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GAME TIME
Morgan State will host North Carolina Central in a conference opener for both teams on Saturday, Sept. 28. Morgan State fell to 0-3 on the year with last week's 52-21 loss at Army West Point. North Carolina Central is 1-3 after beating Division II member Elizabeth City State 45-7 in Durham. The Bears and Eagles will kick-off at 6 p.m. at newly renovated W.A.C. Hughes Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The game will also be broadcast on WEAA, 88.9 FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN3: Phil Shoener 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
• Morgan State leads the series against N.C. Central with an overall record of 24-15-2 since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930.
• NCCU has won the last three meetings since 2015.
• NCCU posted a 21-17 win on Oct. 22, 2016 at Hughes Stadium when backup QB Naiil Ramadan connected with Jalen Wilkes on a 16-yard TD pass with 3:59 left in their 21-17 win over the Bears at Hughes Stadium during Homecoming.
• MSU posted a 21-20 Homecoming win on Oct. 18, 2014 at Hughes Stadium. It required some major heroics as the Bears overcame a late 13-point deficit to defeat the Eagles 21-20 on Andrew King's 15-yard touchdown pass from Robert Council with 32.4 seconds left in regulation. Council had a great game running the ball, recording 122 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts. The win marked Lee Hull's first MEAC victory at Hughes Stadium as a head coach.
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).
• North Carolina Central – Trei Oliver (NCCU, '98), enters his first season at the helm of the North Carolina Central University football program. With 20 years of college coaching experience that includes five conference championships and three black college football national titles. Oliver previously spent three seasons (2016-18) as the defensive
coordinator and safeties coach at Southern University. CAREER RECORD (1-3 1st Season).
A WIN WOULD ...
...give Tyrone Wheatley his first win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' first win against NCCU since a 21-20 homecoming victory on Oct. 18, 2014.
... mark MSU's first home conference win since defeating Delaware State (9-0) on Nov. 10, 2018.
... .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) completed 15-of-29 passes for 230 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions at Army.
• In his second career start, freshman RB Jabriel Johnson (5-9, 197, Baltimore, Md.) accounted for 47 yards on 11 carries at Army...and scored on a 25-yard run for his first career TD.
• Senior WR Manasseh Bailey recorded 6 receptions for a game-high 121 yards, including two TDs at Army. It marked the fifth 100-yard receiving performance of his career. He currently leads the MEAC in receiving yards (99.0 avg/g).
• R-senior LB Rico Kennedy returns as a leader for the Bears defensive unit. The 6-3, 235-pounder leads the MEAC in tackles (31) and ranks T-No. 9 in TFL (3.5).
• 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. 2 the MEAC in total tackles (29).
• 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.
• Sophomore PK Nicholas O'Shea ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in field goals (3-4, .750).
A GLANCE AT THE EAGLES
• North Carolina Central finished the 2018 season with an overall mark of 5-6 and was 3-4 in MEAC play. The Eagles capped the season with a 21-17 win at South Carolina State. NCCU looks to rebound from its first losing season since 2013.
• Trei Oliver (NCCU, '98), enters his first season at the helm of the North Carolina Central football program. A native of Yorktown, Virginia, Oliver earned all-conference and all-region honors as a defensive back and punter during his four-year playing career at NCCU from 1994-97. The 1998 graduate later returned to NCCU as an assistant coach from 2003-06, helping the Eagles to back-to-back Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championships in 2005 and 2006.
• The Eagles' offense will be led by freshman QB Davius Richard (Belle Glade, Fla.), who was named to the Palm Beach Area Offensive Player of the Year after passing for more than 3,200 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior at Glades HS . Richard (6-3, 200) completed 17 of 24 passes for 208 yards with three TDs in last week's win against Elizabeth City State.
• R-Juniors RB Isaiah Totten (53 att, 256 yds, TD | Apex, N.C.) and Jordan Freeman (25 att, 134 yds, TD | Charlotte, N.C.), will lead the Eagle's ground attack.
• Three returning starters are back up front for the Eagles with r-junior Andrew Dale (6-2,280), r-sophomore Somadina Okezie-Okeke (6-2, 315) and sophomore Ricky Lee (6-5, 280).
• Defensively, NCCU has been led by redshirt senior DB Deonta Fair (Miami, Fla.) who has accounted for 22 tackles (16 solo) two TFLs and an interception, along with senior DB Stephen Stokes (Baltimore, Md. | Parkville HS) who has 21 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two INTs and a fumble recovery so far this season.
• The Eagles currently lead the nation (FCS) with 13 turnovers gained (6 fumble recoveries and 7 INTs). NCCU also ranks T-25 in sacks (4).
• NCCU posted their first win of the season with a 45-7 victory against Elizabeth City State. The Eagles jumped out to a 24-7 lead by halftime and amassed 391 yards of total offense. Defensively, the Eagles limited the Vikings to just 91 total yards, recording 14 tackles for loss with seven sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown.
• NCCU QB Chauncey Caldwell decided to enter the transfer portal after the first game of the season.
NORTH CAROLINA CONNECTIONS
• Morgan State has a couple of connections to the state of North Carolina. A short list of Bears from the area include: Brian Gentry (Winston-Salem /East Forsyth HS); Simeon Gatling (Greensboro/ Dudley HS); Richard Monroe IV (Greensboro/Dudley HS); Marcus Parker Jr. (Wilson/Beddingfield HS).
A LOOK AHEAD
• Morgan State will travel to face Bethune-Cookmanl on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida.
• The teams will meet for the 32nd time since the teams first met on Sept. 13, 1986. The Wildcats lead the series 23-8.
• The Wildcats (1-2) opened the season with a 36-15 win in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge (Sept. 1), followed by a tough 63-0 loss at UMiami (Sept. 14) and posted a 22-6 win at Mississippi Valley State (Sept. 21). The Wildcats travel to D.C. to face Howard this Saturday.
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.
