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GAME TIME
Morgan State (2-3, 0-1) returns to action for a Thursday night matchup at North Carolina Central (4-1, 0-0) on Thursday, Oct. 13. The game will be played at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The Bears suffered a 24-21 Homecoming loss against Norfolk State at Hughes Stadium, while the Eagles come into the game fresh off of a bye week and are in search of their first conference win of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast by ESPN2 and WEAA, 88.9FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN2 will be broadcasting the game live ... Tiffany Greene will call the play-by-play with color analyst Jay Walker.
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: https://nccueaglepride.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
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 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.
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.
• Trei Oliver (NCCU, '98) enters his fourth year as the leader of his alma mater's football program, but just his third on-field campaign after COVID-19 kept the Eagles off the gridiron during the 2020 season. Oliver returned to NCCU as head coach after spending the previous three seasons (2016-18) as the defensive coordinator and safeties.
A WIN WOULD ...
... give Damon Wilson his third win as MSU's head coach.
... give Coach Wilson his first MEAC victory.
... mark the Bears' first MEAC win since beating Delaware State 20-14 at Hughes Stadium on Nov. 4, 2021.
... snap the Eagles' 5-game winning streak against the Bears.
... improve the Bears' series record against NCCU to 25-17-2.
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 52 of 99 passes for 592 yards with 6 TDs and 2 picks thru five games ... he also has 28 carries for 95 yards and scored his first rushing TD of the season in the Bears' nailbiter against Norfolk State.
• RB Alfonzo Graham (Baltimore, Md.) leads the league with 542 yards on 75 carries and has scored five TDs (4 rushing) ... he finished with a career-high 203 yards (T-No. 10 highest total in FCS) on 23 carries Saturday against Norfolk State.
• 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 ranks among the league leading defenders with 41 tackles (29 solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 QB hurries, an interception and a forced fumble ... 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 32 stops (22 solo), two breakups, two QB hurries and a sack.
• 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. 8 nationally in rushing yards per game (108.4), No. 8 in rushing yards per carry (7.23) and No. 13 in rushing yards (542).
• Junior LB Lawrence Richardson ranks T-No. 1- nationally in solo tackles (29).
• Freshman Keith Jenkins Jr. ranks No. 29 nationally in kickoff returns (22.8).
• MSU ranks T-No. 9 in red zone offense (.909), No. 13 in 4th down conversion defense (.214), No. 26 in rushing defense (116.2), No. 32 in punt returns (10.6), No. 33 in rushing offense (168.6), No. 39 in team passing efficiency defense (126.5), T-No. 40 in first downs defense (100), and T-No. 35 nationally in fewest sacks allowed (8).
BEAR RUSH
The Bears rushing offense has been solid so far this season, averaging 165.6 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, 115 vs. Virginia-Lynchburg in Week 5 and a season-high 249 yards against Norfolk State.
• MSU senior Alfonzo Graham is the MEAC leading rusher and is currently averaging 108.4 yards per game (No. 8 in FCS).
• 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 11- of-12 (92%) times inside its opponent's 20 yardline.
• 10 of the Bears touches in the red zone have resulted in TDs.
A GLANCE AT THE EAGLES
• North Carolina Central finished the 2021 season with a 6-5 overall record and posted a 4-1 mark in MEAC play.
• NCCU was picked to finish No. 2 in the MEAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Six Eagles earned recognition on the 2022 Preseason All-MEAC Football Team.
• The Eagles enter this Thursday's contest against the Bears looking to get back in the win column after a road test versus Campbell (L, 48-18) ended the Eagles' 4-game winning. Junior QB Davius Richard threw for 294 yards and two TDs and two interceptions.
• Richard is one of the top QBs in the conference. He ranks No. 2 in passing averaging 209.8 per game, No. 1 in pass efficiency (143.6) and No. 1 in total offense 267.0) .. he has been named to the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) 2022 Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award.
• WR Devin Smith ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in receptions (21) and receiving yards (286) with three TDs ... WR Joaquin Davis ranks No. 9 with 13 receptions for 160 yards and a TD.
• LBs Isaiah Lawson and Khalil Baker are two of the top defenders in the conference. Lawson ranks No. 13 with 26 tackles (17 solo) and Baker has 24 stops (14 solo).
• NCCU leads the league in a number of statistical categories: No. 1 in scoring offense (38.2), offense (411.0), rushing (180.4), pass efficiency (146.1), first downs (22.6), third down conversions (62.5) and fourth down conversions (75.0).
• Junior placekicker Adrian Olivo leads the league in scoring (7.3 ppg).
• NCCU's DL Colby Warrior formerly played and worked at Morgan State ... the Fayetteville, Ga. product currently has nine tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
A LOOK AHEAD
• Morgan steps out of conference when they return to action on Saturday, Oct. 22 against the Delaware Blue Hens. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live by FloFootball.
• The matchup marks the 5th meeting between the two schools. Delaware leads the series 3-0-1 since the teams first played on Dec. 12, 1970 in Atlantic City, N.J. where the Bears fell 38-23.
• Delaware posted a 76-0 win in the last meeting between the teams on Nov. 3, 1984 at Delaware 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.
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 high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 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.
