Morgan State University Athletics

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GAME TIME
Morgan State will face Bowling Green on the road in a non-conference matchup on Thursday (Aug. 29) at Doyt Perry Stadium. The Bears open the 2019 season under the leadership of first year head coach Tyrone Wheatley. Bowling Green completed the 2018 season with a 3-9 overall mark and were 2-6 in MAC play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The game will also be broadcast on WEAA, 88.9 FM. 

GAME COVERAGE
DIGITAL BROADCAST: ESPN3 ... Jim Barbar will call play-by-play and John Gregory 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 and Kelvin Bridgers in the booth. The game will be broadcast live on 88.9 FM and streamed on WEAA.org. 

LIVE STATS: 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
• Thursday, Aug. 29^thwill mark the second meeting in the series.
• The Falcons posted a 58-13 victory over the Bears on Sept. 10, 2011 at Doyt Perry Stadium. 

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 (0-0, First Season).
•  Bowling Green – Scot Loeffler (Michigan, '96), enters his first season at the helm of the Bowling Green football program. Loeffler's coaching career, which spans back to his time as a student assistant at Michigan during the 1996 season, includes stops as Michigan, Central Michigan, Florida, Temple, Auburn, Virginia Tech and Boston College. He also spent a year coaching quarterbacks for the Detroit Lions. CAREER RECORD (0-0, First Season).
 
LAST TIME OUT vs. THE FALCONS
•  Sept. 10, 2011 -- Robert Council, a redshirt-freshman who received the first start of his career, completed 4-of-19 passes for 32 yards and gained 51 yards on the ground.  
•  Council's single glaring mistake was when he had his pass intercepted by Jerry "Boo Boo" Gates on the third play of MSU's second drive. 
•  The Falcons' hung 572 yards on the Bears defense, 268 on the ground. 
•  Matt Schilz finished 16-for-23 for 258 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in just over two quarters of work. He threw 4 of his 5 touchdowns in the first quarter.
 
A WIN WOULD ... 
...give Tyrone Wheatley his first win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' first win against Bowling Green in school history.
... mark MSU's first road non-conference win since defeating Bowie State (28-3) on Sept. 13, 2014.
... mark the Bears second consecutive road win since a 44-27 season finale win at Norfolk State on Nov. 17, 2018.
... mark MSU's earliest season victory since recording a 28-3 home win against Illinois State on Sept. 12, 2015.
 
QUICK HITS
• Redshirt sophomore Dion "DJ" Golatt Jr., a 6-3, 225-pound quarterback from Largo (Md.) split time with DeAndre Harris last year and will take over the duties full-time in '19. He saw action in 10 games and started in two (Delaware State and Norfolk State). He completed 63-of-118 passes for 694 yards, with six touchdowns and just four interceptions. He added 211 yards on 49 carries (4.3 avg) and ran for a pair of TDs.
• The Bears' starting RB in Week 1 will be talented redshirt-senior Josh Chase (6-1, 210, Severn, Md.). The starting job looks to be a formidable power runner who ranked No. 8 in the league in rushing (514 total yards, 3 TDs) last season.
• R-senior LB Rico Kennedy returns as a leader for the Bears defensive unit. The 6-3, 235-pounder earned his second consecutive All-MEAC selection. He finished  the 2018 season ranked third on the team with 61 tackles (33 solo). He also ranked T-No. 8 in sacks (4.5) and T-No. 10 in the MEAC with 10 tackles for loss.
• Senior LB Ian McBorrough was an All-MEAC First Team selection as one of the league's premier pass rushers a season ago. As a junior last year, McBorrough ranked No. 3 in the league with six sacks and ranked 15th in tackles for loss (9). He topped the Bears with 79 tackles, including two fumble recoveries.
• Junior DB Donte Small was a standout for the Bears secondary a season ago. The Union, N.J. native was named to the 2018 All-MEAC First Team and garnered 31 tackles and led the conference with four INTs in 11 games played.
• The Bears led the league in time of possession (32:36) and scored on 22 of 26 red zone opportunities (No. 3 in MEAC) last year.
• Tyrone Wheatley's Bears are predicted to finish 8th in the MEAC's 2019 Preseason Order of Finish. 
 
A GLANCE AT THE FALCONS
•  Bowling Green finished the 2018 season with an overall mark of 3-9 and went 2-6 in the conference (5^thin East). They capped the season with a 44-14 home loss against Buffalo.
•  Scot Loeffler (Michigan, '96), enters his first season at the helm of the Bowling Green football program.
•  Bowling Green was picked to finish sixth in the MAC East in the league's preseason poll.
•  Bowling Green returns 36 letterwinners, including 16 starters, to its no-huddle multiple offense and multiple defense.
•  Bowling Green returns senior RB Andrew Clair (St. Louis, Mo.) who rushed for who finished the 2018 season with 702 yards (5.2) on 135 carries, including 5 TDs. 
•  Sophomore WR Noah Massey (Houston, Tex.) is expected to have a breakout season for the Falcons. The 6-4, 228-pound wideout had three catches for 27 yards with a touchdown as a freshman in 2018, but should be a factor in MAC play this season.
•   Senior LB Brandon Harris led the defense with 131 tackles (76 solo) and redshirt senior DB Marcus Milton recorded three interceptions with 46 stops.
• One of the defensive leaders for Bowling Green is two-time first-team All-MAC DB Jerry McBride III  (Hannibal, Mo.) returns for his senior season after starting all 12 games and finishing second on the team with 106 tackles. He also posted 67 solo tackles, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for loss in 2018.
• The Falcons welcomed the addition of Darius Wade this summer. The former Boston College QB for the 2019 season. He spent the 2018 season at Delaware but did not play and has one year of eligibility remaining. At Boston College, Wade completed 55.6 percent of his passes, threw for 1,091 yards, and completed five touchdown passes compared to five interceptions.
• Bowling Green added 18 true freshman to the 2019 roster, in addition to graduate transfers at tight end (Austin Dorris, Indiana) and running back (Davon Jones, Boston College).
• Bowling Green's national ranking out of 130 FBS teams last season was No. 6 in passing yards allowed per game (167.6).
• The Falcons completed the season by winning two of its last three contests. 

OHIO CONNECTION
The Bears' defensive coordinator Antonio James earned first-team All-Ohio accolades at Massillon Washington HS as a senior in 2005.