Justin Lawrence attempts to slow down Bulldog leading rusher Will Ford.
Boxscore
Bear Shots
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The top-ranked Bulldogs of South Carolina State took care of business on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Dawson Bulldog Stadium in front of 10,542 fans.
Malcolm Long threw four touchdown passes and OliverTre Young accounted for 313 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs beat Morgan State 37-13 Saturday for its 18th consecutive Mid –Eastern Athletic Conference win and clinched its second straight MEAC Title.
The Bears (5-5, 3-4) dropped its four straight game, while SCSU played another well-rounded game and improved to 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the conference.
William Ford, the MEAC's leading rusher last year, scored on a 19-yard screen play and Young caught a 45-yard touchdown bomb from Long to help the Bulldogs jump out to an early 14-0.
Long connected on 21-of-32 passes for 319 of the Dawgs' 448 total yards. Young led all receivers with six tackles for 166 yards.
The Bears trimmed the lead to 14-7 late in the first quarter, with Carlton Jackson scoring on a 7 yard TD scamper that capped a 9-play, 60 yard drive.
MSU shot themselves in the foot with turnovers in the second quarter.
Jackson was intercepted by Semaj Moody on the Bears opening drive of the second quarter, and the Bulldogs capitalized when Long found wideout Terrance Smith open for a 10-yard TD pass and a 21-7 lead with 7:28 left in the half. MSU's defense held the 'Dawgs to a 29-yard field goal by Blake Erikson, following a fumble deep in Bear territory by Devan James.
Erikson kicked a 24-yard field goal in the final seconds to help extend the Dawgs' lead to 27-7 at the break.
James finished with 19 carries for 65 yards (3.4 avg) and gained most of his yards in the fourth quarter.
Jackson was 12-of-19 for 100 yards and threw two interceptions. Donovan Dickerson replaced him midway in the third quarter after Jackson left the game due to injury.
MSU held the Dawgs' to 10 points in second half, but never really established an offensive rhythm, despite getting on the scoreboard when Dickerson completed his first career touchdown pass when he hit Edward Morton-Green on a 24-yard TD late in the game.
Morgan State will travel to Virginia to face the Hampton Pirates in the season-finale on Saturday, November 21. A win against Hampton would insure a winning record for the Bears.
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