MSU Gamenotes
GAME TIME
The Bears, who are tied for first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, take on Delaware State on Saturday (Oct. 29) at Alumni Stadium. Both teams are coming off of a bye weekend. The Hornets' fell at N.C. A&T in their last contest (42-24), and will attempt to snap a 5-game losing streak when they host the Bears for Homecoming. MSU will try to make it three wins in a row following a 52-3 rout at N.C. Central during last week's Homecoming festivities. Game time at Alumni Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. and there will be a live radio broadcast of the game on WEAA, 88.9 FM.
THE BEAR-HORNETS MATCHUP
• The Bears and Hornets will meet for the 54th time in history ... Morgan leads the series 30-23.
• During their last matchup, MSU QB Delonte “Smoke” Williams had three touchdowns -- two of them returned for touchdowns -- and was sacked three times. But he also led the Bears on an 8-play, 85 yard drive and threw a 34-yard TD pass to
Tyrone Hendrix with 20 seconds on the clock at Hughes Stadium before a Homecoming crowd of 14,312.
• The last time the two teams met in Dover was on October 24, 2009. DSU QB Anthony Glaud threw two touchdown passes in his return to the lineup and the Hornets intercepted three passes, one returned for a touchdown in a 35-22 victory on Saturday afternoon during DSU's Homecoming. The loss snapped the Bears' 5-game winning streak, the school's longest in 30 years. The Bears finished the season with a 6-5 record.
• MSU has not won at Delaware State since October 25, 2003 when they dropped the Hornets 53-36.
QUICK HITS
• True freshman
Seth Higgins completed 13-of-18 passes for 156 yards and tossed two TDs against N.C. Central and was selected as MEAC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season.
•
Seth Higgins connected with a season-high nine (9) different receivers.
• Senior DE
Zary Stewart collected five tackles, including one of the Bears' five sacks of the day.
• The win against N.C. Central marked Coach Hill's 50th career victory.
• Junior RB
Travis Davidson finished with a game-high 142 yards and scored three TDs, including a 49-yarder against N.C. Central.
MSU LEADS MEAC, RANKED T-No. 1 IN TO MARGIN
One of the positives of season has been MSU's ability to take care of the football as the Bears have turned the ball over nine times (3 fumbles, 7 interceptions) and have gained 22 turnovers (12 fumbles, 10 interceptions). MSU
ranks No. 1 in the MEAC in turnover margin at plus-1.71 per game. The Bears also
rank T-No. 3 in the FCS in turnovers gained (22).
DELAWARE STATE NOTES
• The Hornets started off its 2011 season with new head coach
Kermit Blount. This is Blount's 18 season as a head coach, and was previously the head coach at Winston-Salem State for 17 seasons where he accumulated a record of 91-87-3.
• DSU senior running back
Jashaawn Jones (Asbury Park, N.J.) is the only other Hornet to earn pre-season All-MEAC First Team recognition. Jones ranked fourth in the MEAC with 724 rushing yards in 2010. He currently leads the Hornets with 226 yards on 78 carries (2.9 avg), including two touchdowns.
• DSU junior wide receiver
Justin Wilson (Windsor, Conn.) was selected as the 2011 MEAC preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Justin is currently ranked third in the conference in receptions per game (5.5) and ranks third on the team in receiving yards (30 rec., 320 yds), behind
Travis Tarpley (34 rec., 357 yds) and
Darius Jackson (33 rec., 346 yds).
• Redshirt-junior quarterback
Nick Elko (6-2, 210, Odenton, Md.) has completed 149-of-265 passes for 1,440 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in passing average (205.7 avg), has completed 56.2 percent of his passes and has also thrown a league-high 11 interceptions.
• DSU ranks last in both scoring offense in the MEAC (15.3 ppg) and total offense (238 ypg).
NEXT UP
After Saturday's contest the Bears will travel to Daytona (Fla.) for a conference matchup against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats ... Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on November 5 at Municipal Stadium.
