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GAME TIME
Morgan State (2-5, 1-1 MEAC) will look to post back-to-back wins when they host the Delaware State Hornets (1-7, 0-2) on Saturday, Nov. 4. The Bears rallied for a 32-28 win at Norfolk State, while the Hornets come into the game fresh off of a tough 17-10 home loss against Howard.Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Hughes Stadium and will be carried live by ESPN+ and WEAA-88.9 FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+ will air the game live. Phil Schoener will call the play-by-play with color analyst Emory "The Czar of the Playbook" Hunt. Cayla Sweazie will be the sideline reporter.
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.nsuspartans.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
• Saturday will mark the 67th meeting between the two schools.
• Morgan leads the series against Delaware State with an overall record of 39-27.
• The Bears have won 12 of the last 14 meetings since 2008, including a string of 9-straight (2010-2019).
• In their last meeting on Nov. 12, Morgan scored 31 unanswered points and the Bears defense dominated the Hornets in a conference showdown on a sunny afternoon at Alumni Stadium. The Bears absolutely had their way today as they held Delaware State to 81 total yards, recorded eight sacks, and scored a pair of defensive touchdowns to cruise to a 37-7 victory. Morgan quarterback
Duce Taylorconnected on a 16-yard touchdown pass to
Joseph Owumi in the back of the endzone to take a 16-7 lead into halftime. Taylor went 9 for 17 for 137 yards. For the game, the Bears amassed 224 yards on 54 plays.
Erick Hunter had a game-high 11 tackles with four tackles for loss and two sacks for the Bears.
Lawrence Richardson added 10 tackles and
Elijah Williams had nine tackles and two sacks.
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.
•
Lee Hull (Holy Cross, '88) was introduced as the 24th head coach in team history on Dec. 20, 2022. A former MEAC champion head coach, Hull brought more than 25 years of coaching experience at the professional and NCAA Division I levels to the position. Hull most recently served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at rival Howard University since 2020.
A WIN WOULD ...
... give
Damon Wilson his seventh win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' fifth consecutive win against Delaware State since Nov. 10, 2018 (9-0).
... improve the Bears' record to 40-27 against Delaware State.
... mark MSU's first conference home win since defeating South Carolina State 41-14 on Oct. 29, 2022.
... mark the back-to-back wins for the Bears.
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 9 having completed 50 percent of his passes for 524 yards with three TDs, three interceptions and a 87.3 passer rating. He has also rushed for 44 yards on 28 carries.
• Norfolk State transfer J.J. Davis 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 seven games (78 carries, 327 yds).
• Treveyon Pratt (22 rec., 296 yds, 2 TDs) and Demier Shipley (13 rec., 141 yds) have led the Bears' wideouts thru the first seven 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 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 36 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 (7) 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 23.7 yards per kick return (No. 3 in MEAC), including a 90-yasrd TD return at Norfolk State (Oct. 28).
• 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.
A GLANCE AT THE HORNETS
• Delaware State finished the 2022 season with a 5-6 overall record and posted a 2-3 mark in MEAC play and went 3-4 on the road.
• DSU was picked to finish last in the MEAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Five Hornets earned recognition on the 2023 Preseason All-MEAC Team. Running back Marquis Gillis, offensive lineman Sam Pearson, defensive back Romell Harris-Freeman, offensive lineman Isaiah Cook, linebacker Maurio Going, and placekicker Nathan Wilson were named to the All-MEAC Preseason Second Team.
• QB Marqui Adams ranks No. 3 in the league in passing (168.7 avg) and has completed 58.5% of his throws (83-142) for 1,181 yards, a league high 11 TDs with six INTs ... but it was Aaron Angelos who started under center for the Hornets last weekend vs. Howard, he completed 10-of-17 passes for 118 yards.
• Last time out - Howard mounted a 14-play, 92-yard drive, culminating in a one-yard rushing touchdown from with 9:10 left in the ballgame, as Delaware State lost 17-10 in heartbreaking fashion to the Bison last Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium. Marquis Gillis paced the Hornets rushing attack by accumulating 74 yards and one touchdown over the course of the game, averaging 5.3 yards per carry
• WR EJ Core ranks No. 8 in the MEAC in reception yards (243) with 17 catches and two TDs ... WR Jordan Hull ranks No. 10 with 17 receptions for 204 yards and a TD.
• LBs Eric Montes and Maurio Goings are two of the top defenders in the conference. Montes has 37 stops and leads the league with 4.5 sacks, including 6.5 tackles for loss. Goings ranks No. 9 in tackles (36) with a pass breakup.
• DSU ranks among the league leaders in a number of statistical categories: No. 1 in punt returns (29.5), No. 1 in punting (35.4), No. 2 in kickoff returns (23.5), No. 3 in pass offense (187.9 avg), No. 3 in offensive efficiency (123.2), and No. 3 in 3rd down conversions (34.7).
• On Nov. 12, 2022, Morgan scored 31 unanswered points and the Bears defense dominated the Hornets in a MEAC showdown on a sunny afternoon at Alumni Stadium. The Bears absolutely had their way today as they held Delaware State to 81 total yards, recorded eight sacks, and scored a pair of defensive touchdowns to cruise to a 37-7 victory. Morgan quarterback Duce Taylor went 9 for 17 for 137 yards. For the game, the Bears amassed 224 yards on 54 plays. Freshman sensation Keith Jenkins Jr., who entered the game ranked No. 11 in the FCS in kickoff returns, picked his way through the Hornets and dashed down the right sideline to open the second half with a 90-yard kickoff return to give the Bears a 23-7 cushion.
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 thirteen (13) 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 2023 seniors are:
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. 3 in blocked kicks (4), T-No. 8 in turnovers gained (17), No. 16 in total defense (313.6), and No. 39 in scoring defense (23.7).
• Senior S Jordan Toles ranks T-2 nationally in interceptions (3).
• Junior DE Elijah Williams ranks T-No. 17 in sacks (4.5).
• Junior DE Nana Asante ranks T-No 2 in blocked kicks (3).
• Sophomore Keith Jenkins Jr. ranks No. 32 in kick returns (23.7).
A LOOK AHEAD
• Saturday, Nov. 11 will mark the 43rd meeting between the two schools.
• SCSU leads the series against Morgan with an overall record of 34-7-1 since 1971.
• SCSU has won 13 of the last 15 meetings (2003-2022) against the Bears.
• In their last meeting on Oct. 26, Alfonzo Graham ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, the defense added two TDs and Morgan scored the final 24 points on their way to a historic 41-14 win over South Carolina State at Hughes Stadium. The Bears defeated the Bulldogs for the first time since Nov. 15, 2014 when Morgan won a 24-21 decision at Hughes Stadium. It also marked the most points ever scored by the Bears against SCSU in the series. The contest also held historical significance for Damon Wilson who recorded his first conference win as Morgan's head coach.
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.
