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GAME TIME
Morgan State (2-2) will attempt to make it three-consecutive wins when they play host to Norfolk State (0-5) on Saturday (Oct. 8).  The game will be played at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland and will mark Morgan's Homecoming. The Bears captured their second win of the season with a 44-10 rout over Virginia-Lynchburg at Hughes Stadium, while the Spartans are in search of their first win of the season and most recently suffered a  31-14 loss at Sacred Heart (Oct. 1). Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST 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 "Czar of the Playbook" Hunt.

RADIO: WEAA, 88.9 FM is the flagship station for the Morgan State Bears ... MSU 2022 Hall of Fame inductee 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
Season ticket plans—which include a ticket to all five home games, including homecoming start at only $120. 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 click 2022 MSU Ticket Information.

THE SERIES
• The matchup marks the 43rd meeting between the two schools.
• Norfolk State leads the series against Morgan with an overall record of 30-12 since the teams first played in 1965.
• The Spartans have won 13 of the last 14 meetings since 2007.
• NSU posted a 31-20 win on Oct. 30, 2021 at William 'Dick' Price Stadium.
• MSU posted a 44-27 road win on Nov. 17, 2018 at Norfolk State.

THE COACHES
• Damon Wilson was announced as the Bears' 23rd head football coach on June 10, 2022 and previously spent 13 seasons as the head coach at Bowie State University where he achieved three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference championship 2010-12.
• Dawson Odums enters his second year at the helm of the Norfolk State Spartans. Odums has more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience. Odums enjoyed a stellar 10-year run at Southern University where he had a winning record in each of his eight full seasons at the helm of the program. 

A WIN WOULD ... 
... give Damon Wilson his third win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' first MEAC opener win since beat Howard 28-24 at Hughes Stadium on Sept. 24, 2016.
... mark the Bears' first 3-game winning streak since 2011 (Savannah State, Delaware State, N.C. Central).
... mark the Bears' first back-to-back home wins since 2019 (N.C. A&T, Virginia-Lynchburg).
... trim the Spartan's series record against the Bears to 30-13.

QUICK HITS
• The 2022 Morgan State Bears will be under the leadership of head coach Damon Wilson. Wilson, the 23rd coach in school history, comes to Morgan after serving for 13 seasons as the head football coach at Bowie State. There, he achieved three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference championships, in 2021, 2019 and 2018; five NCAA playoff berths; and three CIAA Coach of the Year honors.
• Carson Baker, a 6-3, 205-pound transfer from Western Kentucky, has completed 38 of 78 passes for 466 yards with 5 TDs and 2 picks thru four games. 
• RB Alfonzo Graham (Baltimore, Md.) leads the league with 339 yards on 52 carries and has scored four TDs (3 rushing).
• Morgan has a number of offensive lineman as they enter the 2022 season ... The Bears have 15 OL listed on the roster and will be led by veteran G Marvin Atuatasi (6-1, 305) and T Chris Anthony (6-4, 290).
• LB Lawrence Richardson leads the MEAC with 36 tackles (26 solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss and 2 QB hurries ... FCS-focused podcast/website The Bluebloods named Richardson to its 26-member preseason All-MEAC team ... he recorded a game-high 13 tackles with 2 TFL and a forced fumble in Week 2 at Towson.
• Erick Hunter is excelling as a sophomore LB for the Bears .. he is currently the teams' second leading tackler with 24 stops (16 solo) and has two QB hurries.
• 2021 Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection Jae-Veyon Morton, aka.Knock,  returns as a veteran and one of the top corners in the league ... he collected his first interception of the season in Week 3 versus Sacred Heart.

NOTABLE NATIONAL NOTES
Here are a few 2022 FCS national statistics of note on offense, defense and special teams that pertained to the Bears:
• Senior RB Alfonzo Graham ranks No. 22 nationally in rushing yards per carry (6.5) and No. 41 in rushing yards (339).
• Junior LB Lawrence Richardson ranks No. 5 nationally in solo tackles (26) and T-No. 38 in total tackles (36).
• Freshman Keith Jenkins Jr. ranks No. 16 nationally in kickoff returns (24.8).
• MSU ranks No. 10 in 4th down conversion defense (.167), No. 30 in total defense (331.0), No. 34 in punt returns (10.6), T-No. 30 in first downs defense (81), No. 34 in team pass efficiency defense (121.1) No. 35 in rushing defense (122.0), T-No. 43 nationally in fewest sacks allowed (7), and No. 52 in rushing yards (148.5).

