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GAME TIME
The Morgan State Bears will look to cap the season in the win column for the third straight week when they face the Howard Bison on Saturday, Nov. 23. Morgan State  3-8 (2-5 MEAC) posted a 59-26 win against Virginia Lynchburg last Saturday at Hughes Stadium. Howard suffered a 39-7 loss at Florida A&M in Tallahassee (Fla.) and fell to 1-10 (1-6 MEAC) for the season. Kickoff at Greene 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.

GAME COVERAGE
ESPN3 |  ... Charlie Neal will call play-by-play, Henry Frazier 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 SiriusXM mobile 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
• Saturday's matchup marks the 73rd meeting between the two schools.  
• The Bears lead the overall series 43-28-1 since 1931.
• Morgan State's last win against the Bison was a 28-24 victory at Hughes Stadium on Sept. 24, 2016.
• The Bears fell 35-26 in last year's matchup at Hughes Stadium on Oct. 20, 2018.
• Morgan State's last win at Greene Stadium was on Oct. 13, 2007 in a 36-33 overtime thriller against Howard.

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 (3-8, First Season).
• Howard – Aaron Kelton (Springfield, 92), joined the Howard University football staff as Director of Football Operations in July, 2019. Prior to becoming a Bison, Kelton spent the 2018 campaign at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Morgan State University where he served as the Co-Defensive Coordinator and Cornerbacks Coach...RECORD AT HOWARD (0-1, First Season).

LAST TIME vs. HOWARD - OCT. 20, 2018
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Dedrick Parson ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally Howard past Morgan State 35-26 in windy conditions on Saturday night.
• Morgan State had a 26-20 lead and stopped Howard on a fourth-and-goal with 8:59 to play. But Howard (3-3, 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) held Morgan State deep in its territory and took over at the Morgan State 31 after a short punt. Parson burst through the middle to score for Howard on the next play and Faraji Joseph's extra point put the Bison on top 27-26 with 7:07 to go.
• Parson finished with 16 carries for 148 yards and two scores.
• Joshua Chase ran 20 times for 115 yards and a touchdown for the Bears.

A WIN WOULD ... 
... give Tyrone Wheatley his fourth win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' third consecutive win.
... mark the Bears' first back-to-back wins since 2015 (vs. Howard, Delaware State & Savanah State).
... extend the Bears' series record against Howard to 44-28-1 since 1931.
... mark the Bears first win against Howard since 2016.
... mark MSU's first win at Howard since 2007.
... mark MSU's third 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 career game against Virginia Lynchburg ... The senior completed 11-of-17 passes for 317 yards and tossed five touchdowns -- matching the school record held by Moses Skillon (5 TD passes vs. Delaware State, 2014).
• 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 was named MEAC co-Offensive Player of the Week after recording five receptions for a career-high 177 yards with four touchdowns versus Virginia Lynchburg.
• R-senior LB Rico Kennedy ranks No. 1 in the MEAC in total tackles (98) and is just two tackles away from becoming the sixth Bear in school history to record 100 or more tackles in a season ...  he was recently featured in a video on ESPN's The Undefeated - watch here.
• Senior LB Ian McBorrough ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in tackles (95) and  No. 13 in TFLs (9.0).
• Senior DB Carl Garnes ranks T-No. 4 in the MEAC in pass defenses (12) and has 44 tackles.
• Sophomore PK Nicholas O'Shea ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in field goals (13-16, .812).
• 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 BISON
•  Howard finished the 2018 season with an overall mark of 4-6 and went 4-3 in conference play. 
•  Howard placed the head coach Ron Prince on leave on Nov. 6 and have given the reigns to Aaron Kelton, who was the Bisons' Director of Football Operations. Howard's offense is averaging 16.3 points per game, 286 yards per game of total offense, 115.5 rushing yards and 170.5 passing yards. They have scored 13 passing TDs and 12 rushing.
•  Howard enters Saturday's contest coming off a 39-7 loss against #12 Florida A&M and dropped its seventh straight this season. Ramar Williams finished the contest by completing 18 of 31 passes for 154 yards and Kyle Anthony added a game-high 8 catches for 45 yards..
•  The Bison offense is led by quarterback Ramar Williams. The 5-10, 217-pound signal-caller has completed 35-of-66 passes (53%) for 321 yards, with a TD and 3 INTs. 
•  Sophomore RB Dedrick Parson (5-8, 195) is the MEAC's second leading rusher with 677 yards on 194 carries, including four touchdowns. 
•  Howard's receiving corps is led by Kyle Anthony. The senior ranks 2nd in the MEAC in receptions (68) and 4th in receiving yards (785 yards), including five touchdowns in 11 games played. Michael Cornwell (25 rec. 348 yds, 3 TDs) and Damion Gillespie (17 rec., 218 yds, 3 TDs) will also be apart of Howard's aerial attack.
•   Defensively, the Bison have been led by LB Ray Williams who has accounted for a team-high 54 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception. DB Quinton Hill has 50 tackles and 3.5 TFLs, while Rodney Dennard has added 44 stops and three interceptions. 

KNOW THY OPPONENT
• Notable alumni:  Kamala Harris - U.S. Senator; Elijah Cummings - U.S. Congressman; Taraji P. Henson - Actress; Thurgood Marshall - first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court; Sean "P. Diddy" Combs; record producer, songwriter, rapper.

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 game as collegiate student-athletes. These 15 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
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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.