Morgan State Notes  |     N.C. A&T Notes |    MEAC Notes |   Purchase Tickets |
 MEAC Teleconference Audio  |     GAMEDAYGuide   |  
 Facebook.com/MorganStateBears   |    @MorganStBears

GAME TIME
Morgan State will host #15 North Carolina A&T State in a conference opener for both teams on Saturday, Sept. 23. The Bears and Aggies will kick off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast by WEAA, 88.9FM. 

• The Bears enter the 2017 season under the leadership of Fred T. Farrier who had the interim tag removed and assumed the full-time position as MSU's head football coach.

• Morgan State looks to bounce back from its third consecutive shutout after suffering a 65-0 loss at Rutgers. N.C. A&T is coached by Rod Broadway, a 1977 graduate of UNC. The Aggies outlasted Charlotte 35-31 and will attempt to remain undefeated when they enter Hughes Stadium. 

THE SERIES
• Saturday marks the 78th meeting between the two schools in football.
• MSU leads the series 42-35-3 since 1930.
• The Bears were shutout 45-0 in the last meeting in Greensboro (N.C.)  in 2014.
• The Bears have won 7 of the last 9 against N.C. A&T since 2006.

A GLANCE AT THE AGGIES
•  N.C. A&T finished 2016 with an overall mark of 9-3 and a 7-1 conference record, ...The Aggies lost to N.C. Central 42-21 in the MEAC Title game on Nov. 19, 2016.
•  The Aggies' victory over Charlotte was the sixth this season by an FCS team over an FBS team.
•  Head coach Rod Broadway's (North Carolina, '77) offense is averaging 456.0 yards of total offense (166.7 rushing; 289.3 passing). They have scored 8 rushing TDs and 9 passing. A&T averages 4.5 yards per rush and 11.4 per pass, including 16.1 per catch.
•  N.C. A&T's offense is led by All-MEAC QB Lamar Raynard. The 6-4, 200-pound High Point (NC) product has completed 52-of-72 passes (72.2%)  for 842 yards, 9 TDs and 0 INT. He also has 10 carries for 69 yards and a TD...The Aggies' quarterback had a stellar first half in the win against Charlotte, completing 13 of 17 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown; The 49er defense held him to 3-of-9 for 15 yards in the second half.
•  RB Marquell Cartwright is averaging 76.3 receiving yards with three TDs. The 5-8, 201 pound redshirt-junior leads the Aggies ground game with 245 yards on 54 carries (4.5 avg) and has scored four TDs.
• Three receivers have over 100 yards receiving: Malik Wilson, 229; Elijah Bell, 190; and Jaquil Capel, 162. Bell has five TD catches. Capel, a former Charlotte 49er, is averaging 23.1 yards per catch.
• NC A&T is allowing 280.7 yards of total offense (rushing 117.7; passing 163.0). The Aggies have also forced nine turnovers (5 INT; 4 FR). Opponents are averaging 4.3 yards per play. The Aggies have recorded 28 tackles for loss.
• Franklin McCain and Jeremy Taylor are the top Aggie defenders. McCain (the reigning MEAC Defensive/Rookie of Week 3) has 23 tackles and a pair of INTs, while Taylor has 22 stops, 1.5 TFL, an INT, FF and FR. Justin Cates leads the team with three of the Aggies' 10 sacks - The Aggies' defensive tackle had a big night versus Charlotte, with three sacks and four tackles for losses.
• N.C. A&T has a dangerous return specialist in Kris Gardin.  The 5-7 speedster is leads the nation by averaging a whopping 26.9 yards per punt return, including a TD. He's also averaging 22.0 yards in kick returns.
• N.C. A&T's Tarik Cohen was selected in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He finished his college career with a MEAC record 5,619 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns, including 12 of longer than 70 yards.
• N.C. A&T currently rank among the top teams in the FCS polls. The Aggies have moved up to No. 15 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the FCS STATS Top 25.
• The Aggies are 33-15 in conference play under head coach Rod Broadway. They are 20-4 in conference play over the past three seasons with three of those losses coming to North Carolina Central and the other coming to South Carolina State.

BEARS READY TO OPEN MEAC CONFERENCE ACTION
Morgan State will begin the MEAC portion of its 2017 schedule against #15 N.C A&T on Saturday. The game marks the start of the Bears' 41st season of MEAC competition.
• The Bears have won its last three conference openers, and have are 7-3 in MEAC openers since 2007.
• Fred T. Farrier is 1-0 in MEAC openers after posting a 28-24 victory against Howard last year.
 
