BALTIMORE, Md. (September 21, 2024) -- What a way to come home for the Morgan State Bears. They snapped a two-game losing string in their home debut at Hughes Stadium with a 56-7 dismantling of the Virginia University of Lynchburg Dragons.
It just took under a minute for the Bears to get on the board as senior cornerback Carlvainsky Decius picked off Dragons QB Matthew Jenks and took it to the house from 14 yards out. The extra point by Beckett Leary gave Morgan State a 7-0 lead 49 seconds into the game.
"It was a third down and we knew they wanted to get to the sticks," said Decius about the first big play. "So it's just trusting in what I see and (make the play)."
Then the Bears wasted no time getting back on the board as running back J.J. Davis ran it into the endzone from 8 yards out with 9:36 left. The extra point by Beckett Leary gave Morgan a 14-0 lead.
The momentum continued to build for MSU as they capitalized on a crucial fourth-and-nine conversion. Sophomore quarterback Tahj Smith showcased his elusiveness, scrambling and ultimately sneaking the ball into the end zone from just one yard out. The touchdown, which came with 3:45 remaining in the opening quarter, further extended their commanding lead to 21-0.
The Bears' offensive onslaught continued early in the second quarter. Just four seconds in, quarterback Smith showcased his accuracy and connection with receiver Andre Crawley, delivering a perfectly placed 15-yard touchdown pass. Crawley's grab and subsequent score extended the Bears' dominant lead to 28-0 with 14:56 left in the second quarter.
Next, it was Jason Collins' turn to contribute by scampering into the endzone from 32-yards out with 13:03 left. The extra point by Leary gave the Bears a 35-0 lead.
Redshirt junior Duce Taylor got into the fun by throwing a five-yard pass to Kyle Williams with 40 seconds left in the 1st half top help extend the Bears to a 42-0 dominant first half performance.
Head coaches Damon Wilson of Morgan State and Tim Newman of VU-Lynchburg agreed to shorten the quarters to 10 minutes after the halftime period.
Collins started the second half scoring by running the ball into the endzone from nine yards out. It marked the second touchdown of the night by the junior running back from Washington, D.C. The extra point by Leary gave Morgan a 49-0 lead with 2:52 left in the 3rd quarter.
Jacob Newman broke the Morgan shutout bid with a 20-yard touchdown run with 6:49 left in the game for VU-Lynchburg (0-4). The extra point by Ryan Pettit cut the Dragons' deficit to 49-7.
Morgan State capped the scoring on their next possession on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Dominique Anthony to Joseph Owumi. The extra point from Leary made the score 56-7 in favor of the Bears with 5:53 left in the game.
Next week, the Bears go back on the road as they travel to Stony Brook to take on the Seawolves at LaValle Stadium in New York. Kickoff is at 3:30 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.
