Mississippi Valley State Erases a 17-point Hole in the Fourth
Seventeen points down with the third quarter nearly gone. That was Mississippi Valley State at 14-31, and they won it 38-34 anyway.
The Delta Devils got the early jump, with Josh Brown breaking a 54-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Cam'Ron McCoy hit Zyion Claville from 40 yards to tie it at 7. After Brown's 3-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen King made it 14-7, Texas Southern scored 24 straight (McCoy's 52-yard touchdown pass to Daveon Walker, two Athean Renfro Jr. runs and a Miguel Arana III field goal) and led 31-14 after Renfro's 1-yard score late in the third. Mississippi Valley State scored 24 points in the fourth quarter. Texas Southern answered with exactly one field goal.
Brown did most of it himself. A 41-yard Luka Sari field goal started it, then Brown ran in from 5 yards, then he threw a 71-yard touchdown to Dayvian Bluitt with 4:42 left to make it 31-34. The go-ahead came on a 16-yard Brown run with 42 seconds to play. He finished with three rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns, which is five scores, and he also threw two interceptions. Winning ugly counts.
The giveaways ran the other way too. Texas Southern lost two fumbles and threw no picks, while Mississippi Valley State threw two and lost none. The visitors outgained the hosts 436 yards to 340, and the hosts managed just 61 rushing yards on 27 carries. McCoy still threw for 279 yards, with his two touchdowns, and it was not enough.
Mississippi Valley State goes to 2-2. Texas Southern drops to 1-3, having led by 17.