30 years later: Alcorn-Valley unforgotten
Posted on: September 19,2014
Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State will play a football game at Itta Bena Saturday.
Cleveland
That’s what was supposed to happen 30 years ago next month.
It did not. What happened was something else entirely, something so grand, so magnificent that 30 years later people still talk about it.
As the public address announcer said that day: “Welcome to the game of the week, the game of the month, the game of the year, the game of the decade, the game of the century…”
It was something…
Thirty years later, Alcorn State alumni will host a celebration of the game the night of Oct. 16 at your Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. It should be something, too…
A short history lesson is in order for younger fans.
In the fall of 1984, both Alcorn, coached by the venerable Marino “The Godfather” Casem, and Mississippi Valley State, coached by the flamboyant Archie “The Gunslinger” Cooley, were both enjoying historic, landmark seasons.
Both were undefeated, with Valley and its high-powered offense, drawing national attention and Alcorn, with Casem’s traditionally excellent defense, winning week after week.
In early October, I wrote a column in the Jackson Daily News looking forward to their Nov. 4 showdown at Itta Bena. It was too big for the venue I wrote. There was no way the stadium at Itta Bena could handle the masses who would want to attend that game. I proposed moving the game to Jackson and Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, which would hold 50,000 more people.
Problem was, there was a doubleheader scheduled for the The Vet on Nov. 4. So I asked Hall of Famer Barney Poole, then the stadium’s manager, if there was a rule against playing on Sunday. He said not so far as I knew.
So I proposed playing it on Sunday afternoon. It would be, I suggested, the biggest payday in the history of either school.
Both schools went for it. And that’s what happened. And, oh my goodness, what a spectacle it was!
The announced crowd was 63,808 in a stadium that sat officially held around 62,000. Even the aisles were populated. And that was despite the fact the game was televised statewide (and dominated the NFL games in TV ratings that day.)
The game story from the Sunday New York Times follows:
•••
ALCORN STATE TRIUMPHS, 42-28
JACKSON, Miss., Nov. 4— Perry Qualls got five touchdowns, including the go-ahead one with 1 minute 51 seconds to play, in Alcorn State’s 42-28 victory over Mississippi Valley State in a showdown of Southwestern Athletic Conference unbeaten teams today.
Qualls scored on runs of 1, 9, 5 and 3 yards, and caught a 10-yard scoring pass from Richard Myles, as Alcorn State raised its record to 7-0, including 4-0 in the conference.
Mississippi Valley (7-1, 3-1), ranked No. 1 in Division I-AA and averaging 64 points a game, fell behind by 28-7, but scored 21 straight points in the third quarter and early in the fourth on quick drives.
A crowd of 63,808 saw the game, which was originally scheduled for Saturday in Mississippi Valley’s 10,000-seat stadium at Itta Bena. The date and site were changed because of spectator interest.
Qualls, a 5-foot-9-inch, 191-pound junior, finished with 211 yards in 37 carries.
Led by the defensive back Isac Holt, Alcorn State stymied Mississippi Valley’s passing offense, which had averaged 550.4 yards. Holt picked off Willie Totten’s pass with 16 seconds to play and ran 29 yards for the insurance touchdown.
Totten, who went into the game with 43 touchdown passes on the season, completed 26 of 52 passes (four interceptions) for 383 yards, including touchdowns of 14 and 35 yards. He also ran a yard for a touchdown.
Myles finished with 16 of 30 for 306 yards, including 219 in the first half.
•••
That may be the only game story of Jerry Rice’s career that did not include the words: Jerry Rice.
Rice caught several passes but was covered game-long by future NFL star Isaac Holt. Valley fans will tell you Holt held Rice on every play. Alcorn fans will tell you it was simply great defense. Highlights of the game will be shown and viewers can decide for themselves.
The event — Gentlemen of the Gridiron: Thirty Years After “The Game” — is being hosted by the Alcorn State Alumni Association. Many of the game’s main characters are expected to attend. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. Click here to purchase tickets.
The game is available on the MVSUSports Youtube channel.
I was on the sideline as a tumbler (not a cheerleader). I think I spent more time watching the game than I did tumbling. I also saw the cornerback that was covering Rice kept holding Rice’s jersey. I was losing my mind trying to get the ref to see it. Then Rice did the smart thing by cutting his route off and pulling the guy’s hand away from him that was holding his jersey. The ref had no choice but to call it then. It was too obvious that the DB was holding.
I was at that game! Doug Munn, Scotty english, Joe Paul, Nena Brister Carmody and a few others went and sat a few rows from the top. It’s a good story how that came about…but, what a game! Cooley, Totten, Rice…wow.
