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GAME TIME
Morgan State (4-5, 3-1 MEAC) will look to post its fourth consecutive win when they wrap the 2023 season on the road against the Howard Bison (5-5, 4-1) on Saturday, Nov. 18 n what could decide the MEAC regular season title. The Bears defeated South Carolina State 20-17 last Saturday in Orangeburg, while the Bison come into the game fresh off of a 50-20 blowout win against #7 North Carolina Central. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium and will be carried live by ESPN+ and WEAA-88.9 FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+ will air the game live.
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.hubison.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's matchup marks the 76th meeting between the two schools.
• Morgan State lead the overall series 43-31-1 since 1931.
• In their last matchup, the Bison posted a 35-6 victory against the Bears on Nov. 19, 2022 at Hughes Stadium.
• Morgan's last win against the Bison was a 28-24 victory at Hughes Stadium on Sept. 24, 2016.
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.
• Larry Scott is in his third 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). He helped lead the Bison to a share of the 2022 MEAC Championship.
A WIN WOULD ...
... give Damon Wilson his ninth win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' most wins in a season since 2014.
... improve the Bears' record to 44-31-1 against Howard since 1931.
... mark the Bears first win against Howard since a 28-24 win at Hughes Stadium on Oct. 9, 2021.
... mark a 4-game winning streak for the Bears.
... improve Morgan's overall series record to 44-31-1 since 1931.
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.
• True freshman quarterback Tahj Smith made his first career start in Week 9 vs. Delaware State and threw two touchdown passes...he completed 6-of-17 passes for 131 yards, including 66 yards on the ground.
• 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 nine games (104 carries, 510 yd, 2 TDs).
• Treveyon Pratt (24 rec., 329 yds, 2 TDs) and Demier Shipley (14 rec., 146 yds) have led the Bears' wideouts thru the first nine 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 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6 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. 4 in the MEAC in passes defended (9) 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 23.3 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 all season. The Baltimore product is a 2x MEAC Player of the Week and is an Aeneas Williams Award Semifinalist.. He currently leads the MEAC with three interceptions and ranks No. 7 in tackles (52) and No. 10 in passes defended (5). He scored on a 73-yard kick return that ended up winning the game for the Bears at South Carolina State.
A GLANCE AT THE BISON
• Howard finished the 2022 season with a 5-6 overall record and were Co-MEAC champions with a 4-1 record in conference play.
• The Bison were projected to finish second overall in the MEAC Preseason Poll and placed 12 on the Preseason All-MEAC Team: OL Anim Dankwah and DB Kenny Gallop Jr. earned first team honors, along with DL Darrian Brokenburr, DL Jevin Jackson, TE Brennan Brown, WR Kasey Hawthorne and OL Darius Fox. LB Christian White, QB Quinton Williams, OL Deshawn Ingram, RB Ian Wheeler, RB Jarrett Hunter, WR Richie Illarraza and DB Robert Jones III claimed spots on the league's second team.
• With its season hanging in the balance, the Howard responded and put together its best all-around performance of the year to dominate No. 7 North Carolina Central (8-2, 3-1 MEAC), 50-20 at Greene Stadium. The offense racked up 521 yards, 244 on the ground and 277 in the air. Quinton Williams had his best outing of the year, completing 23-of-33 for 277 yards and three TDs and he added 15 yards rushing on four carries and another score. Jarrett Hunter rushed for 113 yards on 14 carries and two scores.
• QB Quinton Williams ranks No. 1 in the conference in passing ... he has completed 166-of-276 passes for 2,015 yards and 16 touchdowns, including four interceptions.
• WR Kasey Hawthorne currently has a league-high 31 receptions and ranks No. 1 in the conference with 452 receiving yards to go along with five TDs ... Richie Ilarraza (27 rec., 272 yds, TD), and Breylin Smith (20 rec., 209 yds) are also key targets for Howard's air attack.
• RB Eden James has been a workhorse for the Bison with 83 carries for 482 yards (5.8 avg) and 2 TDs ... RB Jarett Hunter has added 494 yards on 113 carries, including seven TDs.
• LB Kenny Gallop ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in tackles with 44 tackles (27 solo), 6.3 TFL (No. 3) and 1.5 sacks, while LB Terrance Hollon has registered 57 tackles and 5.7 tackles for loss.
• Howard ranks among the league leaders in a number of statistical categories: No. 1 in total offense (383.9); No. 1 passing offense (208.8); No. 1 in passing defense (128.12); No. 1 in first downs (19.8), No. 2 in total defense (321.8).
• On Nov. 19, 2022, in their last matchup, Quinton Williams accounted for three touchdowns to lead Howard to a 35-6 win against Morgan State on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Hughes Stadium. The win secured Howard (5-6, 4-1) as MEAC co-champions with North Carolina Central, who handed the Bison their only conference loss. Williams completed 17 of 24 passes for 241 yards, including touchdown passes of 13 and 15 yards. He was also on the receiving end of a 4-yard touchdown pass from running back Jarrett Hunter to increase the lead to 28-0 early in the fourth quarter. Morgan quarterbacks combined for just 67 passing yards. Sophomore Duce Taylor completed 4 of 12 passes for 32 yards and was sacked twice. Sophomore R.J. Walker entered the game in the second half and threw for 35 yards on 4 of 13 completions.
LAST TIME OUT
The following is the list of the Morgan senior football players who will be competing in their in their last game as collegiate student-athletes. These fourteen (14) 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. 7 in blocked kicks (4), T-No. 4 in turnovers gained (22), No. 12 in total defense (300.3), T-No. 32 in sacks (21), T-No. 21 in passes intercepted (11), and No. 31 in scoring defense (22.2).
• Senior S Jordan Toles ranks T-28 nationally in interceptions (3).
• Junior DE Elijah Williams ranks No. 20 in sacks (6.0) and T-No. 30 in tackles for loss (10.0).
• Junior DE Nana Asante ranks T-No 3 in blocked kicks (3).
• Sophomore Keith Jenkins Jr. ranks No. 33 in kick returns (23.3).
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.
