ITTA BENA, Miss. – Saturday's opener with Tennessee State marks the 67th campaign for Mississippi Valley, going back to 1953. The Delta Devils are 29-36-1 in openers all-time, with their last victory coming in 2014 - a 32-7 win over Faith University in Florida. Last season the team fell victim to a Roughrider State foe for the second consecutive year, dropping to a 35-7 decision to the University of North Dakota. 

PARTY LIKE IT'S 1991

Valley and Tennessee State meet for the second time in a season opener. The Delta Devils marched away with a 10-7 nailbiter - which is also the last MVSU victory against TSU. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Tennessee State went 4-5 a season ago with a 3-4 mark in the Ohio Valley conference, placing them fifth. Tiger alum Rod Reed returns for his 10th season in Nashville and boasts a 53-47 record. They remained in the middle of the pack in scoring with 29.3 points scored on average versus 32.1 points allowed. The Tigers run a balanced attack that leans slightly in favor of passing, as they played third in OVC last year with 276.2 yards through the air per game. Key returners include receiver Chris Rowland and his 57 catches as well as Mekhi Brown and Jeremiah Caine who combined for eight sacks during the season. 

THE DANCY ERA

Second year head coach Vincent Dancy brings in a reloaded roster, looking to improve on a 1-10 finish from a year ago. 62% of the players are newcomers to the team, with an even mix of JUCO and freshman, as well as five transfers. The newcomers pair up with a roster of 30 returners. 

IT "MERRITS" A CELEBRATION

This weekend marks the 21st annual playing of the John A. Merritt Classic - the name given to Tennessee State's opening game. The Tigers hold a 15-6 advantage in the contest, which is named after their head coach from 1967-1983. Merritt's teams went 172-33-7 while he held court in Nashville.  

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

For the third straight year, Valley will begin its season playing the first two games away from Itta Bena. The road has been unkind to the Delta Devils recently, going 2-18 during that same three-year stretch, including 0-6 in their opening stanzas. Both victories came at Pine Bluff, where Valley will travel to on October 12th.