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GAME TIME
Morgan State (0-3) will be in search of its first win of the season when they host the Saint Francis Red Flash (1-3) on Saturday (Oct. 2). The Bears will enter the game fresh off of a bye week, while Saint Francis fell versus Norfolk State 28-16 in Loretto, Pa. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. EST at Hughes Stadium and will be broadcast by ESPN+ and WEAA, 88.9FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+ will be streaming the game live ... Phil Schoener will call the play-by-play with color analyst Emory Hunt
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
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.)
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS/BEAR FAMILY DAY
• The matchup vs. the Red Flash will begin the month of Breast Cancer Awareness, honoring those affected by Breast Cancer. Pink wristbands will be given away to the first 2,500 fans in attendance.
• Celebrating the Morgan State University "Bear Family Day", Morgan students have the opportunity to invite their families to the game for a fun-filled experience.
THE SERIES
• Saturday, Sept. 11th will mark the first meeting in the series between both schools.
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 (3-11, 3rd Season, 2nd on the sideline).
• Saint Francis - Chris Villarrial enters his 11th season as Saint Francis' head coach. He's led the Red Flash to 47 career wins and passed Art Martynuska as the winningest coach in Saint Francis history. He is a two-time NEC Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2015 and 2016. CAREER RECORD (47-68, 11th Season).
A WIN WOULD ...
...give Tyrone Wheatley his fourth win as MSU's head coach.
... improve the Bears' record to 1-0 against Saint Francis in school history.
... mark MSU's first non-conference win since defeating Virginia-Lynchburg 59-26 on Nov. 16, 2019 at Hughes Stadium..
... mark MSU's first home non-conference win since defeating Virginia-Lynchburg 59-26 on Nov. 16, 2019.
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.) came off the bench and threw for 184 yards and 3 TDs vs. Tulane in Birmingha, Ala.
• Veteran WR Wesley Wolfolk had a big day vs. Tulane where he posted a game-high six catches for 110 yards and scored two TDs. He totaled 22 receptions for 385 yards and 2 TDs in 2019.
• Sophomore RB Jabriel Johnson (Baltimore, Md.) had a solid game at Sacred Heart (Sept. 18) where he finished with a season-high 16 carries for 76 yards, in addition to a 32-yard kickoff return.
• Junior Romello Kimbrough (6-0, 225) scored on a 1-yard run at Sacred Heart for his first career touchdown.
• Morgan remains perfect at 3-for-3 on 4th down attempts.
• LB Kalen Jennings leads the Bears with 23 tackles (13 solo) and has a sack and tackle for loss. He registered 8 tackles at Sacred Heart.
• LB Elijah Williams recorded 11 tackles and had a quarterback hurry against Sacred Heart ... it was the most tackles by a Bear since Ian McBorrough had 16 at Howard 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 RED FLASH
• Saint Francis finished the 2019 season with a 6-6 overall record and went 3-4 in the NEC. The 2020 football season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Red Flash opted out of the abbreviated 2021 spring football season.
• Saint Francis finished the 2019 season with a 6-6 overall record and went 3-4 in the NEC. The 2020 football season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Red Flash opted out of the abbreviated 2021 spring football season.
• The Red Flash took the fifth spot in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll. Sacred Heart was picked to finish first.
• The Red Flash dropped a 28-16 decision against MEAC opponent Norfolk State on Saturday at Degol Field. Marques DeShields led the offense with a career-high 175 yards. DeShields posted 73 yards on the ground on nine carries and registered five catches for 102 yards.
• QB Jyron Russell went 11-for-19 with 154 yards in the air while Justin Sliwoski went 5-for-8 with 96 yards passing and a touchdown.
• Martin Foray, Jr. paced the defense with a career-high 15 tackles. Calvin Beaty (12 tackles) and Gio Vonne Sanders (Jeannette, Pa.) (11 tackles) also recorded double figures in tackles.
• Jordan Slaiby has already been named Special Teams Player of the Week twice so far this season ... he's averaging 41.7 yards per punt, with 11 inside the 20, three punts of 50+ yards, including a long of 59 yards.
A LOOK AHEAD
• Morgan State returns to the road for a conference opener matchup versus the Howard Bison on Friday, Oct. 8. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
• The matchup marks the 74th meeting between the two schools. The Bears lead the overall series 43-29-1 since 1931.
• Howard (0-4) has opened its season with losses at #22 Richmond (38-14), at Maryland (62-0), vs. Hampton (48-32) and at Robert Morris (22-16).
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
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.
