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GAME TIME
Morgan State hits the road for the third time in 2019 when the Bears visit Michie Stadium to face Army Saturday at 12 p.m. Morgan State fell to 0-2 on the year with last week's 63-12 win/loss to #2 James Midison. Army is 2-1 after a 31-13 road win versus UTSA. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. and will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network. The game will also be broadcast on WEAA, 88.9 FM.

GAME COVERAGE
CBS SPORTS NETWORK: Ben Holden will call play-by-play, Ross Tucker will handle color analysis and Tim Cervasio will be the sideline reporter.

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 and on SIriusXM 387 and 991 on the SiriusXMmobile app. 

WATCH LIVE: www.goarmywestpoint.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, Sept. 21st will mark the third meeting in the series, with Army leading the series, 2-0.
• Army posted a a 60-3 win on Nov. 19, 2016 and 28-12 victory over the Bears on Aug. 30, 2013 ... both game were at Michie Stadium.
• In the 2016 meeting, the Black Knights scored on their first two drives and led 29-3 by halftime. The nation's No. 2 rushing offense wound up with 504 yards, 561 total yards. MSU quarterback Chris Andrews (8 for 20) threw for 79 yards for the Bears, who converted just three of 16 third downs. DeAndre Harris came off the bench and completed 3 of 6 passes for 17 yards. Alex Raya kicked a 24-yard FG in the second quarter to put the Bears on the scoreboard.

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 (0-2, First Season).
•  Army West Point – Jeff Monken (Millikin, '91),enters his sixth season at the helm of the Army West Point football program. He was named the George Munder Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club following Army's 11-2 season and Commander in Chief's Trophy championship in 2018. He also earned the Vince Lombardi Coach of the Year Award which was given out by the Vince Lombardi Foundation. SCHOOL RECORD (37-29 6th Season); CAREER RECORD (73-41, 10th Season).
 
A WIN WOULD ... 
...give Tyrone Wheatley his first win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' first win against Army in school history.
... mark MSU's first road non-conference win since defeating Bowie State (28-3) on Sept. 13, 2014.
... mark MSU's first victory since a 44-27 win against Norfolk State on Nov. 17, 2018.

QUICK HITS
• The 2019 Morgan State Bears will be under the leadership of first year head coach Tyrone Wheatley.
• Senior backup QB DeAndre Harris (6-4, 210) came off the bench  and completed 11-of-53 passes for 253 yards with a touchdown and an interception at #2 JMU.
• In his first career start, freshman RB Jabriel Johnson (5-9, 197, Baltimore, Md.) accounted for 50 yards on 16 carries in Week 3 at JMU. He also had two catches for 10 yards.
• Senior WR Manasseh Bailey recorded 4 receptions for a career-high 172 yards, including a 72-yard TD catch at #2 James Madison. It marked the fourth 100-yard receiving performance of his career. He currently ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in receiving yards (88.0 avg/g).  
• R-senior LB Rico Kennedy returns as a leader for the Bears defensive unit. The 6-3, 235-pounder ranks second on the team in tackles (19) and leads the team with 2 tackles for loss. The Fort Lauderdale Fla. product  was a member of Army Prep in 2014.
• Senior LB Ian McBorrough was an All-MEAC First Team selection as one of the league's premier pass rushers in 2018. He currently ranks T-No. 9 (FCS) in total tackles with 22 and has 1.5 tackles for loss.
• Junior DB Donte Small (Union, N.J.) was named to the 2018 All-MEAC First Team and led the conference with four INTs in 11 games. He had three tackles and a pass breakup in his season debut at #2 James Madison.
• Sophomore PK Nicholas O'Shea (Detroit, Mich.) ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in field goals (3-4, .750).
 
A GLANCE AT THE BLACK KNIGHTS
•  Army West Point finished the 2018 season with an overall mark of 11-2. Army capped the season with a 70-14 win against Houston in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. The year was highlighted by a program-record 11 wins, marking the first time in Academy history the Black Knights registered 10-plus wins in back-to-back seasons.
•  Jeff Monken (Millikin, '91), enters his sixth season at the helm of the Army West Point football program. He was named the George Munder Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club following Army's 11-2 season and Commander in Chief's Trophy champi- onship in 2018. He also earned the Vince Lombardi Coach of the Year Award which was given out by the Vince Lombardi Foundation.
•  The Black Knights' offense will be led by senior QB Kelvin Hopkins Jr. (Charlotte, N.C.), who was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® Watch List heading into the 2018 season. Hopkins (5-10, 205) was the first signal-caller to rush and throw for 1,000 yards in a single season for Army last season.
•  Senior RB Connor Slomka (46 att, 151 yds, TD | Wexford, Pa.), senior Kell Walker (14 att, 144 yds, 2 TDs | Decatur, Ga.), and  sophomore RB Jabari Laws (24 att., 140 yds, TD | Upper Marlboro, Md.) will also lead Army's ground attack this year.
•   Three starters are back up front around 310-pound senior Jaxson Deaton at one guard spot and 290-pound junior Peyton Reeder at the other.
•   Defensively, Army has been led by LB Cole Christiansen (Suffolk, Va.) who has accounted for 28 tackles (17 solo) two forced fumbles and a sack, along with senior SS Elijah Riley (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) who has 21 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and fumble recovery so far this season.
•  For the third year in a row, the Black Knights were among the top two teams nationally in rushing offense in 2018. Army finished the season with 312.6 yards per game on the ground, which was only behind Georgia Tech for the nation's lead.
• Army West Point got back in the win column by posting a 31-13 win on the road at UTSA on Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome.  Jabari Laws made his first collegiate start under center and rushed for a career-best 137 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown.

NEW YORK CONNECTIONS
• Morgan State has a couple of connections to the state of New York.  A short list of Bears from the area includes Head Coach Tyrone Wheatley who spent time as an assistant coach at Syracuse Univ. (2010-12) and the Buffalo Bills (2013-14), Director of Athletics  Dr. Edward Scott earned his undergraduate degree from the Univ. of Albany and his Ph.D from Binghamton Univ.
• Other New York ties include;
Morgan State - Andrew Howell (Staten Island /Erasmus Hall HS); Jason Martin (Niagara Falls/ Canisius HS); Harann Ransom (Newark/Don Bosco Prep); Tarik Johnson (Liberty/Liberty HS); Darius Thompson (Brooklyn/South Shore HS); Tyrone "TJ" Wheatley Jr. (Buffalo/Canisius HS).

A LOOK AHEAD 
• Morgan State will host North Carolina Central in the Bears conference-opener on Saturday, Sept. 28. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Hughes Stadium.
• The teams will meet for the 42nd time since the teams first met on Nov. 15, 1930. The Bears lead the series 25-14-2.
• NCCU opened its season Aug. 29 with a 41-10 loss at Autin Peay, followed by a 42-3 loss at #8/9 Towson (Sept. 7), and last week they fell 21-12 at Gardner-Webb. The Eagles will host Elizabeth City State in a home-opener Sept. 21 at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium

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 121stSEASON 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.