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GAME TIME
Morgan State (4-5, 2-2) will conclude the season against Beltway rival Howard (4-6, 301) on Saturday, November 19th at Hughes Stadium. The game will kickoff at 12 noon and will be streamed live on ESPN3 and broadcast by WEAA, 88.9FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN3 will be streaming the game live ...Justin Kutcher will call the play-by-play with color analyst Charles Arbuckle.
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 75th meeting between the two schools.
• Morgan State lead the overall series 43-30-1 since 1931.
• In their last matchup, the Bison posted a 27-0 home victory against the Bears on Oct. 9, 2021.
• Morgan's last win against the Bison was a 28-24 victory at Hughes Stadium on Sept. 24, 2016.
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.
• Larry Scott is in his second season as Howard's head coach. The Sebring, Fla., native has spent a majority of his coaching career in the state of Florida, where he attended (1997-99) and coached (2006-12) at USF as well as Miami (2013-15) and most recently Florida (2018-2020).
A WIN WOULD ...
... give Damon Wilson his fifth win as MSU's head coach.
... improve the Bears' home record to 4-1 this season.
... mark the Bears first win against Howard since a 28-24 win at Hughes Stadium on Oct. 9, 2021.
... improve the Bears to 3-2 and share second place in the conference.
... improve the Bears' record to 44-30-1 against Howard.
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 67 of 128 passes for 752 yards with 7 TDs and 3 picks thru seven games ... he has missed the last three games due to injury.
• QB Duce Taylor made his third start of the season last week at Delaware State ... he has completed 37 of 107 passes for 528 yards, including 4 TDs and 9 INTs.
• RB Alfonzo Graham (Baltimore, Md.) leads the league with 1,039 yards (No. 14 in FCS) on 171 carries and has scored nine TDs (8 rushing) ... he finished with a career-high 203 yards (T-No. 25 highest total in FCS) on 23 carries against NSU.
• 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 74 tackles (46 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 has excelled as a sophomore LB for the Bears .. he is currently the teams' second leading tackler with 73 stops (48 solo), four breakups, three QB hurries and a 1.5 sacks ... he posted a season-high 13 tackles at #12 Delaware.
• 2021 Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection Jae'Veyon Morton, aka.Knock, is one of the top corners in the league ... he ranks T-No. 13 in passes defended (13), has 32 tackles, three INTs -- including a 41-yard INT return for a TD against South Carolina State (Oct. 29).
• Freshman Keith Jenkins Jr. ranks T-No. 2 in kickoff return TDs (2), No. 5 in kickoff returns (29.6) and No. 12 nationally in combined kick returns (562.0).
SENIOR DAY
The following is the list of the Morgan senior football players who will be competing in their last game as collegiate student-athletes. These six (6) seniors will be working diligently to complete their final courses so they can obtain their degree and take a step into the world as educated young men.
The 2022 seniors are:
2 Alfonzo Graham Baltimore, Md.
12 Jayden Wooden Peoria, Ariz
45 Devon Hebron Lanham, Md.
60 Kobe Tuitele (Pago Pago, American Samoa)
76 Chris Anthony (Massillon, Ohio)
91 Shimano Dendoe (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
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. 14 in rushing yards (1.039), No. 16 nationally in rushing yards per game (103.9), No. 23 in rushing yards per carry (6.1).
• Freshman Keith Jenkins Jr. ranks T-No. 2 in kickoff return TDs (2), No. 5 in kickoff returns (29.6) and No. 12 nationally in combined kick returns (562.0).
• Senior Jae'Veyon Morton ranks T-No. 13 in passes defended (13).
BEARING DOWN ON D
Morgan's defense continues to rank nationally in a number of statistical categories:
• No. 1 nationally in defensive TDs (7)
• T-No. 4 in turnovers gained (22)
• T-No. 9 in team tackles for loss (77)
• T-No. 22 passes intercepted (11)
BEAR RUSH
The Bears rushing offense has been solid so far this season, averaging 148.5 yards per game thus far - the 3rd-highest total in the MEAC – behind North Carolina Central (203.5 avg) and Howard (171.2).
• 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.
• Delaware State limited the Bears to 88 rushing yards last week and #12 Delaware held the Bears to 99 yards.
• MSU senior Alfonzo Graham is the MEAC leading rusher (1,039 yads) and is currently averaging 103.9 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 nine games, the Bears have scored 19- of-22 times (86%) inside its opponent's 20 yardline.
• 14 of the Bears touches in the red zone have resulted in TDs.
A GLANCE AT THE BISON
• Howard finished the 2021 season with a 3-8 overall record and were 1-4 in MEAC play.
• The Bison were projected to finish fifth overal in the MEAC Preseason Polll and placed eight on the Preseason All-MEAC Team: Kenny Gallop Jr. and Antoine Murray, along with linemen Darrian Brokenburr, Anim Dankwah and Darius Fox earned first team honors while running backs Jarrett Hunter and Ian Wheeler and offensive lineman DeShawn Ingram claimed spots on the league's second team.
• Howard University third-year Bison running back Jarrett Hunter had a career day, tallying 192 all-purpose yards (149 rushing & 43 receiving) with three total TDs (two receiving and one rushing) in the victory over South Carolina State, 28-14. The run game was so effective that HU attempted a season-low 16 passes for 81 yards. The Howard defense limited SCSU to 219 yards of total offense and held them to only 3-of-10 on third down conversions.
• QB Quinton Williams ranks No. 2 in the conference in passing ... he has completed 156-of-243 passes for 1,643 yards and 14 touchdowns, including eight interceptions.
• WR Antoine Murray currently has a league-high 39 receptions and ranks No. 2 int he conference with 562 receiving yards to go along with four TDs ... Nah'Shawn Hezekiah (24 rec., 272 yds, 2 TDs), and Richie Ilarraza (31 rec., 259 yds) are also key targets for Howard's air attack.
• RB Jarrett Hunter has been a workhorse for the Bison with 111 carries for 587 yards (5.3 avg) and 5 TDs ... RB Eden James has added 373 yards on 65 carries, including two TDs.
• LB Kenny Gallop ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles with 89 tackles (58 solo), 7.5 TFL and a sack, while LB Robert Jones III has registered 28 tackles and an interception.
• Howard ranks among the league leaders in a number of statistical categories: No. 2 in scoring (27.5); No. 2 in total offense (373.5); No. 2 in rushing (171.2), No. 2 in passing (202.3), and No. 2 in pass defense (179.1).
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.
