BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State sophomore quarterback
DeAndre Harris took over the reigns late in the second quarter after head coach
Fred T. Farrier decided to pull starter
Elijah Staley.
Harris tossed a pair touchdown passes before halftime and added a 3-yard TD scamper that would have been the game clinching score, however Florida A&M answered on a 12-yard touchdown pass with under 6 minutes left to escape with a 34-31 victory at Hughes Stadium.
Florida A&M (3-6, 2-4) overcame some early miscues – including three turnovers in the first half – to get their second conference win of the season.
Morgan State (1-7, 1-4) and FAMU made it an interesting game as both teams exchanged scores throughout the day, but key penalties and a late fourth quarter interception from redshirt sophomore Terry Jefferson sealed the Bears defeat.
Harris completed 9 of 19 passes for 149 yards and tossed two TD passes to redshirt senior Amonta Poteat. Poteat led the Bears receiving corps with seven catches for 99 yards.
FAMU's redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Stanley had an interception and a fumble in the first half, but otherwise had a solid day. He threw three touchdown passes, two to running back Ricky Henrilus and one to Rickards grad Chad Hunter, and was turnover-free in the second half.
Stanley finished the game with 17 completions on 23 attempts for 286 yards. A huge chunk of those yards came on passes to Hunter, who finished the game with six receptions for 140 yards.
Stanley's 55-yard pass to Hunter set up the game-winning score. It came right after Morgan State took its first lead of the game off an 11-play, 56-yard drive.
The Rattlers and the Bears were tied at 21 after 30 minutes, but FAMU's offense turned the ball over three times. Morgan State failed to score after all three of the Rattlers first-half turnovers, two of which came early. If MSU was able to turn those turnovers into points, the outcome of the contest would have been different.
"There's no excuses," said coach Farrier. "We lost the game."
"We had too many penalties in critical situations. If you talk about being any type of a good football team, when you play close games you have to find a way to win them."
