ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Mississippi Valley State University football program had a historic day in all three phases of the game including numerous individual milestones during the Delta Devils' 49-0 display of dominance over the Lincoln (California) Oaklanders, resulting in a happy Homecoming for all.
 
The defense shut out the opposition for the first time since 2008 and held LU to negative-35 rushing yards, the offense put up its most points in eight years, and the last time MVSU won by a larger margin of victory (+49) was a 55-point romp of Texas College on October 3, 2009, cruising past the Steers by a final score of 61-6.
 
Individually, Terrell Buckley officially earned his first career victory as a collegiate head coach and Nina Schiks became the first female in team history to score as she went a perfect 4-for-4 on PAT attempts.
 
The Basics: 
 

• Score
  • Mississippi Valley – 49
  • Lincoln (California) – 0

 

• Records
  • Mississippi Valley (1-5, 0-2 SWAC)
  • Lincoln-California (0-6)

 

• Location
  • Itta Bena, Mississippi – Rice-Totten Stadium at Chuck Prophet Field

 

• Series History
  • Delta Devils Lead 1-0 (100%)

 

• Winning Streak
  • Delta Devils (W1) | Oaklanders' Last Win: N/A

 
Delta Devils' Top Performers: 
 

• Xavier Cannaday read the eyes of quarterback Jay Carney III the entire way, stepped in front of the Oaklanders receiver and followed a convoy of blockers into the end zone for a Delta Devils defensive touchdown, his first career pick while donning the Green and White including not one, not two, but three separate pass breakups.

 

• While he did not score himself, Jalen Wright kept Lincoln off the scoreboard by blocking their lone field goal attempt, he forced a pair of fumbles, logged a game-high eight tackles (six solo), and lived in the visitor's backfield with 3.5 tackles for loss plus a sack-and-a-half (1.5).

 

• Brandon Nunez did not start the game, but he effectively closed it out, averaging a stellar 11.7 yards per carry on just six totes to lead all ball carriers with 70 rushing yards, while also posting a perfect passer rating as his lone attempt went for six points, hitting Cameron Nelson on a 30-yard strike down the seam.

 

• A program-best four different Delta Devils found paydirt on the ground including a pair from Norman Taylor (48 rush yards), one from DePhabian Fant (31 rush yards), Natwan Webster (12 yards) found the end zone, and even Tristen Davis (7 yards) got in on the fun.

 

• The defense came into the afternoon with just one interception in its first five games and left with a trio over the shutdown 60 minutes of football, Jamari Stokes had the longest return of the day, bringing the ball back to inside the Oaklanders ten-yard line after snatching the pigskin and rumbling 32 yards the other way plus recovering one of Wright's punch out fumbles, and Dante Kelly got the Valley State defenders on the board with the first INT.

 

• Both Colton Vatne as well as Adonis Jackson will appear in the nightmares of the Lincoln quarterbacks for weeks to come, each collecting two full sacks apiece for a total loss of 23 yards in addition to posting five TFLs between them which set the visitors from Oakland back a whooping 60 yards.

 

• The defensive front as a unit went crazy for nine sacks with Vashun Turner (1), Isaiah Pedack (1), Seth Scott (0.5), Jusden Culpepper (0.5), and Chaunessy Triplett (0.5) joined the action in the stat sheet party.

 

• Nelson was the lone pass catcher with multiple receptions as the game plan shifted quickly to the point producing machine that was the running back room, hauling in both targets for 53 yards (26.5 YPC) and the previously mentioned touchdown.

 

• The remaining two catches also came out of the backfield as Fant (24 yards) and Taylor (20 yards) were responsible for the others.

 

• Seth Scott was the only other student-athlete with five or more tackles (5) as the wealth was distributed up-and-down the entire roster.

 

• The kicking unit was rarely utilized (in a good way), but when given the opportunity, Marko Dubak averaged 44.5 yards per punt, Marko Jovisic blasted two touchbacks over eight kickoffs on top of making his three PATs, and Schiks went down in the record books as the inaugural women to score for the Devils football squad.

 
Next:

• Now that dub number one is out of the way, the focus shifts to Saturday's trip to Lorman, Mississippi and "The Reservation" where the Delta Devils clash with the Alcorn Braves at 2 p.m., looking to string together back-to-back victories for the first time since the end of the 2021 campaign.

 
Follow the Delta Devils / Devilettes on Facebook (Valley State Athletics), Twitter / X (@MVSUDevilSports), and Instagram (@ValleyStateAthletics).
 
Follow the Delta Devils football program on Facebook (Mississippi Valley State Football), Twitter / X (@ValleyStateFB) and Instagram (@ValleyStateFB).