ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Mississippi Valley State University football program piled up 496 yards of total offense, forced three turnovers, and scored three touchdowns from 30-plus yards out en route to its third win of the season and most points scored since October 20, 2018. In that Homecoming game against UAPB in 2018, the home squad amassed seven touchdowns, all rushing, and 509 total yards to win 49-48. It was the last time MVSU had more than three scores on the ground in a game and more than 495 yards from scrimmage until Saturday when Jakobe Thomas (3) and Conor Regan (1) tallied four.
 
Coach Dancy's team is the first Delta Devil squad since 2012 to win more than two games in a campaign as the program had slogged to zero-to-two wins per season for nearly a decade prior to his arrival. The 2012 squad went 5-6 (5-4 SWAC) and ended that year on a three-game winning streak over Alcorn (33-9), Prairie View A&M (22-20) and on the road versus Texas Southern (34-3).

The Basics
 

• Final Score: Mississippi Valley State 44 | Alabama State 31

 

• Records: Mississippi Valley State (3-7, 2-5 SWAC) | Alabama State (3-6, 2-5 SWAC)

 

• Location: Itta Bena, Mississippi – Rice-Totten Stadium
   

Mississippi Valley State Top Performers
 

• Jalani Eason had a field day carving up the Hornets defense, going for a career-best 315 passing yards on just 12 completions (26.3 yards per completion) and two scores.

 

• Senior Conor Regan started the game under center, completing three passes for 48 yards and scoring his first rushing touchdown of the year on a QB sneak to cap off the opening drive.

 

• Jakobe Thomas had 38 more rushing yards in this contest (88) than he had in his career coming in (50), finding paydirt three times for his first career collegiate touchdowns.

 

• Senior Jarius Clayton had just one catch, but he made it count, breaking multiple tacklers to go 83 yards to the house for a new personal-long.

 

• Jacory Rankin was the primary recipient of Eason's throws, catching five balls for a career-high 152 yards (30.4 yards per catch) plus a career-long 93-yard touchdown reception, which was just two offensive plays after Clayton's 83-yard pitch-and-catch.

 

• Deangelo Wagoner posted his first four catches of his collegiate career, turning those into 50 yards.

 

• Coming into his final home game, senior Varandre White had just four catches and 41 yards to his name. He basically matched his career output alone against ASU, putting together three receptions for 45 yards.

 

• Senior Travis Hines finally made his way into the stat sheet as Regan found the Temple transfer on the first play of the game for an eight-yard gain.

 

• Orlando Fernandez continues to amaze week-in and week-out, making a 37-yard field goal, converting five PATs (sixth attempt was blocked) and averaged 44.3 yards per punt, three of which went 50-plus yards and were downed in the Hornets redzone.

 

• Jayren Fox was the game's top tackler, bringing down seven ball carriers, each one by himself. He also had his first ever quarterback hurry and third tackle for loss.

 

• Caleb Brunson is once again making his case for the All-SWAC Team, notching an interception and subsequent 17-yard return plus a pass defensed while tying his personal-high of six tackles.

 

• Keonte' Daniels pounced on an errant Ryan Nettles throw to come down with an INT as well for his third of his tenure in The Delta, picking up five tackles along the way.

 

• Markell Gladney had his best game in his one-year stint after transferring in from JSU, nabbing a pick, half a sack, pass breakup, five tackles and a season-best 1.5 tackles for loss.

 

• The stud defensive linemen up the middle (Jerry Garner and Jeremiah Caine) combined for nine tackles, two quarterback hurries and a sack.

 

• Kaiyus Lewis produced his first career half-sack plus 1.5 tackles for loss while Deione Reed set a new benchmark with 1.5 tackles for loss of his own.

 
 
Notes
 

• The home team outgunned ASU through the air, besting the Hornets with 363 passing yards, averaging an absurd 24.2 yards per completion and 10.7 yards per attempt.

 

•  The Delta Devils averaged nearly eight yards per play (7.9) on the afternoon and the two teams combined for just six penalties over 44 yards.

 

• Defensive Coordinator Derek Welch's unit had a bend but don't break mentality headlined by a secondary that snagged three picks and broke up nine passes.

 

• MVSU had its second outing of the fall campaign where it played a turnover-free ballgame, winning the turnover battle by three.

 
The Green and White will take next weekend off before attempting to play the role of spoiler at Prairie View on November 27 as a win would clinch the SWAC West Championship for the Panthers.
 
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