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1984 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team

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1984 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football
ConferenceSouthwestern Athletic Conference
Record9–2 (6–1 SWAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumMagnolia Stadium
Seasons
← 1983
1985 →
1984 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Alcorn State $^ 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
No. 6 Mississippi Valley State ^ 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Grambling State 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Southern 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Jackson State 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Texas Southern 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Alabama State 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Prairie View A&M 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 11 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1984 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils team represented the Mississippi Valley State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Archie Cooley, the Delta Devils played their home games at Magnolia Stadium—now known as Rice–Totten Stadium—in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Mississippi Valley finished the season with an overall record of 9–2 and a mark of 6–1 in conference play, placing second in the SWAC. The team qualified for the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, losing to Louisiana Tech in the first round. With an offense led by quarterback Willie Totten and wide receiver Jerry Rice, the Delta Devils scored 628 points on the season, averaging more than 57 points per game.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 1at Kentucky State*
W 86–01,300[1]
September 15at Washburn*
W 77–154,000[2][3]
September 22at Jackson StateNo. T–18
W 49–3250,337[4]
September 29at No. 11 Southern
W 63–45[5]
October 13vs. Grambling State
W 48–3640,000[6]
October 20at Texas SouthernNo. 8
W 55–42[7]
October 27Prairie View A&MdaggerNo. 5
W 71–611,341[8][9][10]
November 3vs. No. 4 Alcorn StateNo. 5
  • Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
  • Jackson, MS
L 28–4263,808[11]
November 10Alabama StateNo. 8
  • Magnolia Stadium
  • Itta Bena, MS
W 49–7[12]
November 17Langston*No. 8
  • Magnolia Stadium
  • Itta Bena, MS
W 83–11[13]
November 24at No. 9 Louisiana Tech*No. 6
L 19–6617,500[14]

Individual accomplishments

[edit]

As a senior in 1984, Jerry Rice broke his own NCAA Division I-AA records for receptions (112) and receiving yards (1,845). His 27 touchdown receptions in that 1984 season set the NCAA mark for all divisions. Rice caught 17 passes for 199 yards against Southern, 17 for 294 against Kentucky State, and 15 for 285 against Jackson State, in the first win for Mississippi Valley over the Tigers since 1954. He scored five touchdowns twice that year. Rice was named to every 1984 College Football All-America Team, including the Associated Press squad, and finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting. In the Blue–Gray Football Classic all-star game played on Christmas Day, he earned MVP honors.[15]

Rice finished his college career with 301 catches for 4,693 yards and 50 touchdowns. His NCAA record for total career touchdown receptions stood until October 7, 2006, when University of New Hampshire wide receiver David Ball, recorded his 51st career receiving touchdown.[16]

Team players in the NFL

[edit]
Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Jerry Rice Wide receiver 1 16 San Francisco 49ers

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Kentucky State is mauled 86-0". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. September 2, 1984. p. C6. Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ Richardson, Bill (September 16, 1984). "Mississippi Valley State cuts through Washburn 77-15". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 231. Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  3. ^ "Miss. Valley 77, Washburn 15". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. September 16, 1984. p. 14D. Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  4. ^ "Valley chews up Jackson State 49–32". The Clarion-Ledger. September 23, 1984. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Mississippi Valley 63, Southern 45". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. September 30, 1984. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "QB Totten tosses for 4 TDs as Devils roll". The Indianapolis Star. October 14, 1984. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Totten throttles TSU". Victoria Advocate. October 21, 1984. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Nance, Roscoe (October 28, 1984). "No pity: Valley 71, PV 6". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 1D. Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  9. ^ Nance, Roscoe (October 28, 1984). "No pity (continued)". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 7D. Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. ^ "Miss. Valley 71, Prairie View 6". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. October 28, 1984. p. 16D. Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ^ "Qualls captures spotlight as Braves rip Delta Devils". The Commercial Appeal. November 4, 1984. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Miss. Valley rips Alabama State". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 11, 1984. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Valley flood rips Langston in 83–11 rout". The Daily Oklahoman. November 18, 1984. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "La. Tech ravages Valley". The Clarion-Ledger. November 25, 1984. Retrieved July 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "ESPN Classic - 49ers era was Rice era".
  16. ^ "David Ball Stats, News, Bio".
  17. ^ "Willie Totten Stats".
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