MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Caleb Brownlow accounted for a pair of touchdowns and 130 all-purpose yards as Mississippi Valley State University battled Alabama State before falling 41-15 Saturday evening at ASU Stadium.
The loss moved Mississippi Valley State to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, while Alabama State improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in league action.
Alabama State jumped out to a 17-0 first-quarter advantage, but the Delta Devils responded early in the second period. Quarterback
Josh Brown connected with
Caleb Brownlow for a 31-yard touchdown with 14:24 remaining in the half, completing a six-play, 63-yard scoring drive and cutting the deficit to 17-6. Alabama State added a field goal in the closing seconds of the half to take a 20-6 advantage into the locker room.
Brown finished the afternoon completing 10 of 15 passes for 110 yards and one touchdown. Brownlow provided the biggest offensive spark for the Delta Devils, catching two passes for 53 yards and a touchdown while adding 77 rushing yards on just two carries.
Alabama State extended its advantage immediately after halftime with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Valley continued to battle, putting together a 13-play, 59-yard drive that carried from late in the third quarter into the fourth.
Jackson Arthur capped the possession with a 23-yard field goal to make the score 27-9.
After the Hornets answered with another touchdown, Brownlow delivered the Delta Devils' biggest play of the night. The MVSU playmaker broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run, scoring just 13 seconds into the possession and trimming the margin to 34-15 with 11:22 remaining. Brownlow finished with 130 all-purpose yards, one yard behind teammate
Dayvian Bluitt, who led Valley with 131 all-purpose yards.
Bluitt contributed across several phases of the game, recording 109 yards on five kickoff returns, 14 receiving yards, five rushing yards and three yards on a punt return.
Norman Taylor added 22 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards, while
Jaylen King finished with two receptions for 19 yards.
Despite the final margin, Mississippi Valley State stayed close statistically. The Delta Devils produced 240 yards of total offense compared to Alabama State's 258, recorded 13 first downs to the Hornets' 11 and controlled the football for 34:19. MVSU also converted 5-of-15 third downs while holding Alabama State to just 1-of-10.
Turnovers, however, proved costly for Valley. MVSU lost four of its six fumbles, with Alabama State turning the miscues into 14 points off turnovers. The Delta Devils were also flagged 10 times for 91 yards.
Defensively,
Javieane Stevens led Mississippi Valley State with seven tackles, including three solo stops.
Joey Davis followed with six solo tackles, while
Christ Kore
recorded five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Deondri Clark Jr. added a 12-yard sack, and
Cole McKinney came away with an interception for the Delta Devils. Valley's defense finished with eight tackles for loss and two sacks. Alabama State closed the scoring with a touchdown in the final minute to produce the 41-15 final.
UP NEXT
Mississippi Valley State returns to Rice-Totten Stadium for a SWAC matchup against Prairie View A&M. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
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