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GAME TIME
The Morgan State Bears will look to get in the win column when they travel to take on the Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday, Nov. 2. Morgan State fell to 1-7 (1-4 MEAC) on the year with last Saturday's 24-12 home loss to #20/23 Florida A&M. Norfolk State is 2-6 (1-3) and enter the contest fresh off a bye week a prepared for Homecoming. Kickoff at William "Dick" Price Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m EST. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The game will also be broadcast on HSRN (HSRN.com) and SiriusXM.

GAME COVERAGE
ESPN3 | Click here  ... Ross Gordon will call play-by-play, Woube Gebre will handle color analysis.

RADIO: WEAA, 88.9 FM is the flagship station for the Morgan State Bears ... Lamont Germany will call the play-by-play with Renard Stubbs in the booth. The game will be broadcast live on 88.9 FM and streamed on WEAA.org, HSRN.com and on SIriusXM 386 and 988 on the SiriusXMmobile app. 

LIVE STATS: www.nsuspartans.com | Click Here

SOCIAL NETWORKS
Fans can keep up-to-date with all MSU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/MorganStBears and @MorganStateFootball. You can also become a fan of the Bears on Facebook at Facebook.com/MorganStateBears.

TICKETS
Season ticket plans—which include a ticket to all five home games, including homecoming start at only $95. Premium seats and the football/basketball Bear Pass are both now available for purchase by calling 443.885.1522 or visiting MSU Student Center Athletics Ticket Office during business hours (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or visit morganstatebears.com/tickets.

THE SERIES
• Saturday's matchup marks the 31st time since the teams first met in 1965.
• The Spartans lead the series 28-12.
• MSU QB DJ Golatt Jr. threw  three touchdowns, and ran for a touchdown and the Bears dominated Norfolk State 44-27 on Nov. 17, 2018 in their season finale.
• NSU's last win against the Bears was in Nov. 18, 2017 when the Spartans won 45-32 at Hughes Stadium.
• The Spartans have won 11 of the last 12 meetings since 2007.

THE COACHES
•  Morgan State – Tyrone Wheatley (Michigan, '08) was announced as the Bears' 22nd head football coach on February 21, 2019 and previously spent two seasons as the running backs coach for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Wheatley also worked at Syracuse University from 2010-12, and then with the NFL's Buffalo Bills from 2013-14.  CAREER RECORD (1-7, First Season).
•  Norfolk State – Latrell Simmons (Hampton, '96), Latrell Scott had an outstanding 2-year run as head coach at Virginia State. Scott directed the Trojans to a 19-4 record and two Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Northern Division regular-season titles in his two seasons. 
NSU RECORD (18-34 5th Season), CAREER RECORD (43-43 8th Season).

A WIN WOULD ... 
... give Tyrone Wheatley his second win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' second consecutive win against NSU since a 44-27 victory at Hughes Stadium on Nov. 17, 2018.
... mark MSU's 12th win against the Spartans ... NSU would hold a 20-12 series record.

QUICK HITS
• The 2019 Morgan State Bears are under the leadership of first year head coach Tyrone Wheatley. 
• Senior backup QB DeAndre Harris (6-4, 210) completed 5-of-13 passes for 56 yards and an interception, and sophomore DJ Golatt threw for 138 yards and completed 11-of-25 passes.
• Harris ranks No. 8 in school history with 3,025 career passing yards ... he's 121 yards away from moving past Willie McGirt (3,325 yds) for No. 7.
• MSU's ground game was held to 86 rushing yards on 34 attempts (2.5 avg).
• Senior WR Manasseh Bailey grabbed a game-high six passes for 90 yards and blocked a punt for a safety against the Rattlers. 
•  WR Jordan Cofield (31 yds) and Deontaye White (19 yds) added three receptions apiece. 
• R-senior LB Rico Kennedy (6-3, 235) leads the MEAC in tackles (76; Ranks T-No. 20 in FCS), T-No. 2 in TFLs (12.0), and is T-No. 9 in sacks (3.0). 
• Senior LB Ian McBorrough was an All-MEAC First Team selection as one of the league's premier pass rushers in 2018. He ranks No. 6 in the MEAC in total tackles (65).
• Sophomore PK Nicholas O'Shea ranks T-No. 4 in the MEAC in field goals (10-13, .769).
• MSU had 25 pass completions at S.C. State -- it was the most pass completions since posting 25 vs. S.C. State in 2014.

