1997 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team

The 1997 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team represented Mississippi Valley State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Larry Dorsey, the Delta Devils compiled an overall record of 4–6, with a conference record of 3–5, and finished sixth in the SWAC.

1997 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Record	4–6 (3–5 SWAC)
Head coach	Larry Dorsey (8th season)
Home stadium	Magnolia Stadium
Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

1997 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 12 Southern $		8	–	0					11	–	1
No. 14 Jackson State ^		7	–	1					9	–	3
Arkansas–Pine Bluff		6	–	2					8	–	3
Texas Southern		4	–	4					5	–	6
Alcorn State		4	–	4					4	–	7
Mississippi Valley State		3	–	5					4	–	6
Alabama State		2	–	6					3	–	8
Grambling State		2	–	6					3	–	8
Prairie View A&M		0	–	8					0	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	vs. No. 17 Southern	Soldier Field Chicago, IL (Chicago Football Classic)	L 30–57	22,061	[1]
September 6	at Arkansas–Pine Bluff	Pumphrey Stadium Pine Bluff, AR	L 7–15		[2]
September 20	Alabama A&M*	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	L 8–23		[3]
September 27	at No. 19 Jackson State	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	L 31–48		[4]
October 11	at Grambling State	Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium Grambling, LA	L 13–20		[5]
October 19	at Lane*	Rothrock Stadium Jackson, TN	W 17–14		[6]
October 25	Texas Southern	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	W 13–10		[7]
November 1	at Prairie View A&M	Edward L. Blackshear Field Prairie View, TX	W 27–0		[8]
November 8	at Alcorn State	Jack Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS	L 18–23		[9]
November 15	Alabama State	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	W 34–10		[10]
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

^[11]

References

1. "Running game key to comeback". The Chicago Tribune. August 31, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Valley winless on the season". The Greenwood Commonwealth. September 7, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Valley continues to stumble out of gate". The Greenwood Commonwealth. September 21, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "JSU downs Valley, 48–31". Hattiesburg American. September 28, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Grambling holds off rally for win". The Shreveport Times. October 12, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Mississippi Valley St. squeaks past Lane". The Jackson Sun. October 20, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Second quarter big enough for Valley". The Greenwood Commonwealth. October 26, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Prairie View can't score on Devils 'D'". The Greenwood Commonwealth. November 2, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Turnovers doom Delta Devils on reservation". The Greenwood Commonwealth. November 9, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Davis-led Delta Devils dump Hornets 34–10". The Clarion-Ledger. November 16, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Mississippi Valley State Yearly Results (1995–1999)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2023.