Morgan State Announces 2008 Football Schedule - Morgan State University Athletics

2008 Football Schedule

BALTIMORE, Md. - The 2008 Morgan State Bears prepare for another challenging schedule under 7th year head coach Donald Hill-Eley. The Bears' season will include 7 road games and 5 games at Hughes Stadium. (Some game times have yet to be announced.)

Morgan State will open the 2008 season on the road and finish the year off with two games at home. The Bears will start the season by playing against two of their three non-conference foes of 2008.

"We are excited about the challenge of 12 consecutive games in a row, said Hill, " and the opportunity to play a BCS Bowl Championship team (Rutgers)."

"We will continue to prepare this summer."

The Bears will usher in the 2008 season against Towson at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 6 for the season opener. Towson finished 3-8 last season and defeated the Bears in 2007 by a score of 28-21 at Hughes Stadium.

The Bears will host North Carolina Central for Prince Hall Day on Saturday, Sept. 13. This will be the 13th meeting between the schools since 1971. N.C. Central, (formerly a Division II member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) is in the process of going through reclassification as a Division I-AA program and finished 6-4 last season as an Independent member of Division I-AA. N.C. Central played games against two MEAC opponents in 2007 and will play three in 2008.

The Bears will go on the road in Week Three on Saturday, Sept. 20, when they play the Winston-Salem State Rams at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. Morgan State lost to the Rams 19-17 at Hughes Stadium in their inaugural match-up in 2007.

Morgan State will take on the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers on Saturday, Sept. 27. It will mark the third meeting between the two teams since 1971. The Scarlet Knights hold a 2-0 record against the Bears. Kick-off will take place in New Brunswick, N.J. at Rutgers Stadium.

Donald Hill-Eley returns to Baltimore on Saturday, Sept. 20 when Morgan State plays the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Hughes Stadium. The game will mark the Varsity “M” Letterman's Day and the Harlow Fullwood Youth Day. The Wildcats own a 15-7 lead in the series, but the Bears have won the last two games. Bethune-Cookman suffered its worst loss in the series in 2007 when they suffered a 33-9 loss in Daytona during the Wildcats Homecoming celebrations.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, the Bears and Aggies of North Carolina A&T will meet for the 74th time, this time in Greensboro, NC. Last season, Morgan State defeated A&T 22-17 in Baltimore and now holds a 37-33-3 lead in the series. The last time Morgan State played at A&T, the Bears came away with an impressive 32-0 victory during A&T's Homecoming festivities.

The Bears travel down the Beltway to Washington D.C. to face conference rival Howard and 2nd year head coach Carey Bailey on Saturday, Oct. 18. Morgan State has a 36-24-1 lead in the series and has won five of the last six games, including three straight since 2005. The Bison finished 4-7 in 2007 after going 5-6 the year before.

The defending MEAC champs Delaware State comes to Baltimore on Saturday, Oct. 25. The Hornets powered their way through the MEAC by posting a 10-2 record in 2007 and played in the first round of the Division I-AA Playoffs. Morgan State holds a 28-22 series advantage, however the Hornets under the leadership of Al Lavan, have defeated the Bears in the last three matchups, including a controversial 25-17 win in Dover in 2007.

The Bears will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 1 when they travel to Tallahassee to face Florida A&M and new head coach Joseph Taylor. The Rattlers hold a commanding 16-3 record in the series that started in 1943. The Bears shocked Florida A&M with a 14-12 win at Hughes Stadium in 2007 snapping the Rattlers' 11-game winning streak against Morgan State.

Morgan State remains on the road when they travel to Norfolk, Va. on Saturday, Nov. 8 to face one of the surprise teams of 2007 in Norfolk State. Last year, the Spartans defeated the Bears 24-16 in the final home game of 2007. Norfolk State finished last season 8-3 and finished 2nd place in the MEAC. Norfolk State leads the series 11-10, and Donald Hill-Eley holds a 3-3 record against the Spartans.

South Carolina State travels to Baltimore on Saturday, Nov. 15 to face the Bears at Hughes Stadium. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated the Bears in the final game of the season 28-21 in an overtime thriller in Orangeburg, S.C. South Carolina State finished 3rd in the MEAC with a 7-4 record. This will only be the 33rd matchup between the two schools, and South Carolina State holds a 26-5-1 lead in the series. Bulldogs head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough holds a 5-1 record against the Bears and suffered his only defeat during Donald Hill-Eley's first season at the helm of Morgan State in 2002.

Morgan State will finish the regular season at home against perennial MEAC power Hampton on Saturday, Nov. 22. Last year the Bears pushed Hampton to the limit before falling 24-17 in overtime at Armstrong Stadium in an ESPNU televised game. Morgan State leads the series 35-20-2, and the Pirates have won five in a row since 2003. The last time Morgan State defeated Hampton was in 2002 during Donald Hill-Eley's first season as head coach of the Bears.

Season tickets can be purchased by calling 443-885-1522 or 443-885-3830.

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