A GLANCE AT THE SPARTANS
•  Norfolk State finished the 2018 season with an overall mark of 4-7 and was 2-5 in MEAC play. The Spartans capped the season on a 2-game losing streak, including a 52-17 loss at Liberty.
•  Head coach Latrell Scott (Hampton, 96) offense ranks No. 10 in the league averaging 372.4 yards of total offense (128.6 rushing; 243.8 passing). They have scored 12 rushing TDs and 17 passing. NSU is averaging 26.4 points per contest (No. 4 in MEAC).
•  NSU enters Saturday's contest fresh off of a bye week. Bethune-Cookman held off the Spartans 35-22 at Municipal Stadium. The loss dropped NSU to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in league play.
•  NSU's offense is led by Juwan Carter. The 6-0, 175-pound junior QB from Richmond (Va.) product has completed 145-of-235 passes (62%) for 1,859 yards (ranks No. 2), with 16 TDs and 8 INTs. He ranks No. 3 in the league in scoring with 48 points.
•  Freshman RB Kevin Johnson (50 att, 346 yds, 5TDs) will pace the Spartans' ground attack and has been named the MEAC Rookie of the Week three times this season, most recently for recording a career-high 178 all-purpose yards including two touchdowns at Bethune-Cookman.
• Freshman WR Da'Kendall James ranks among the league leaders (No. 10) with 28 catches for 394 yards (49.2 avg/c), including a 2 TDs. Justin Smith (22 rec., 404 yds, 3 TDs) will also be a main target in the passing game.
•   Defensively, NSU has been led by senior standouts SS Nhyre' Chavis (5-9, 180)  and LB Nigel Chavis (6-2, 230) who have accounted for 68 tackles each. In the trenches, redshirt junior Chris Myers (6-6, 245) has posted 23 tackles with 6 tackles for loss, five sacks and 3 QB hurries. 
• NSU is allowing 477.5 yards of total offense (rushing 2,151; passing 1,669). The Spartans have also forced 13 turnovers (6 INTs; 7 FR). Opponents are averaging 6.7 yards per play. NSU has recorded 40 tackles for loss.
• The Spartans currently rank No. 1 in the MEAC in punting (39.5 avg/p), No. 2 in 3rd down conversions (41%) and rank No. 2 in 4th down conversions (50%) and No. 3 in red zone offense (84%).
• Junior Juwan Carter  ranks leads the MEAC in total offense  by accounting for 249 yards per game.
• Senior Ryan Richter ranks No. 3 in the league in punting with a 40.1 average, including eight punts downed inside the 20.

VIRGINA CONNECTIONS
• Morgan State has a couple of connections to the state of Virginia.
Morgan State - Dallas Caporaletti (Catlett /C.D. Hylton HS); Dexter Carr (Stafford/ Colonial Forge HS); and Eric Roy (Woodbridge/C.D. Hylton HS).

A LOOK AHEAD 
• Morgan State will host North Carolina A&T State on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Hughes Stadium. 
• The teams will meet for the 83rd time since 1930. The Bears lead the series 43-36-3.
• N.C. A&T (5-2,3-1) opened the season with a 24-21 win at #21 Elon (Aug. 31). After losing to Duke (45-13), the Aggies have gone on the win four of its next five games -- losing to Florida A&M 34-31 in overtime in Tallahassee before bouncing back with a 64-6 Homecoming drubbing of Howard (Oct. 26).
• NCAT will be coming off a highly anticipated matchup with South Carolina State in Orangeburg (Nov. 2).

PRESEASON PICKED 8TH 
Morgan State was picked to finish eighth (8th) to MEAC defending champion and Preseason #1 North Carolina A&T and #2 Bethune-Cookman.
 