I was a freshmen in college at MVSU. I was in the band and we couldn’t get into the stands until the second quarter. Traffic was horrible! One hell of a game and has never seen that many people in my life since.
Paul,
I remember, I was so scared to get off the bus, after seeing the crowd as we travelled from HWY 55, the crowd saw the buses, comindg down the hill off Woodrow Wilson. The buses were named HOGS, 1,2,,3,4,5,6! We were over 500 strong bringing the band in, Jesus, it was crazy coming TN to the stadium, my goodness it was an awesome feeling being apart of history!!
I was at that game! I remember the traffic and the crowd that day. So glad I wasn’t the one driving! Despite all of that, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Never had seen so many people in my life. Valley had a powerhouse team that year and it was an exciting season. I attended many of their games that year. Great memories!
Drove a whole carload from Poplarville Ms to see that game even though I had attended Jackson State University. It was ironic to see Perry Qualls do the same thing to Valley (whom I was rooting for) as he had done to my little hometown High School football team, The Poplarville Hornets a few years earlier in the inaugural year of high school playoffs in Mississippi . I can remember one of our local radio announcers commented during that game, ” it must be a whole covey of them Qualls out there ” !!
I play for mvsu I was #93
I was going to valley at the time what a heart breaker
I was going to valley at the time what a heart breaker still luv the valley
i attended the game that sunday i believe it was closer to 70,000 there . awesome game.i i finished school at alcorn told everyone that the gunslinger had not met the godfather and that holt would be like white on rice
This game will always be the one for the ages. As a former basketball player at Miss Valley the memories still linger leading up to this game. The campus was on high alert and press coverage everywhere. What a time to be part of our Valley family.
Those were the days!
I was at that game, l was a student at Alcorn tto this day one of the best college games ever. JERRY WHO? Holt was on him like a glove
It still hurts… We will never know the true result of the greatest game ever played in Mississippi history !!
Instinct Classic: Like the announcer said, “Welcome to the game of the week, the game of the month, the game of the year, the game of the decade, the game of the century…”Should have already been made into a movie, documentary, instinct classic, 30 For 30, A Football Life, Where Are They Now, or something along those lines. One of Mississippi greatest sports moments. Geaux Braves. R.I.P. Perry Qualls.
When I met Perry Qualls, his sister was telling me how her brother played at Alcorn. She went on to say how good he was, I couldn’t believe it. I had to Google his name and Alcorn State University to be amazed. Perry never talked about it but this guy was awesome. Thank God for the Internet. R.I.P. Perry Joe Qualls
It was an instinct classis, like the announcer said that day: “Welcome to the game of the week, the game of the month, the game of the year, the game of the decade, the game of the century…” A movie, documentary, instinct classic, 30 for 30, A football Life, Where Are They Now or something along those lines. Possibly the greatest sporting events in Mississippi History. First college game ever played on a Sunday, and beat NFL in TV ratings. Geaux Braves. R.I.H. Perry Qualls
Sadly the star of this game, Perry Qualls, passed away last week.
http://www.msnewsnow.com/clip/12929638/legendary-alcorn-state-rb-perry-qualls-passes-away?autostart=true
I played in that game #88 Hamp. It was more than a game. The year before Alcorn finished 8-2. We only lost 2 starters on the team for the following year, a middle linebacker (the great Marlon Expose) and a running back (the savy Ray Vaughn). Why the SWAC ranked us so low in the poles for the following season, I have no idea. We, the team, can back in 84 prepared to win it all, Destiny. One by one, we played opponents for a title shot to be champions. That team grew up together. It was a balanced team. We played together as a unit. Valley, the Ton of Fun, Rice (All World), Totten, the Gunslanger. The two opposing brothers Coach Thomas. We had The Godfather, Coach Brown, etc… We had a quarterback that was our Tom Brady, an offensive line that was seasoned. We had a defense that was like a stone wall and backs could man up with the best. Oh yeah and that guy Holt (AKA Tight), Moon, Mack, Flee, etc… Those guys were awesome. The Alcorn Team of 84 was Greatness! As in life, it is hard to replicate such a gathering of togetherness. The 84 Alcorn Football Team deserves to be in the school Hall of Fame. I drew up right down the road from Valley in Isola. But it was Alcorn who gave me a home for success. We never doubted our ability to win the game thou we respected the Valley and its talents. For all those who have passed on from those teams, R.I.P.
I was at my neighbor’s house, Mr. Green Thomas where lots if the neighnorhood kids watvhed the game. It was so exciting – in fact, I attended Alcorn a couple years later. I am a sports fanstic so to relive this will be an exciting yet historical moment for many.
Susie Landiwn Clarke
To the tumbler on the sideline that said Rice was being held. No true.