"(Rice) loved the game, and he loved to practice, and he loved to do what he was doing. Pitts, Ryan Teddy Allen. (); : ", The defeat was even tougher on Rice, who finished the 1984 season with 112 catches for 1,845 yards and 27 touchdowns. View Full Bio, Javier Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Cooley recalled. "When we first started that offense and at the time we were going three times a day;they didn't have the rules like they've got the rules now the practices were so long and so intense that it was the first time I ever had total body cramps, because of just being exhausted running that offense. Williams, Kendrick 1983-84 Mississippi Valley State (Men's) Season, Mississippi Valley State (Men's) School History, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:49AM. "I remember their coach saying that they knew they couldn't stop our offense in the middle of the field, but they prepared for us from the red zone in," Totten said. The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils are the college football team representing the Mississippi Valley State University. But we weren't trying to get that. Holmes, Zane "When we got to the stadium, I guarantee that there were already 30,000 or 35,000 people already in there, and to see that happen, that was something that will always be a great feeling for Mississippi and for Valley nation, that we filled that stadium up," Totten said. The 1981 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season . In 1981, MVSU again fell short of its first winning season since 1965, putting together a 4-5-1 campaign that was followed up by a 5-5 effort in 1982, the first year both Rice and Totten played together. The Delta Devils had gone 7-2-1 in 1983, and looked to be even better this year. Success was predictably hard to come by early on, as Cooley's players struggled to adjust to such a radical shift in the team's offensive approach and the Delta Devils went 4-4-1 in Cooley's first year. Historical Coaches: Don Shula, George Halas, Tom Landry, Curly Lambeau . THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS, Copyright 2023 Mississippi Valley State University. "Whenever you get an opportunity to play on a big stage like that, you want to showcase your ability, you want to win that football game, and I remember walking off that field crying like a baby because we lost and it was over. Smith, Deontez All of the sudden, after a win over one of the conference's traditional powers in his pocket, Cooley and his offense weren't seen as so gimmicky anymore. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Do you have a sports website? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Rice's work ethic would go on to become the stuff of legend during his 20 seasons in the NFL, but the first real glimpse into the type of student of the game and gym rat he was came at MVSU. In the BlueGray Football Classic all-star game played on Christmas Day, he earned MVP honors. There was no way around it. Jerry Rice picking up yards after a catch. The game wasn't without its share of controversy, as Cooley, to this day, accuses Tech of sending a scout posing as a newspaper reporter to watch Mississippi Valley's preparations, and there's a thought by Valley fans that the referees allowed Tech to play too physically on defense, making it tough for Totten's receivers to get open. Through seven games of the '84 season, Rice wasn't just the best player on the field, but perhaps the best receiver in football, his name suddenly being thrown into conversations about more prominent wideouts like Al Toon, Eddie Brown and Jessie Hester. "We didn't worry about all the attention that was coming," Rice told FOX Sports of the '84 MVSU team, which went 9-2 and averaged 640 yards and nearly 61 points per game in the regular season. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. You plug up the holes. 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. Perkins, Tyson I always had that doubt that, 'Maybe I won't get picked.' The key to Cooley's Frankenstein offense, see, was that defenses would never know what was coming, even when the right call seemed obvious. Antwoine We were just playing the game, and it just so happened that what we were doing brought a lot of notoriety and attention to us. "Jerry was kind of like the big boy," Totten said. ); The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. A few formations would call for receivers in both slot positions. Williams, Brandon ", Said Totten, who went on to a CFL career and played briefly in the NFL as a replacement player for the 1987 Bills: "We'd sit around the dorm laughing, talking about it getting to the NFL, playing in the NFL but I don't think he ever dreamed he'd be the best receiver to ever play the game. Record: 4-7 (76th of 110) (Schedule & Results). ); The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 84 Mississippi Valley State (Jerry Rice) Watch on The Satellite Express was diabolical, even by today's standards, and MVSU put up impossible numbers in 1984. The beatdown likely would have been worse, if not for four Totten's interceptions. "They did a little bit of that back then, but they didn't take it to the extreme like we did. Los Angeles, California: Junipero Serra HS: Portland State See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. It was just a complete reversal of what we had been doing all year. He scored five touchdowns twice that year. Led by quarterback Willie Totten and legendary receiver Jerry Rice, the Delta Devils annihilated opposing teams en route to a 9-2 record. "Every year that I spent at Mississippi Valley State was special to me, but I think that '84 showed that we had come together as a team and we felt really comfortable with Archie and what he was trying to do as a football team on the field," Rice said. Do you have a sports website? Davis, Chris I was going to get on the football field no matter what.". Against Prairie View A&M, the floodgates opened for everyone, with Totten throwing for 599 yards and eight touchdowns, as Rice caught 10 passes for 198 yards and another five scores. FIFA World Cup - Best Goals from Every Angle, Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. "So we put it in and it did well, and we found that if you do that, it only takes away from the defense. "They didn't know what to do, and we would just eat it up.". After getting that long awaited taste of success in 1983, Cooley made it his mission to transform a feared offense into one that was totally unstoppable, and by the start of training camp in 1984, the Gunslinger had a playbook of more than 200 whimsical, schoolyard-inspired plays that utilized any and every imaginable formation Cooley thought might give him a chance to fool an opponent. Mississippi Valley finished the season with an overall record of 92 and a mark of 61 in conference play, placing second in the SWAC. It was my whole highlight of practice. "But we still just felt like we needed to keep tuning that offense, that system and that speed of play, and we felt we'd be able to do great things on the football field.". Roster includes most starters and key reserves. "We knew we had to have something special to do it against Jackson, so we did a smaller amount of (our offense) against Washburn and Kentucky State," Cooley said. In Mississippi Valley State's first game, against the same D-II Kentucky State team that had shut the Delta Devils out in the season before Cooley got to town, MVSU gained 699 yards with 17 on the ground, on 11 carries and won 86-0. That defeat was one of two on the season, however, as the Delta Devils finished 7-2-1. So Coach Cooley really got people looking but never got the credit for being inventive or courageous enough to run that kind of offense.". Betts, Caleb 1: Jalani: Eason: 5-10: 180: Gr. The only chance for true redemption would come in the playoffs, where Mississippi Valley met Louisiana Tech in the first round, but a dream of a I-AA national championship died hard and fast, with the Bulldogs cruising to a 66-19 home win, ending the Devils' season. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. (); : The result was a raw scheme that relied overwhelmingly on passing a good foundation, it would seem, for whenever Cooley got a promotion. I never thought that just because I was putting those outstanding numbers up that it was going to justify drafting me or propel me to the NFL. They have to be in condition because they don't have time to stand around and talk and work out situations and things of that nature.". So that meant he got all the work, and it paid off on both ends. : Totten finished with nine touchdown passes, five to Rice. Mississippi Valley (7-1, 3-1), ranked No. Stadiums THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS. Kendall, Von Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these. Mississippi Valley State's head coach Archie "Gunslinger" Cooley led the Satellite Express offense featuring Jerry Rice and Willie "Satellite" Totten to average a remarkable 60.9 points per game . Alcorn responded with a long drive, and Perry Qualls scored one of five touchdowns on the day to take the lead, 35-28, with less than two minutes left. Anderson, R. Amir Join our linker program. "That was the first time I ever in my life had complete, total body cramps," Totten said of training camp before the '84 season. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. In the 1984 season, it was Mississippi Valley who was applying all the pressure. Franklin, Donavin Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Magee, Gregory 10/24/2014 11:28:00 AM. