MSU seniors Devan James (34) and Justin Lawrence (36) will be playing in their final contest at Hughes Stadium.
MSU vs. Norfolk State Gamenotes
LIVE STATS
2009 MORGAN STATE FOOTBALL
Game Nine
Saturday, November 4, 2009 - 4 p.m. (ET)
Morgan State (5-3, 3-2 MEAC) vs. Norfolk State (4-4, 3-2 MEAC)
Baltimore, Md. – Hughes Stadium (10,000)
Live Coverage
Radio: WEAA Radio (88.9 FM) in Baltimore, Md. (Mark Gray (Play-by-Play) and Kelvin Bridgers (Color Analyst).
BEAR FACTS
2009 Record: 5-3 (3-2 MEAC)
Head Coach: Donald Hill-Eley
Alma Mater/Year: Virginia Union/1991
Record at Bear/Year: 41-46/8th
Career Record/Years: Same
Football SID: Leonard L. Haynes IV
Office Phone: 443-885-3831
E-Mail: lhaynesiv@aol.com
Ticket Info: 443-885-3830
SERIES FACTS
Games Played: 22
Series Record: NSU leads 11-10
First Meeting: MSU won 33-0 (1965)
Last Meeting: NSU won, 35-9 at Dick Price Stadium (Nov. 8, 2008)
Current Streak: NSU 2
Hill vs. NSU: 3-4
Setting the Scene
The Morgan State football team continues its 112th season of football on Saturday, Nov. 7 when they host Norfolk State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. The contest will mark “Senior Night” for the Bears and will be broadcast live on WEAA, 88.9FM.
The Bears (5-3) fell to third place in the MEAC as a result of a controversial 31-28 overtime ending last Saturday night against Florida A&M. Norfolk State enters this weekend's matchup coming off a 41-6 blowout home win against Howard. The Spartans improved to 4-4 overall and 3-3 in the MEAC. MSU's loss last Saturday dropped head coach Donald Hill-Eley's all-time record to 41-46 eight games into his eighth season at the helm. Hill's 41 wins since 2002, is good enough for third-best all-time record behind legendary coaches Edward P. Hurt and Earl. C. Banks. Kick-off is slated for 4:00 p.m. (EST). The game will be streamed LIVE on the internet at MorganStateBears.com.
Series Notes: MSU and Norfolk State meet for the 22nd time ... The two schools are 220 miles apart from each other... NSU leads the series 11-10 and will attempt to win for the third consecutive time against the Bears ... MSU will attempt to avenge a disappointing 35-9 loss in Norfolk on November 8, 2008 ... The last time the Bears defeated NSU was on Nov. 4, 2006 at Dick Price Stadium (29-20) ... During the 2008 matchup, RB Devan James was limited to 69 yards on 15 carries and the Bears turned the ball over seven times ... The Bears recorded a 33-0 shutout win in the first meeting against NSU in 1965 ... Donald Hill-Eley has a 3-4 record against NSU, and a 1-3 record against coach Pete Adrian since he was named MSU's head coach in 2002 ...
BEARS VS. SPARTANS BATTLES
This week's game between Morgan State and Norfolk State will mark the 22nd time the two teams will meet on the gridiron. NSU holds an 11-10 edge in the series and have won two of the last three, including 3 of the last 4. The Bears were blasted 35-9 in their last meeting at Dick Price Stadium on Nov. 8, 2008. Under coach Hill, the Bears have posted a 3-4 record against the Spartans, including a 1-2 mark at Hughes Stadium. The last time MSU defeated the Spartans was during a 29-20 victory in Norfolk on Nov. 4, 2006.
NOVEMBER CHALLENGES
The Bears have played 19 football games in the month of November under head coach Donald Hill-Eley, posting an 9-10 (.473 pct.) record.
HOME NUMBERS
MSU has been tough to beat in the friendly confines of renovated Hughes Stadium since the start of the 2001 season. The Bears have gone 23-17 (.575) at home under the Don Hill-Eley since 2002, including a 3-1 home record for 2009.
DEVAN JAMES RETURNING TO FORM
All-MEAC RBDevan James started for the first time this season in the Bears win against Towson and tallied 81 yards on 19 carries, scored his first TD of the season against N.C. A&T, and posted a season-best 133 yards on 20 carries vs. Florida A&M. He currently ranks No. 4 in school history with 2,227 career rushing yards. James suffered an abdominal strain during the preseason.
UP NEXT
MSU will travel to face #10 South Carolina State for a MEAC matchup on Saturday, November 14, 2009. Kickoff is set for 1:30 pm ET at Dawson Bulldog Stadium in Orangeburg, S.C. The game will mark the 24th meeting between the teams since 1971. SCSU leads the series 27-5-1, and hammered the Bears 32-0 during last season's matchup at Hughes Stadium.
