MVSU Delta Devils try new approach

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Mississippi Valley State sophomore quarterback Paul Roberts sits on a bench after practice and takes off his helmet. Underneath is a haircut that is interesting to say the least - it's a mohawk with Roberts No. 1 shaved into the side of his head.

Look across the field and there's junior tight end Abner Brown, who also has the same strange homemade mohawk. His is complete with a spiderweb shaved into the side.

Roberts admits they both look ridiculous. He's still not quite sure what possessed them to do it.

"It seemed like a pretty good idea at the time - something to get us going for this week," Roberts said. "Coach (Willie Totten) has been treating this like a normal game. But we all sense a little something different this week."

Such is the feeling at MVSU, where the Delta Devils have tried a little bit of everything over the years to break a 12-game losing streak against rival Jackson State.

MVSU hosts Jackson State at 4 p.m. today at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena.

There's a certain amount of goofiness attached to Roberts' and Abner's mohawks, but Totten also said he appreciates the two players because it represents the loose demeanor of the team.

Instead of last year's veteran roster, the Delta Devils have a large swath of freshmen and sophomores on this team. That just might work to MVSU's advantage.

"It's impossible to walk around campus and not understand how important this game is," Totten said. "But at the same time, this is a pretty calm group. Some of the guys are so young, I'm not sure if they understand the magnitude. But that might be good, because they won't be pressing."

Freshman Ronald Brewer, who rushed for 146 yards last week against Alabama A&M, admitted he was stunned at how psyched everyone was for today's game.

"It's actually a lot of fun, but it's been pretty crazy," Brewer said. "Everywhere you go, people are talking about it. I'm not sure what I expected, but I know it's been bigger than I thought it would be."

Last year, Jackson State beat MVSU 29-24 when the Delta Devils had arguably their most talented team since the mid-1980s. Loaded with veterans, Totten hyped the game because he figured his team had the talent to finally pull off a win.

And early on, it appeared he was correct. MVSU jumped out to a 10-0 lead and beat Jackson State in almost every offensive statistic. But by the end of the night, it was the same old frustration and result.

This year, he's keeping the big game more low-key with his players. And who knows? Maybe something like a couple of mohawks will be the missing ingredient.

"There's always been some sort of jinx surrounding this game," Totten said. "For some reason Jackson State has had our number lately. Who can say what will turn the tide in our favor? We've just got to be opportunistic when we get our chances."