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GAME TIME
The Morgan State Bears will look to return to the win column for the second straight week when they host Virginia Lynchburg on Saturday, Nov. 16. Morgan State  2-8 (2-5 MEAC) posted a 22-16 upset win against #14 North Carolina A&T State last Saturday at Hughes Stadium. Virginia Lynchburg suffered a 58-7 loss at Southern in Baton Rouge (La.) and fell to 0-8 for the season. Kickoff at Hughes Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m EST. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The game will also be broadcast on WEAA-88.9FM, HSRN.com and SiriusXM. The game will mark 'Senior Day' for Morgan State senior football players who will be competing in their last regular season as collegiate student-athletes.

GAME COVERAGE
ESPN3 |  ... Phil Schoener will call play-by-play, Emory Hunt 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.morganstatebears.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
• Virginia Lynchburg was treated as a non-countable opponent in 2015-17. The Bears played them September 19, 2015 and defeated the Dragons 61-0 at Hughes Stadium under head coach Lee Hull - recap.  


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 (2-8, First Season).
• Virginia Lynchburg – Bobby Rome (MVSU, '82), is in his second season as the Dragons head coach. Rome, former college and professional football player and native of Norfolk, joined VUL with about four years of head coaching experience. Rome was a four-year starter at UNC, where he played fullback. He graduated in 2009 and was in and out of the NFL and played in the now-shuttered United Football League, as well as the Federation of American Football of Russia league. RECORD AT VUL (2-15, Second Season).

A WIN WOULD ... 
... give Tyrone Wheatley his third win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' second consecutive win.
... mark MSU's first win against Virginia Lynchburg.
... mark MSU's first non-conference win of the season.

QUICK HITS
• The 2019 Morgan State Bears are under the leadership of first year head coach Tyrone Wheatley. 
• MSU QB DeAndre Harris (6-4, 210) had a fantastic game against #14 N.C. A&T ... The senior completed 14-of-20 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown ... He also led the Bears on the ground with 12 carries for 47 yards and a TD.
• MSU's defense held the Aggies ground attack to 129 rushing yards on 35 attempts (3.7 avg) and finished the game with eight tackles for loss and two interceptions.
• WRs Manasseh Bailey led all receivers with seven receptions for 118 yards, including a 27-yard TD catch in the second quarter.
• Senior LB Ian McBorrough ranks T-No. 1 in the MEAC in total tackles (90) ... he was named the MEAC's Defensive Player of the Week following a 12 tackle effort versus #14 N.C. A&T last Saturday.
• R-senior LB Rico Kennedy (6-3, 235) leads ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles (89), No. 3 in TFLs (13.5), and is No. 11 in sacks (4.0) ... he was recently featured in a video on ESPN's The Undefeated - watch here.
• Senior DB Carl Garnes ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in pass defenses (11) and has 43 tackles.
• Sophomore PK Nicholas O'Shea ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in field goals (11-14, .786).
• 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 DRAGONS
•  Virginia Lynchburg finished the 2018 season with an overall mark of 2-7 with wins against Brevard College (W, 16-14) and Fort Valley State (W, 31-14)
•  Head coach Bobby Rome's offense is averaging 10.1 points per game, 44.3 rushing yards and 179.3 passing yards. They have scored 9 passing TDs and zero rushing.
•  Virginia Lynchburg enters Saturday's contest coming off a 58-7 loss against the Southern Jaguars in Baton Rouge (La.) and fell to 0-8 for the season. Devon Benn took a handoff and went six yards for a touchdown to trim the Jaguars lead to make it 27-7.
•  The Dragons' offense is led by quarterback Jeffery Richardson. The 5-10, 217-pound signal-caller has completed 85-of-136 passes (63%) for 844 yards, with 6 TDs and 4 INT. 
•  RB Tomas Newman (5-10, 207) is the Bears' leading rusher with 197 yards on 81 attempts. Sherman Brown (33 att., 169 yds) and Marcus Davis (21 att, 35 yds). 
•  The Dragons' receiving corps is led by Johnny Rembert who has 34 catches for 382 yards, including a team-high five touchdowns in seven games played. Joshua Gray (15 rec. 216 yds, 2 TDs), Said Sidebe (18 rec., 176 yds) and Tomas Newman (20 rec., 141 yds, TD) will also be apart of the Dragons' aerial attack.
•   Defensively, the Dragons have been led by LB John Templar (5-10, 225) who has accounted for a team-high 58 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack. DB Marvin Grunshie has 50 tackles and two interceptions, while Khalif Harper has added 31 stops and five tackles for loss. 

KNOW THY OPPONENT
• Notable alumni:  Kevin Scott '94 - Microsoft CTO; Setsuko Thurlow '55 - Accepted Nobel Peace Prize for nuclear disarmament movement; Joan Foster - Eight Year mayor of Lynchburg, Virginia; Jim Bibby '77 - former MLB pitcher; Bob Duff - Connecticut Senate Majority Leader; Emily Brown '02 - USA Today director of platform storytelling.

VIRGINIA 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 wrap the 2019 season on the road against Beltway rival Howard on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium. The Bison are 1-9 overall and 1-5 in MEAC play with a 24-9 win at Delaware State on Sept. 21 in Dover.
• The Bears lead the overall series 43-28-1 since 1931.
• Howard posted a victory in the last meeting in Baltimore on Oct. 20, 2018. A 26-yard touchdown run by Howard running back Dedrick Parson and a two-point conversion gave the Bison a comfortable lead with 53.5 seconds remaining to defeat the Morgan State 35-26 Saturday night under windy conditions at Hughes Stadium. 
• Morgan State posted a 28-24 victory in the last meeting in Baltimore in 2016.

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.

BEARS TO HONOR ELIJAH CUMMINGS THROUGHOUT 2019-20 SEASON
Throughout the 2019-20 season, the Morgan State Bears student-athletes will celebrate the life of longtime Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings, who passed away on October 17, 2019, at the age of 68. In honor of Congressman Cummings and all of his many positive contributions to the University and his district, all Morgan State athletic teams will wear a special commemorative "EC" patch on their jerseys throughout the season. The Bears football team helmets will also be adorned with an EC decal.
• The patch is a black circle with the initials "EC" in the center in orange letters and outlined in white. 
• Congressman Cummings has a long history with Morgan State University and over the years has been one of its most staunch supporters. In addition to hosting many of his youth workshops and annual career fairs at Morgan, he also served on the University's Board of Regents for 19 years after having been appointed in July 1999 (he missed one year due to other commitments at the time). In his capacity as a Regent, he served as a member of the Board's Academic and Student Affairs Committee and chaired the Audit and Institutional Assessment Committee (Feb. 2014 to June 2019). 
• The Congressman was also very influential in supporting legislation to increase Pell Grant funding for students seeking to attend college and helped steward a partnership between Morgan and NASA.

MSU SENIORS PREPARE FOR FINAL GAME
The following is the list of the Morgan State senior football players who will be competing in their last regular season as collegiate student-athletes. These 16 seniors will be working diligently to complete their final courses so they can obtain their degree and take a step into the world as educated young men. The 2019 seniors are:

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.