BEAR RUSH
The Bears rushing offense has been solid so far this season, averaging 144.8 yards per game thus far - the 2nd-highest total in the MEAC – behind North Carolina Central (180.4 avg). 
• MSU put up 172 yards on the ground against Georgia Southern, followed by a 150 yard outing in Week 2 at Towson, 154 yards versus Sacred Heart in Week 3 and 115 vs. Virginia-Lynchburg in Week 5.
• MSU senior Alfonzo Graham is the MEAC leading rusher and is currently averaging 84.8 yards per game.
• MSU finished the 2021 season ranked last in the MEAC averaging 121.0 yards per game on the ground.

FINISHING TOUCHES
Morgan State has been pretty good at scoring in the red zone. Through the first four games, the Bears have scored 10- of-11 (90%) times inside its opponent's 20 yardline. 
• Nine (9) of the Bears touches in the red zone have resulted in TDs.

A GLANCE AT THE SPARTANS
•  Norfolk State finished the 2021 season with a 6-5 overall  record, which included a six-game winning streak that was the program's longest since 1984, and  posted a 2-3 mark in MEAC play.
•  NSU was picked to finish No. 3 in the MEAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Seven (7) Spartans earned recognition on the 2022 Preseason All-MEAC Football Team and sophomore running back J.J. Davis was named the 2022 MEAC Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
•  The Spartans enter this Saturday's contest against the Bears looking for its first win of the 2022 season, most recently losing a 31-14 decision at Sacred Heart.  The Spartans rolled up 330 total yards and QB Jaylan Adams threw for 118 yards (9-for-18) and a TD in the loss.
•  Adams leads the Spartans' offense by completing 31 of 58 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns, including three picks ... he is also the team's second leadin rusher with 101 yards on 25 carries.
•  The Spartans ground game is led by Jordin Lennon who has 121 yards on 32 carries, including a pair if touchdowns.
•  WR Da'Quan Felton ranks No. 5 among the MEAC leaders in receiving yards  (194) and receptions (10) with two TDs. 
• LBs Tyler Long and Marquis Hall are two of the top defenders in the conference. Long is No. 2 with 50 tackltes (21 solo) and is No. 6 in sacks (2.5). Hall is ranked No. 4 with 38 stops.
• NSU ranks last in the league in scoring offense (11.4), No. 4 in total offense (264.6) and No. 5 in rushing offense (121.2). 
• NSU ranks No. 3 in the league with eight (8) sacks.

A LOOK AHEAD 
• Morgan returns to action for a Thursday night matchup at North Carolina Central on Thursday, Oct. 13. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally by ESPNU.
• The matchup marks the 44th meeting between the two schools. Morgan State leads the series against N.C. Central with an overall record of 24-17-2 since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930.
• NCCU has won the last five meetings since 2015, including a 28-17 victory in their last matchup at Hughes Stadium during the 2021 season.
• • MSU posted a 21-20 Homecoming win on Oct. 18, 2014 at Hughes Stadium.

PRESEASON PICKED 6TH 
Morgan State was picked to finish sixth (6th) 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 2022. 

PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
• The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced the selections for the 2022 Preseason All-MEAC team. Senior Jae'Veyon Morton has been named to the All-MEAC First Team, which is voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
• Morton is one of 25 players named to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team and is the lone representative for the Bears. No other Morgan players were named to any of the other teams.
 
BEARS OPEN 123rd SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 123rd season of football and will open the 2022 campaign under head coach Damon Wilson, set to enter his first year at the helm.

RETURN MEN 
The 2022 Morgan State Bears return 16 starters - eight (8) on offense and eight (8) on defense.

CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS 
The Bears enter the 2022 season looking to post their first winning season since going 6-5 in 2009. MSU's 7-6 record in 2014 was vacated. 

BEARS OPEN 44th SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 44th season in the MEAC when they host Norfolk State for the conference opener on Oct. 8 ... it will also mark Morgan's Homecoming.
• The Bears opened the 2021 MEAC schedule with a 27-0 loss against Howard (Oct. 8) at Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C. 
• 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.
 

#155 pic.twitter.com/hnrLW1bim3

— Benny The Bear (@Benny__TheBear) October 4, 2022