National Championship took a major hit as well.

Alabama A&M: B
The hand of (God) Tae Keith on special teams preserved a hard-fought win over the No. 1 team in Black College Football.