MORGAN STATE MEAC OPENERS
Date Opponent
9-24-16    Howard                         W, 28-24
9-19-15    vs. Howard                   W, 21-13
9-20-14    vs. Howard                   W, 38-35
9-28-13    Norfolk State                L, 21-27
9-27-12    at N.C. A&T                  W, 21-8
9-24-11    vs. Howard                   W, 14-9
9-25-10    vs. Howard                   W, 20-3
10-3-09    at Bethune-Cookman   W, 24-13
10-4-08    Bethune-Cookman       L, 27-31
9-20-07    at Hampton                  LOT, 17-24 

PRESEASON PICKS
Morgan State was picked to finish eighth (8th) to MEAC defending champion and Preseason #1 North Carolina Central and #2 North Carolina A&T.

PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
Five (5) Morgan State football players were named today to the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's preseason team, which was voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.  Senior defensive lineman Jai Franklin and redshirt senior running back Herb Walker Jr. were second-team selections. Junior defensive backs Carl Garnes and Darius Johnson were third-team picks, along with junior return specialist William King. The five preseason All-MEAC performers are part of a group of 63 lettermen and 19 starters returning for the 2017 Morgan State football season.

BEARS OPEN 119th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 119th season of football and will open the 2017 campaign under head coach Fred T. Farrier, set to enter his first year at the helm without the interim tag, and his fifth year at Morgan State.

RETURN MEN 
The 2017 Morgan State Bears return 63 letterwinners, including 17 starters - 7 on offense, 9 on defense and 1 on special teams.

CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS 
The Bears enter the 2017 season looking to post their first winning season since going 7-6 in 2014. 

NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The Bears will open the 2017 campaign against three non-conference opponents. MSU opens the season against Towson (Sept. 2) in the 'Battle for Greater Baltimore', followed by a home-opener versus  Albany (Sept. 9). The Bears round out non-conference action at Rutgers (Sept. 16).

THE 3RD ANNUAL CELEBRATION BOWL 
At stake once again for the MEAC Champion is a postseason berth to the 3rd annual Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Ga. on Dec. 16 at the brand new Mercedes Benz Stadium. North Carolina Central fell to Grambling State 10-9 in 2016. The all-time bowl series featuring the MEAC and SWAC Champions stands at 1-1.
• The Celebration Bowl, which showcases the legacy, values and traditions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, will pit the conference champion from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference against the Southwestern Athletic Conference champion. 

TALKIN' TAKEAWAYS
The Bears are determined to generate more takeaways than they did last year when they mustered 17 (ranked T-No. 5 in MEAC in turnovers gained). 
•  The Bears have posted five takeaways to open the season. They've recorded three picks and two fumble recoveries in three games.
•  MSU currently ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in turnovers gained.

NOTABLE NATIONAL NOTES
Here are a few 2017 FCS national statistics of note on offense, defense and special teams that pertained to the Bears:
• Rico Kennedy currently ranks in the T-No. 31 in the FCS in tackles for loss (5.5).
• The Bears rank No. 2 in kickoff return defense (.00).
• The Bears rank No. 7 in passing yards allowed (126.7).
• The Bears rank No. 16 in pass efficiency defense (101.15).
• The Bears rank T-No. 18 in tackles for loss (26).
• The Bears rank T-No. 30 in passes intercepted (3).
• The Bears rank No. 29 in total defense (306.7).
• The Bears rank T-No. 39 in sacks (7).
• The Bears rank T-No. 47 in sacks allowed (5)

MSU's 1967 UNDEFEATED TEAM TO BE HONORED 
Morgan State will honor members of the 1967 Undefeated CIAA Championship football team at halftime of Saturday night's game against #15 North Carolina A&T at Hughes Stadium. 
• The team compiled an 8-0 record to continue a winning streak record of 32 victories and no losses from 1964 thru 1967.
• The unbeaten 1967 team was full of big-time players. Head coach Earl Banks' team included: John "Frenchy" Fuqua, Will Brooks, George Nock, Eugene Neal, Bill Rhoden and John Small; Ed "Fast Eddie" Hayes, Mark Washington, Henry Whitaker and Ivan Harlee; also Raymond Chester, Bob Smith, Harold Bell, Willie Germany, John Sykes, Bruce Caraway, Jeff Queen and Nathaniel Scurlock. 

MSU IN THE CIAA
Morgan State was a power as a former member of the CIAA. The Bears posted 173 wins between 1929 and 1959 when Edward P. Hurt was the head coach and the Bears won 14 CIAA championships. Earl Banks added to the championship collection by winning four titles during the 1960s.

ABOUT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is celebrating its 150th year of excellence in higher education. A Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution, Morgan offers more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.