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GAME TIME
Morgan will be coming off a two-week break when they open the conference schedule when they host the #10 N.C. Central Eagles on Thursday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. and will be nationally broadcast by ESPNU
and WEAA
-88.9 FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPNU will air 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 ... 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 2023 MSU Ticket Information.
THE SERIES
• Thursday night will mark the 45th meeting between the two schools. Morgan State leads the series against N.C. Central with an overall record of 24-18-2 since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930.
• NCCU has won the last six meetings since 2015, including a 59-20 victory in their last nationally televised matchup on Oct. 13, 2022 in Durham.
• MSU posted a 21-20 Homecoming win on Oct. 18, 2014 at Hughes Stadium.
THE COACHES
• Damon Wilson enters his second season as Morgan's head coach. He 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. In 2022, Oliver led the Eagles to a 41-34 OT victory over No. 5 Jackson State in the Cricket Celebration Bowl, earning the title as HBCU national champions. He was voted as the 2022 MEAC Football Coach of the Year after guiding the Eagles to their first MEAC championship.
A WIN WOULD ...
... give Damon Wilson his sixth win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' first win against North Carolina Central.
... improve the Bears' record to 25-18-2 against NCCU since 1930.
... mark MSU's first conference home win since defeating Delaware State 37-7 on Nov. 12, 2022.
... snap the Bears' 4-game losing skid.
QUICK HITS
• The 2023 Morgan State Bears will be under the leadership of second year head coach Damon Wilson. Wilson, the 23rd coach in school history, previously served 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.
• ODU transfer Dominique Anthony enters Week 5 having completed 50 percent of his passes for 357 yards with two TDs, two interceptions and a 92.8 passer rating. He has also rushed for 42 yards on 24 carries.
• Norfolk State transfer J.J. Davis has emerged as Morgan's clear-cut starting running back, playing nearly two times as many snaps as any other Bear at the position in the season's first five games (58 carries, 174 yds).
• Treveyon Pratt (16 rec., 207 yds, 2 TDs) and Demier Shipley (9 rec., 98 yds) have led the Bears' wideouts thru the first five games.
• Morgan has a number of offensive lineman as they enter the 2023 season ... The Bears have 19 OL listed on the roster and will be led by veteran All-MEAC G Marvin Atuatasi (6-1, 305) and T Dexter Carr Jr. (6-3, 295).
• DL Elijah Williams, a Preseason All-American, emerged as a force on the defensive line for the Bears last season. The New Jersey product registered 60 total tackles (33 solo, 27 assisted) last season, including a league-high 19.0 tackles for loss (ranks No. 5 in FCS) and nine sacks (T-No. 13 in FCS). He currently has 31 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 5 sacks and was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 25).
• DB Jae'Veyon Morton is on the official watch list for the 2023 Black College Football Player of the Year Watchlist, the Black College Football Hall of Fame ... The All-MEAC selection ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in passes defended (5) and has collected an INT in Week 2 at Akron and Week 3 vs. Towson.
• RS Keith Jenkins Jr. was one of the top return specialists in the nation as a freshman last year ... The speedster finished the season with two kickoff returns for touchdowns (T-No. 2 in the FCS) ... he is currently averaging 20.8 yards per kick return (No. 4 in MEAC).
• Senior safety Jordan Toles has been a playmaker for the Bears so far this season. The Baltimore product earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Akron and has also earned MEAC Specialist of the Week after his play against Towson. He currently leads the MEAC with three interceptions.
• MSU and NCCU head into Thursday night's matchup coming off a bye ... Morgan's last game was Sept. 30 at Yale, and the Bears' Homecoming contest against Stony Brook (Oct. 7) was canceled.
A GLANCE AT THE EAGLES
• North Carolina Central finished the 2022 season with a 10-2 overall record and posted a 4-1 mark in MEAC play under the leadership of MEAC Coach of the Year Trei Oliver.
• NCCU was picked to finish No. 1 in the MEAC Preseason Coaches Poll. 13 Eagles earned recognition on the 2023 Preseason All-MEAC Football Team.
• The Eagles climbed into the top 10 of the national rankings for the first time as a NCAA Division I program, the Eagles sit at No. 10 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Top 25 poll announced Oct. 16. NCCU improved its record to 5-1 following a road victory over nationally-ranked Elon on Oct. 7.
• QB Davius Richard is one of the top QBs in the MEAC. He leads the league in scoring (12.0 ppg) and scoring TDs (10), and ranks No. 2 in rushing (348 yds) and No. 3 in passing (827 yds) ... in his last outing, he amassed 285 yards of total offense and recorded four touchdowns in NCCU's road win over Elon. He has been named MEAC Offensive Player of the Week three times so far this season. The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) named him to the 2024 Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl.
