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Valley working on production in red zone
By:Bill Burrus, Sports Editor 03/31/2005
With a wealth of experience back on the gridiron, Mississippi Valley State is trying to fine-tune its offense and defense during spring drills.
"We've got pretty much everybody back, so our biggest concern this spring is working in the red zone on offense and defense," said MVSU coach Willie Totten, who has 10 starters returning on defense and nine on offense. "We finished last year ranked fourth in the SWAC in total offense and total defense, so we did some good things, but we didn't finish. "We had the ball 21 times in the red zone but scored just six times, getting stopped by the defense, turning the ball over or missing field goals.
"We've gone back and looked at our tendencies on both sides of the ball in the red zone, and we've made some adjustments."
Valley started spring practice last week and is scheduled to conclude things April 9 with a spring game.
Valley is coming off a disappointing 3-8 season, but the expectations for the 2005 season will be high with so many starters coming back.
Totten is excited about what quarterback Aries Nelson, a Mississippi State transfer, will do next season now that he has a year at Valley under his belt after earning the SWAC Newcomer of the Year honors last season.
Nelson left Mississippi State for Valley just prior to the start of the 2004 season and quickly moved into the starting lineup. He completed 116-of-226 passes (a 43.6 completion rate) for 1,733 yards with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
"The talent is there. The main thing for him is polishing himself as a quarterback and learning the rest of the system," Totten said. "We're expecting him to really develop into something special for us."
MVSU opens the 2005 season Sept. 3 at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but Totten says there is a chance that game might be moved to Chicago.
?Greenwood Commonwealth 2005
By:Bill Burrus, Sports Editor 03/31/2005
With a wealth of experience back on the gridiron, Mississippi Valley State is trying to fine-tune its offense and defense during spring drills.
"We've got pretty much everybody back, so our biggest concern this spring is working in the red zone on offense and defense," said MVSU coach Willie Totten, who has 10 starters returning on defense and nine on offense. "We finished last year ranked fourth in the SWAC in total offense and total defense, so we did some good things, but we didn't finish. "We had the ball 21 times in the red zone but scored just six times, getting stopped by the defense, turning the ball over or missing field goals.
"We've gone back and looked at our tendencies on both sides of the ball in the red zone, and we've made some adjustments."
Valley started spring practice last week and is scheduled to conclude things April 9 with a spring game.
Valley is coming off a disappointing 3-8 season, but the expectations for the 2005 season will be high with so many starters coming back.
Totten is excited about what quarterback Aries Nelson, a Mississippi State transfer, will do next season now that he has a year at Valley under his belt after earning the SWAC Newcomer of the Year honors last season.
Nelson left Mississippi State for Valley just prior to the start of the 2004 season and quickly moved into the starting lineup. He completed 116-of-226 passes (a 43.6 completion rate) for 1,733 yards with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
"The talent is there. The main thing for him is polishing himself as a quarterback and learning the rest of the system," Totten said. "We're expecting him to really develop into something special for us."
MVSU opens the 2005 season Sept. 3 at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but Totten says there is a chance that game might be moved to Chicago.
?Greenwood Commonwealth 2005
