RB William DeShazo was on top of his game gaining 249 all-purpose yards.
Boxscore
William DeShazo rushed for a career-high 132 yards with two touchdowns and accounted for 249 yards of total offense as Morgan State handed Savannah State a, 45-14, loss in front of 2,501 Tiger fans at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.
Morgan State (5-4, 3-3 MEAC) remains on track to finish with its first back-to-back winning season since the early 70’s, while Savannah State (0-9) continues to struggle.
It was the third time the teams were match-up against each other, and Morgan now holds a 3-0 record versus the Tigers since 2000.
The Bears had 27 first downs, compared to Savannah State’s 11, and only had two punts during the entire game.
Morgan State wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. On its first drive quarterback Bradshaw Littlejohn threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to wideout Tommie Manus. Morgan’s extra point attempt went wide of the goal posts as the Bears held an early 6-0 lead with 11:06 remaining in the 1st.
Antoine Elder scored the Bears next two touchdowns, the first coming on an off-tackle play in which he darted 22-yards for a score. The senior’s second TD was a 2-yard plunge to push the Bears’ lead to 21-0 at the end of the 1st quarter.
Elder completed the 1st quarter with 9 carries for 54 yards, and finished the game with a career-high 90 yards.
The Tigers began showing signs of life after an errant LeJominick Washington pass was picked-off by Kelvin Cone and returned 49 yards to the Morgan 27. On the Tigers ensuing possession quarterback Clyde Tullis tossed a 27-yard TD strike to Marcus Harris. Kyle McCrey’s extra point left Savannah trailing 21-7.
Morgan defensive back Sean Garris stepped in front of a Tullis pass at mid-field to help set-up the Bears’ final touchdown of the half as his team put together a 6-play, 49-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown trot by William DeShazo. The Bears left the field at the break with a commanding 28-7 lead.
The Tigers broke the scoring ice in the second half with an 11-play, 80-yard drive. Tiger running back Ontreal Bowers bulled into the endzone from 2 yards out to cut the Bears’ lead to 28-14 with 7:17 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Morgan responded with 17 unanswered points.
All-MEAC kicker Jon Voroshilin chipped in a 25-yard field goal toward the end of the 3rd quarter. William DeShazo sprinted in from 3 yards out for his second TD of the day, and LeJominick Washington ended Morgan’s scoring with an electric 17-yard TD run as Tiger fans began making their way to the exits.
Tommie Manus had another big day for the Bears. The junior JUCO transfer completed the contest with a career-high 146 receiving yards, and tied the school record, set by Mike Holston (1980), by grabbing 12 receptions. The 6-6, 230 wideout set a new record by notching nine catches in a half.
Bradshaw Littlejohn completed the day 12-of-25 passes for 170 yards and an interception.
Morgan’s All-MEAC linebacker Albert Gamble, who has been moved to defensive end, had 2 sacks and two forced fumbles as the Bears defense harassed Savannah State’s quarterbacks throughout the game. Vincent Brown and Sean Garris finished with a team-high 7 tackles, and Garris had 2 interceptions.
Morgan’s offensive line was impressive. It carved holes for its running backs and provided pass protection to that enabled the Bears to rack up a whopping 482 yards of total offense.
The Bears will put its 3-game winning streak to the test next Saturday when they host non-conference opponent Maine at Hughes Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
