Chicago Football Classic: MVSU Delta Devils 10, Alabama State Hornet 3

Mississippi Valley tips Alabama State 10-3

Chris Mitchell's pass floated through the evening sky toward Robert Childers. There was no time left to play Saturday night, and an announced crowd of 46,000 for the 12th annual Chicago Football Classic at Soldier Field collectively held its breath. Alabama State's Childers leaped high and got his hands on the ball. If he had come down with it, the Hornets could have sent the game to overtime. Instead, as the ball bounded away, Mississippi Valley State was a 10-3 winner in dramatic and improbable fashion.

The Delta Devils (1-2, 1-0 South Western Athletic Conference) had been outscored in their first two games 88-7. No wonder they charged the field and celebrated like they had just won a national title. "I couldn't watch the last drive," said Mississippi Valley quarterback Paul Roberts, who completed 20 of 34 passes for 210 yards and the game's lone touchdown. "One of my teammates standing next to me asked me what I was doing, and I said I didn't want to watch. After I heard my side cheering, that's when I knew it was good news."

Valley gets first win of the year

Paul Roberts threw for 210 yards and the game's only touchdown as Mississippi Valley State defeated Alabama State 10-3 here Saturday in the Chicago Football Classic. Roberts' 44-yard TD pass to Paul Cox with 9:53 remaining in the second quarter broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Delta Devils (1-2, 1-1 Southwestern Athletic) their first win of the season. Rahmod Traylor finished with 91 yards rushing for the Hornets (3-1, 0-1) who lost despite outgaining Mississippi Valley State 363-263 in offensive yards.

After the teams combined to score on three of their first five possessions, the game turned into a defensive struggle. Alabama state put together a solid drive in last two minutes, moving the ball 63 yards on nine plays, but Chris Mitchell's final pass fell incomplete and time ran out with the ball on Mississippi Valley State's 20-yard line.

Attendance: 42,600 @Soldier Field, Lake Forest, IL

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On flip side of NFL glory, 'Rock' Dillon strives for his shot

Glenn Rogers stood at the center of 35 football players and rattled through his list. He told them to form a line, sign the waiver and pay the $80 fee. He advised those who were still in college that they would be forfeiting any remaining eligibility if they participated in this scouting combine for the Canadian Football League.

"We got three scouts here, all right?" said Rogers, an assistant coach at Memphis University School and former CFL player. "You impress them enough, they'll want to talk to you about a contract. Or they'll want to get your information. Who knows? They might want to sign a guy on the spot."

Ronald "Rock" Dillon played strong safety and linebacker for Alabama State. He was a two-time all-SWAC first-team selection, and his late interception against Southern clinched the 2004 SWAC championship.

This piece of information rippled through the pool of candidates two weeks ago at MUS, where the late-morning sun bounced molten heat off the artificial turf: professional contracts, there for the taking. Sweat ran in thick streams down the players' necks, soaking jerseys that bore the logos of teams familiar and obscure. They hailed from Lane College and Ole Miss, Lambuth and Cincinnati, athletes hopeful and hopeless, fresh out of college or several seasons removed, all bound by desire.

Ronald "Rock" Dillon began to stretch. The Southwestern Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year as a senior linebacker at Alabama State in 2004, Dillon had spent the past five years drifting through professional football's minor leagues, scrambling for opportunities, searching for roster spots, determined to crush his reputation of being too small, too slow -- words that continued to trail him like exhaust. At 26, he knew his window was closing.

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QB surprise emerges from ASU scrimmage

Photo: Sophomore QB Brandon Dowdell, 6-3/190, Opelika, AL, had a break-out scrimmage on Saturday for the Hornets.

Reggie Barlow studied the forecast almost as closely as he did his playbook late Friday night. The ASU head football coach knew that Saturday morning's scheduled scrimmage -- the last before the Black & Gold game -- was vital to his team staying on track in preparing for the fall.

After considering pushing back the time, or canceling it altogether, Barlow and the Hornets boarded the buses and made the quick trek to Cramton Bowl for a spirited scrimmage that featured big plays from and unlikely source.

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Alabama State's NCAA case still ongoing

The longest NCAA rules investigation in history still has no definite end in sight.

Alabama State's rules infraction case, which began when the school submitted a self-report to the NCAA in July 2003, is still ongoing, with an investigator requesting an interview in the case within the last month. In the meantime, the three coaches at the heart of the investigation have new college jobs, several key figures have passed away and a mountain of paperwork in the case continues to grow by the day.

"Honestly, this case might not be wrapped up in a year or a year and a half," said Montgomery attorney Don Jackson, who has represented several witnesses in the case and reviewed numerous documents. "If (the NCAA) sent out a notice of allegations (the next step in the process) next week, you're still looking at this case not going before the NCAA Committee on Infractions for a hearing until February at the earliest."

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