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GAME TIME
Morgan State will face Towson in the season opener on Saturday (Sept. 4) at Hughes Stadium. The Bears open the 2021 season under the leadership of head coachTyrone Wheatley. Both teams did not have a 2020 fall season or spring campaign earlier this year. Towson completed the 2019 season with a 7-5 overall mark and were 4-4 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be broadcast by SPORTSfever Television Network (STN) and WEAA, 88.9FM. The game will mark the third of the "Battle for Greater Baltimore" series between the teams.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+: 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
Single game football tickets for all five (5) of Morgan State's home dates this season at Hughes Stadium are now on sale. Variable pricing for single game tickets will be used this year with single game tickets starting at just $20 per person. To purchase tickets, fans can visit www.ticketmaster.com, or call (443) 885-1522 (weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
THE SERIES
• Saturday, Sept. 4th will mark the 26th meeting in the series that began with a 34-7 Morgan Sate win at Towson on Sept. 1, 1979.
• The Tigers hold an 19-6 advantage in the series vs. MSU.
• The Tigers have won 7 of the last 8 meetings against Morgan State since 2005, including the last three matchups.
• MSU's last win against Towson was on Sept. 26, 2009 at Hughes Stadium under Bears head coach Donald Hill-Eley ... QB Carlton Jackson engineered a 12-play, 86 yard drive that culminated with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Lamont Bryant in the second quarter to put the Bears ahead and the defense kept turning the Tigers back for a 12-9 victory ... Jackson, who finished 13-of-20 for 124 yards and a touchdown, had an efficient game ... Morgan forced three turnovers by Towson (1-2), two of which were drive killing interceptions in the fourth quarter.
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 (3-9, 3rd Season, 2nd on the sideline).
• Towson – Rob Ambrose (Towson, '93), enters his 13th season at the helm and 12th on the sideline of the Towson football program. In his first 11 years as head coach, Ambrose led the Tigers to six winning seasons, two CAA championships, three playoff appearances and a trip to the 2013 FCS National Championship game. RECORD AT TOWSON (66-64, 13th Season.
A WIN WOULD ...
...give Tyrone Wheatley his fourth win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' first win against Towson since a 12-9 win on Sept. 26, 2009.
... mark MSU's first home non-conference win since defeating Bowie State 28-3 on Sept. 13, 2014.
... mark the Bears first home win against Towson since a 12-9 win on Sept. 26, 2009.
... .mark MSU's first season-opener victory since recording a 30-27 OT win against Sacred Heart on Sept. 1, 2012.
QUICK HITS
• The 2021 Morgan State Bears will be under the leadership of head coach Tyrone Wheatley. Wheatley enters his third season at the helm and the 2021 campaign will mark his second season on the sideline due to the program not competing during the 2020-21 athletic season.
• Senior Neil Boudreau, a 6-3, 220-pound QB from Irvine (Calif.) and junior Eastern Michigan transfer Jairus Grissom have been the frontrunners in the competition for the Bears starting QB job.
• Veteran WR Wesley Wolfolk is expected to be a favorite option in the Bears air attack. He totaled 22 receptions for 385 yards and 2 TDs in 2019.
• There has been plenty of competition in the backfield throughout the preseason. RB situation appears to be in good shape. 5-9, 197-pound sophomore Jabriel Johnson (Baltimore, Md.) returns to the Bears along with talented Virginia Tech transfer Terius Wheatley (6-0, 200, Ann Arbor, Mich.) and junior Romello Kimbrough (6-0, 225) to name a few. who both have provided competition in the backfield throughout preseason.
• LB Devan Hebron returns as a leader for the Bears D. He finished with with 39 stops, in addition to 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an INT in 2019.
• 2021 Preseason All-MEAC selection Merinio Dendoe is expected to be a force on the Bears' defensive line. The 6-3, 275-pounder from The Netherlands finished with 28 taackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks and blocked a kick in '19.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to all 2020 fall athletes. Many seniors have decided to take advantage of this, and because they will return to the field in 2021
A GLANCE AT THE TIGERS
• Towson finished the 2019 season with an overall mark and finished T-5th in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) with a 4-4 league mark.
• The Tigers last victory was Nov. 16, 2019 when they went on the road and beat William & Mary 31-10.
• Towson had a pair of one-score losses to Villanova and Elon that kept them from finishing higher in the CAA.
• Towson opted out of the 2020-21 academic year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Towson was picked to finish in seventh out of 12 teams in the preseason CAA predicted order of finish, while James Madison was selected to finish in 1st place. Towson's D'Ago Hunter (5-8, 160, Culpeper, Va.) was named to Preseason All-CAA return specialist. He averaged 26.7 yards per return and returned one kick for a TD in 2019. Christian Dixon (LB) and Shane McDonough (P) were named Preseason Honorable Mention.
• Towson returns 11 starters returning and lost 11 starters.
• Caleb Smith is the Tiger's leading returning receiver. He caught 35 passes for 570 yards two years ago, leading the team in both categories.
• Redshirt senior LB Christian Dixon created his fair share of havoc in 2019. The Charlotte product compiled 77 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
A LOOK AHEAD
• Morgan State returns to the road to face Tulane on Saturday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
• The teams will meet for the first time.
• Tulane opens its season Sept. 4 vs. Oklahoma. The game will kick-off at 11am and will be broadcast by ABC.
PRESEASON PICKED 5TH
Morgan State was picked to finish fifth (5th) in the MEAC standings, according to the poll of the conference head coaches and sports information directors.
• South Carolina State University has been picked to win the MEAC Football Championship as the Bulldogs topped the league's annual preseason poll for 2021.
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
• The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced the selections for the 2021 Preseason All-MEAC team Friday, with three players representing Morgan State. Offensive lineman Marvin Atuatasi, defensive lineman Merinio Dendoe and linebacker Devan Hebron were the three Bears named to the list, which is voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• The three preseason All-MEAC performers are part of a group of 12 starters returning for the 2021 Morgan State football season.
BEARS OPEN 122ndt SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 122nd season of football and will open the 2021 campaign under head coach Tyrone Wheatley, set to enter his third year at the helm and second year on the sideline.
RETURN MEN
The 2021 Morgan State Bears return 12 starters - four (4) on offense and eight (8) on defense.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2021 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 2021 campaign against four non-conference opponents. MSU opens the season in the 'Battle for Greater Baltimore' at home against Towson (Sept. 4), followed by a pair of road trips versus Tulane (Sept. 11), and Sacred Heart (Sept. 18). The Bears will have a bye week before hosting Saint Francis (Oct. 16). The Bears will cap the season with a road matchup with Univ. of Albany (Nov. 13) followed by a season finale home game versus Georgetown (Nov. 20).
BEARS OPEN 43rd SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 43rd season in the MEAC when they travel to D.C. to take on Howard for the conference opener on Oct. 8.
• The Bears opened the 2019 MEAC schedule with a 27-17 loss against North Carolina Central (Sept. 28) at Hughes Stadium.
• 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 "PAPA BEAR" BANKS
Earl "Papa Bear" Banks was a legendary head coach at Morgan State University,
• 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.
• He 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.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS 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.
