1981 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team

1981 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Record	4–6–1 (2–4 SWAC)
Head coach	Archie Cooley (2nd season)
Home stadium	Magnolia Stadium
Seasons ←  1980 1982  →

1981 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 4 Jackson State $^	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	1
Grambling State	4	–	1	–	1			6	–	4	–	1
Texas Southern	3	–	2	–	1			4	–	5	–	1
Alcorn State	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Mississippi Valley State	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Southern	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Prairie View A&M	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1981 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team represented Mississippi Valley State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by second-year head coach Archie Cooley, the Delta Devils compiled an overall record of 4–6–1, with a conference record of 2–4, and finished tied for fifth in the SWAC.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 5	Morris Brown *	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	W 20–14		[1]
September 12	at Alabama A&M *	Milton Frank Stadium Huntsville, AL	L 13–35		[2]
September 19	Arkansas–Pine Bluff *	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	T 23–23		[3]
September 26	vs. No. 4 Jackson State	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	L 0–42		[4]
October 3	Southern	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	W 21–16	9,315	[5]
October 10	at North Carolina A&T *	Aggie Stadium Greensboro, NC	W 17–7		[6]
October 17	at Grambling State	Grambling Stadium Grambling, LA	L 0–35		[7]
October 24	Texas Southern	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	W 21–14		[8]
October 31	at Prairie View A&M	Edward L. Blackshear Field Prairie View, TX	L 6–8		[9]
November 7	at Alcorn State	Henderson Stadium Lorman, MS	L 14–24		[10]
November 14	at Alabama State *	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	L 0–17		[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

^[12]

References

1. "Mississippi Valley jumps on Morris Brown early, wins 20–14". The Atlanta Constitution. September 6, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Ala. A&M 35, Miss. Valley 13". The Clarion-Ledger. September 13, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Valley 23, Ark. Pine Bluff 23". Hattiesburg American. September 20, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Delta Devils fall 42–0 to JSU". The Greenwood Commonwealth. September 27, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Miracle...Cooley's prayer answered in 21–16 Valley win". The Clarion-Ledger. October 4, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Fumbles, penalties kill Aggies". News and Record. October 11, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Grambling has an easy day against Valley". The Clarion-Ledger. October 18, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Homecoming victory important for Devils". The Greenwood Commonwealth. October 25, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Prairie View nips Mississippi Valley, 8–6". Victoria Advocate. November 1, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Adversity...Alcorn State overcomes penalties, turnovers and Mississippi Valley State". The Clarion-Ledger. November 8, 1981. Retrieved April 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
11. "ASU rips Miss. Valley". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 15, 1981. Retrieved August 20, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Mississippi Valley State Yearly Results (1980–1984)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2023.