BALTIMORE, MD (October 12, 2024) -- The Morgan State Bears looked to gain some big time momentum before Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) competition begins in two weeks at North Carolina Central. However, The Bears couldn't overcome several costly mistakes in a tough 32-24 loss to the Merrimack Warriors this evening at Hughes Stadium.
Merrimack (2-4) got the party started when running back Jermaine Corbett took the opening kickoff and launched himself into the spotlight, sprinting 99 yards to the end zone just 14 seconds into the game.
The Warriors then blocked a punt by Morgan's Shane Messenger and recovered at the Bears' 25-yard line. Wes Matthews returned the ball deep into Morgan territory. A couple plays later, quarterback Ayden Pereira ran the ball into the endzone from 10 yards out with 10:57 left in the second quarter. The extra point from Lliam Davis gave the Merrimack a 14-0 advantage.
A few minutes later, another Warriors' drive led to a 51-yard field goal from Davis to give the Warriors a commanding 17-0 lead with 7:16 left in the quarter.
Morgan showed some signs of life and drove deep into Merrimack territory. That led to a 41-yard field goal by Beckett Leary to put Morgan on the board. With just 2:44 remaining in the game, the score narrowed to 17-3.
Just as the clock was winding down, Merrimack advanced the ball up the field, setting the stage for a scoring opportunity before the break. This culminated in a 41-yard field goal by Davis, whose strong leg and precision extended the Warrior advantage to a solid 20-3 with only 58 seconds remaining in the half. That would be the score at halftime.
Morgan (3-4) started the second half with possession and quarterback Duce Taylor orchestrated a methodical drive that marched the team down to the Warriors' five-yard line. Myles Miree ran it in for a touchdown a play later with 7:51 left. Beckett's extra point cut the Bear deficit to 20-10.
Morgan forced a three and out and got back possession. That led to Miree rolling into the endzone from a yard out for his second touchdown of the evening. With the Leary extra point, Morgan moved to within a field goal at 20-17 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter.
Merrimack answered with a drive of their own deep into the red zone, leading to a 32-yard FG by Davis to extend the Warrior lead to 23-17 with 11:56 left in the game.
J.J. Davis igniting the crowd with a spectacular 33-yard run on Morgan's following possession. Ultimately, Davis capped off the drive with a hard-fought one-yard touchdown run. The Leary extra point gave the Bears their first lead of the game at 24-23 with 6:38 left in regulation, shifting the game's dynamics and turning the tide in favor of Morgan.
However, Merrimack responded with a quick six-play drive ending in a two-yard touchdown run by Corbett with 3:05 left to give the Warriors a 29-24 advantage. The Warrior's two-point conversion attempt was broken up in the endzone.
Morgan had two drives left to answer the Warriors. However, an attempted pass from Taylor sailed just out of reach of Miree near the first down marker. This missed opportunity on the 4th and 12 play was a devastating blow for the Bears, who needed every chance to claw their way back into the contest.
Merrimack took over and four plays later, a 39-yard field goal by Davis extended the Warrior advantage to 32-24 with 36 seconds left in regulation.
Morgan had their last chance to at least force overtime. They drove aggressively with the short amount of time remaining. With four seconds left, Taylor completed a pass to Miree. However, the Warrior defense caught Miree at the Warriors' 18-yard line to finish the game.
Morgan head coach Damon Wilson's remarks highlight the mixed bag of emotions that accompany a valiant yet ultimately frustrated comeback effort.
"The guys are resilient, but we couldn't start the game off like that," said Wilson. "We played horrible special teams-wise and offensively in the first half of the game."
"In the second half of the game, we made some plays and gave ourselves some opportunities. We got the go-ahead score, but we didn't finish at the end defensively. We had a chance offensively in the two-minute drill, but we didn't execute. We got to the other side of the 50, which was good, but we didn't finish."
The Bears start conference play two weeks from today as they travel to Durham, North Carolina to play the North Carolina Central Eagles for their homecoming festivities. Kickoff on Saturday. October 26 is scheduled for 3 pm.
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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.
