Who: Mississippi Valley State vs. Delta State
Where: Itta Bena, Miss. (Rice-Totten Stadium)
When: 1 p.m.
Series: Delta State leads 3-1
History: 2000 - DSU 35, MVSU 23
2001 - DSU 25, MVSU 3
2002 - MVSU 28, DSU 26
2003 - DSU 45, MVSU 0
Radio: WVSD, 91.7 FM (Lee Hall, Play-By-Play; Link Edgett - Color; Malcolm Miller - Sideline)
Live Stream: www.gwoodlive.com
MVSU Monday Media Day Press Conference
By: Malcolm Miller
Junior communications major
ITTA BENA -- Mississippi Valley State's next opponent won't have far to go.
Less than 50 miles away, Delta State is set to renew its rivalry against the Delta Devils Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rice-Totten Stadium.
DSU holds a 3-1 series lead and the two teams haven't met since 2003 when MVSU fell to the Statesmen 45-0.
With a 10-year hiatus in the series, the anticipation has started to swell.
"I'm looking forward to it, I hope it's a great turnout," said MVSU head coach Karl Morgan.
Saturday will give the Delta Devils a chance to redeem Sunday's 27-10 loss to Florida A&M in the SWAC/MEAC Challenge. The Delta Devils struggled offensively, only registering 88 passing yards while amassing three crucial turnovers.
Regardless, MVSU will let last week's loss stay in their rearview as they look to get a win against DSU to open up its home slate.
Morgan said he hopes that the series between MVSU and the Statesmen will continue for years to come.
"This is good for the area. This is good for us and Delta State. I think the teams should play every year because they're close and its enough mutual interest."
Due to the close proximity between both universities, fans can expect to see a ton of support for both team's at MVSU's Rice0Totten Stadium, creating a raucous environment for the Saturday afternoon thriller.
MVSU fans hope to see standout wide receiver Julian Stafford get the ball thrown to him more and the offense to run more smoothly since the first-game jitters are out of the way. When local media caught up with Morgan, he reiterated how much of a key element Stafford is to Valley's offense.
"We had a plan to get him the ball (on Sunday but) we just couldn't get it to him," said Morgan. "That's one of the things we need to do. We have to get him more involved."
Although, The Delta Devils lost several key players on the defensive side of the ball, MVSU's defense seems to still be able to hold its own with great play from defensive backs Kevin Eugene, Jeremy Johnson and Avery Boykin and highly-regarded defensive tackle Robert Simpson.
Boykin hopes to pick up from last week when he broke up a potential touchdown pass in the end zone and intercepted a pass later in the game.
