Box Score Box Score

ITTA BENA – Mississippi Valley State left it all on the football field Saturday night. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to begin their 2012 campaign with a win.

The Delta Devils opened the season with a narrow 20-19 loss to Concordia College-Selma at Rice-Totten Stadium in front of 3,092 fans.

It marked the first time the Hornets (1-0) have defeated MVSU. The two teams last faced each other on Sept. 30, 2006.

Despite the loss, Valley outgained Concorida 248 to 166 with Trey Bateaste, a Second Team All-SWAC selection, leading the way with 66 rushing yards and a TD. MVSU quarterback Garrick Jones chipped in 51 yards on 15 carries on the ground.

Jones also finished 13-of-19 through the air for 105 yards, including a 9-yard TD pass to fullback Dytanyl Greer in the second quarter to give the Delta Devils its first points of the game.

After Greer’s TD catch in early in the second quarter, the Hornets racked up 13 points before halftime on a 15-yared strike from Keith Ray to Jeremy Morris and a 36-yard blocked punt return for a score by Demarcus Heath.

Concordia went into halftime with a 13-7 advantage.

However, it took less than a minute for Valley to tie things up when Robert Simpson recovered a fumble in the endzone to even the score at 13 with 14:08 left in the third quarter.

Bateaste’s TD run late in the third quarter put the Delta Devils up 19-13.

Concordia, however, used a 15-play, 75-yard TD drive late in the fourth quarter to take a 20-19 lead over the homestanding Delta Devils.

MVSU had one last opportunity, but an interception with 49 seconds remaining sealed their fate.

The Delta Devils outgained the Hornets on the ground 143 to 28. Julian Stafford led Valley with five catches for 53 yards.

MVSU will be on the road next Saturday at Alabama State for a 6 p.m. kickoff.