• WR Devin Smith ranks No. 4 in the MEAC in receptions (19) and receiving yards (236) with a TD ... WR Joaquin Davis ranks No. 6 with 22 receptions for 213 yards and three TDs.
• LBs Jayden Flaker and Kendrick DuJour are two of the top defenders in the conference. Flaker ranks No. 1 in tackles (46), T-No. 1 in sacks (4.5) and No. 7 in tackles for loss (6.0). DuJour has 15 stops with 7 TFL (No. 4) and 4.5 sacks (T-No. 1).
• NCCU leads the league in a number of statistical categories: No. 1 in scoring offense (35.3), offensive efficiency (135.1), sacks (19), red zone offense (92%), time of possession (33:27) and fourth down conversions (75.0).
• Morgan senior WR Treyevon Pratt formerly played at North Carolina Central ... in 2021 for the Eagles, he appeared in 7 games with 2 starts and collected 13 receptions for 92 yards.
• On Oct. 13, 2022, Davius Richard threw for 217 yards and accounted for a career-best six touchdowns (4 passing) and Latrel Collier ran for 112 yards and a score as North Carolina Central followed its bye week with a resounding 59-20 victory over visiting Morgan State in a nationally televised contest inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Morgan struggled to slow down NCCU all night, as the Eagles scored touchdowns on their first four drives. Carson Baker completed 11 of 21 passes for 125 yards for Morgan, which managed only 259 yards of offense. Jordan Toles led the Bears defense with 11 tackles, while Elijah Williams had nine tackles and four tackles for loss and two sacks. Lawrence Richardson and Xavier Shell added six stops apiece.
NOTABLE NATIONAL NOTES
Here are a few 2023 FCS national statistics of note on offense, defense and special teams that pertained to the Bears:
• The Bears defense ranks T-No. 2 in blocked kicks (4), No. 3 in turnovers gained (15), T-No. 29 in interceptions (6) and No. 28 in total defense (330.2), and T-No. 44 in scoring defense (24.4).
• Senior S Jordan Toles ranks T-2 nationally in interceptions (3).
• Junior DE Erick Williams ranks T-No. 19 in tackles for loss (8.0) and No. 15 in sacks (4.5).
• Junior DE Nana Asante ranks T-No 2 in blocked kicks (3).
A LOOK AHEAD
• Saturday, Oct. 28 will mark the 44th meeting between the two schools ... Norfolk State leads the series against Morgan with an overall record of 31-12 since the teams first played in 1965.
• The Spartans have won 14 of the last 15 meetings since 2007.
• NSU rallied for a 24-21 win on Oct. 8, 2022 at Hughes Stadium.
• MSU posted a 44-27 road win on Nov. 17, 2018 at Norfolk State.
GRIZZLY WALK
Every home football game the Morgan State football team arrives at campus near Hill Field House on the roundabout (circle) where they unload from charter buses. The group then collectively walks from the roundabout past the Student Center to Legend's Plaza, site of Morgan's legendary coaches Edward P. Hurt and Earl C. Bank. The group then conducts a group prayer before entering the stadium. The official name of the activity is the "The Grizzly Walk".
BEARS OPEN 124th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 124th season of football and will open the 2023 campaign under second year head coach Damon Wilson.
PRESEASON PICKED 4TH
Morgan State was picked to finish fourth (4th) in the MEAC standings, according to the poll of the conference head coaches and sports information directors.
North Carolina Central has been picked to defend its MEAC Football Championship as the Eagles topped the league's annual preseason poll for 2023.
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
Six (6) Bears were named to the MEAC preseason team at the 2023 MEAC Football Press Luncheon in Norfolk, Va. Senior linebacker Lawrence Richardson, senior defensive back Jae'Veyon Morton, junior defensive lineman Elijah Williams, and sophomore return specialist Keith Jenkins Jr. were first-team selections. Senior offensive lineman Marvin Atuatasi and junior linebacker Erick Hunter were second-team picks.
RETURN MEN
The 2023 Morgan State Bears return 16 starters - 8 on offense, 8 on defense and 1 on special teams.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2023 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 2023 campaign with two of its first three non-conference matchups coming on the road. MSU opens the season at Richmond (Sept. 2), followed by a game at Akron (Sept. 9). The Bears will host Towson (Sept. 16) and Albany (Sept. 23), before traveling to face Yale (Sept. 30). The Bears round out non-conference play when they host Stony Brook (Oct. 7) for homecoming.
BEARS OPEN 48th SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 48th 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 2022 MEAC schedule with a 24-21 loss against Norfolk State (Oct. 8) 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 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.