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
• Ten (10) Morgan State football players were named to the 2019 MEAC preseason team, which was voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.  Senior linebacker Rico Kennedy and sophomore tight end Xavier Gravette were first-team selections. Senior linebacker Ian McBorrough, junior defensive back Donte Small and junior offensive lineman Stefan Touani were second-team picks, while senior running back Josh Chase, redshirt-junior offensive lineman Bruce Trigg, redshirt-senior Dominick "D.J." Trigg and redshirt-sophomore defensive lineman Devan Hebron and sophomore Nicholas O'Shea were selected to the third-team.
• The 10 preseason All-MEAC performers are part of a group of 17 starters returning for the 2019 Morgan State football season.
 
BEARS OPEN 121st SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 121st season of football and will open the 2019 campaign under head coach Tyrone Wheatley, set to enter his first year at the helm.
 
RETURN MEN 
The 2019 Morgan State Bears return 42 letterwinners, including 17 starters - 7 on offense, 8 on defense and 2 on special teams.
 
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS 
The Bears enter the 2019 season looking to post their first winning season since going 6-5 in 2009. MSU's 7-6 record in 2014 was vacated. 
 
NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The Bears will open the 2019 campaign against three non-conference opponents. MSU opens the season against Bowling Green (Aug. 29), followed by road trips versus James Madison (Sept. 14), and Army (Sept. 21). The Bears will also host Virginia Lynchburg (Nov. 16) in a non-conference contest. 
 
BEARS OPEN 42nd SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 42nd season in the MEAC when they host North Carolina Central for the conference opener on Sept. 28.
• The Bears opened the 2018 MEAC schedule with a 21-18 loss against South Carolina State (Oct. 6) at Hughes Stadium. *Morgan State's 16-13 upset win at #4 N.C. A&T (Sept. 22) was recorded as a non-conference matchup.
• The Bears kicked off its first season in the MEAC in 1971. Morgan State withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979-80 fiscal year, before returning to the MEAC in 1984.

MSU LEGEND EARL BANKS RECIPIENT OF AFCA'S 2018 TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Earl Banks, former head coach at Morgan State University, was named the American Football Coaches Association's recipient of the 2018 Trailblazer Award. The award was presented, posthumously, at the 2019 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
• In 1960, Banks took over the head coaching position at Morgan State from 2011 Trailblazer Award winner, Edward Hurt. 
• In his 14 seasons as head coach, he would lead the Bears to six CIAA titles, one CIAA Northern Division championship and one Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. Banks had an overall record of 96-31-2 after he retired from coaching 1973 and produced three undefeated seasons from 1965 through 1967. 
• He guided Morgan State to four bowl games, winning the 1965 Orange Blossom Classic and the 1966 Tangerine Bowl. 

MSU UPGRADES HUGHES MEMORIAL STADIUM
Morgan State University's W.A.C. Hughes Memorial Stadium is currently undergoing a major overhaul of its football field and running track. 
• The $2.5 million renovation project, which began on May 28, includes the replacement of the stadium's existing field with a new premium playing surface and the upgrade to a new high-performance, all-weather track. 
• BeynonSports was selected to oversee the project and installation which is slated to be completed in time for the start of the fall football camp in early August. 
• "The latest phase of upgrades to Morgan's athletic facilities is part of our systematic approach to improving and elevating key assets that we have on campus," said Director of Athletics Edward Scott, Ph.D. "The investment in our facilities represents the University's continued commitment to providing Morgan's coaches and student-athletes with a high caliber athletic experience and the best resources available."
• The upgrade to the playing field comes at an opportune time, as new head football coach Tyrone Wheatley launches a new chapter in the program's history and seeks to field a winning team. The Bears play their first home game this season on the new field against North Carolina Central University on Saturday, September 28, 2019.

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The Bears will be joining the rest of the nation in celebrating 150 years of college football.
• As part of the celebration, Morgan State will wear 150 patches on all of its jerseys throughout the year.
• For more information on College Football turning 150, visit cfb100.org.
• Fans can also follow the celebration on social media by following @CFB100 on Twitter and Instagram and by searching CFB100 on Facebook.
• Army has been an integral part of College Football since the first Army-Navy Game on the Plain at West Point in 1890.

FOLLOW US IN CYBERSPACE 
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
• Follow us on social media:

            Facebook: /MorganStateBears
            Twitter: @MorganStBears
            Instagram: /MorganStateBears

ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering 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.