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Based on that one game, San Francisco went through the process of scouting Rice, McVay said. Baseball Baseball: Schedule Baseball: Roster Baseball: News Basketball Basketball: Schedule Basketball: Roster Basketball: News Cross Country Cross Country: Schedule Cross Country: Roster Cross Country: News Football Football: Schedule Football: Roster Football: News Tennis Tennis: Schedule Tennis . Williams Sr. Marlon Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils Men's, More 1983-84 Mississippi Valley State (Men's) Pages, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. "We could look at the defensive back and know exactly what route to give Jerry, or he knew what signal to give me to let me know what route he was going to run," Totten said. A standard workout that fall started with five trainers, each ready to go with a ball. White, Amir "They weren't even doing that back then in the NFL. ); : He made his announcement via Twitter. In fact, the Delta Devils didn't and still don't play in the same class. Mississippi Valley State wasn't in the hunt for a national title in 1984, as its neighbors at Ole Miss and Mississippi State are today. 4 Alcorn State, a fellow undefeated that boasted one of the best defenses in I-AA. Green, Tre "Once you can do that, you can do whatever you want to do on the football field, and you can also put a lot of points on the board.". Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. We were just trying to do what this crazy coach came up with, execute it and make it work.". "I think it was just me getting comfortable with everything and getting used to my teammates," Rice said of his output early in the '84 season. (); : The Delta Devils play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Totten played college football at Mississippi Valley State and was as the starting quarterback at Delta Devils. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. "We weren't trying to set records or get the national attention. "We knew we had to send Jackson films of the previous ballgames and we didn't want them to see what we were doing to the extent where they could practice on it. Wade, Jeremy All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. With a 45-26 win over LSU, Bulldog quarterback John Bond became the first and only quarterback to register four wins over LSU. Join our linker program. Lacy, Clarence "Just a kid from Hawaii," Claytor wrote, "with that being said I'm locked in." Former North Carolina A&T offensive lineman Rio Claytor has committed to MVSU after a stint in the transfer portal. (); : Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Fantasy Football Stats Current Fantasy Matchups, Fantasy Points Allowed . You want me to use your people?' RUSTON -- In 1984, before the 1999-2001 St. Louis Rams and before the now-commonplace run-and-shoot offense, Mississippi Valley State was college football's original Greatest Show on Turf. "I had coaches walk up to me at halftime and say, 'Cooley what are you trying to do, get me fired? But it would have to take down Jackson to do it. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. "It was a lot of fun because it was to the point where I wondered what they were going to play against the offense," Cooley said. 5 MVSU played against No. Homecoming. The 1983 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. "Now you look at it, and everybody is running the spread, everybody is running the no-huddle, even in the NFL," added Totten. The official 2022 Football Roster for the Fort Valley State University Wildcats 1984-85 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 18-11 (8-7, 3rd in SWAC MBB ) Coach: Lafayette Stribling PS/G: 78.2 (17th of 282) PA/G: 72.1 (210th of 282) SRS: -2.25 (165th of 282) SOS: -7.29 (261st of 282) Mississippi Valley State (Men's) School History Roster & Stats Active Coaches: Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Pete Carroll . Of course, in order to outwork the other team, that meant Mississippi Valley State had to be in better shape. Or write about sports? All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The team had scored more than 22 points once, with four games in single digits, including a 3-0 shutout loss to D-II Kentucky State. [1] Contents 1 Schedule 2 Personnel 3 Season summary 3.1 Mississippi State "And you're talking about doing this for an hour and a half, two hours straight without even stopping. So we gave them just enough, but not enough to prepare for it.". I remember us watching a game I was a Steelers fan, and I think he was a Steelers fan at the time and watching Lynn Swann, watching John Stallworth, and I don't think he ever dreamed that he would be with those guys, and talked about in the same breath as those guys.". ", Added Rice: "I think it really showed, our hard work and dedication, and I have always done that with all my quarterbacks, even with Joe Montana, Steve Young. Without question, winning the SWAC was Valley's goal that season. Football Then one day, during a jog around the football field with an assistant coach, the mad scientist Cooley came up with another wrinkle: The no-huddle offense. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Anderson, Cayden Brunson. The '84 Delta Devils had the best season in program history by going 9-2 and finishing 6th in the D-1AA (now FCS) polls. King but is mostly the type of one-stoplight burg that doesn't beg to be noticed. For Cooley, though, the lack of recognition isn't an issue. I remember, I got up that morning with a sore back, but there was no way I was missing that game. Do you have a blog? Other times, Cooley would call for a triple-stack, with one guy in the slot, occasionally putting someone in the backfield with Totten. Led by fifth-year head coach Archie Cooley, the Delta Devils played their home games at Magnolia Stadiumnow known as RiceTotten Stadiumin Itta Bena, Mississippi. You could be forgiven if you passed through the tiny town of Itta Bena, Miss., without even knowing you were there. Hollowell, Zamariyon The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 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Similarly, legendary Alcorn State coach Marino "The Godfather" Casem knew better than to underestimate what his former pupil Cooley was Casem's defensive coordinator in the early '70s was doing at Mississippi Valley. Find out more. 1986-87 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 13-15 (9-5, 2nd in SWAC MBB ) Coach: Lafayette Stribling PS/G: 80.6 (39th of 289) PA/G: 83.9 (280th of 288) SRS: -10.88 (248th of 290) SOS: -7.29 (254th of 290) Mississippi Valley State (Men's) School History Roster & Stats In that game, Rice caught 17 passes for 294 yards, breaking the single-game receiving record he'd set the season before against Southern. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 1983-84 Jackson State Tigers Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 10-18 (5-9, 7th in SWAC MBB ) Coach: Paul Covington PS/G: 63.4 (221st of 275) PA/G: 69.8 (179th of 275) SRS: -14.10 (258th of 275) SOS: -7.28 (250th of 275) Jackson State (Men's) School History Roster & Stats Polls, Schedule & Results On this page: Roster ", "I knew people had two-minute offenses, but I'd never known them to do it the whole football game," Cooley added. "Even after practice, repetition-wise, we would run routes, I would catch extra footballs, just to get a feel for what Willie was thinking on the football field.". But ultimately neither complaint could change the outcome on the field. (And if you can't), then you take a three-point stance and say, 'Our Father, who art in heaven .'". Nicknamed "Gunslinger" in the early '80s by legendary sportswriter Roscoe Nance because of the JCPenney cowboy hat that was permanently fixed atop his head, Cooley developed the early renderings of what would become his "Satellite Express" offense during his days as a defensive coach, using plays he assembled when he ran the scout team at Tennessee State. Retrieved December 25, 2015 This college football 1980s season article is a stub. Jerry Rice and Deacon Jones, considered two of the greatest American football players of all time, spent their college days playing . Had the MVSU come out on the winning end of its 28-28 tie with eventual SWAC champ Grambling State, it would have finished in a tie with Grambling atop the conference. 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. This page is not available in other languages. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot Rice or anyone on the Delta Devils offense could do early, as Alcorn State was able to pressure Totten a rarity with Mississippi Valley's gigantic "Tons of Fun" offensive line usually giving him plenty of room and time to work. Schedule [ edit] [1] Roster [ edit] References [ edit] ^ College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. But there was also something to be said for the connection between Rice who'd picked up the nickname "World" for his ability to catch anything near him and Totten, a bond that was formed on the football field but stretched far beyond it. Mississippi State --> Tennessee Malik Sanders: Defensive Back: Mississippi State Brandon Pierre: Linebacker: Ole Miss Taures Payne: Defensive End: Houston Jacob Free: Quarterback: Troy Lavante Epson Jr. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. "And I'd say, 'I've played everybody on the team, Coach, what do you want me to do? Mississippi Valley State wasn't in the hunt for a national title in 1984, as its neighbors at Ole Miss and Mississippi State are today. Samuel. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited.