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GAME TIME
Morgan (2-2) will travel to the Stony Brook Seawolves (3-1) in a non-conference matchup on Saturday, Sept. 28. The game will mark the Bears' fourth road game out of five games played so far this season. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. at Kenneth O. Lavalle Stadium. The game will air on FloSports. The game will also be broadcast by WEAA, 88.9FM.
GAME COVERAGE
FloSports will air the game live. Jonny Wincott will call the play-by-play with color analyst Brandon London. Matt Levine 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.stonybrookathletics.com
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THE SERIES
... give Damon Wilson his 11th win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' third win of the season.
... mark the Bears' first win against Stony Brook.
...mark the Morgan' second road win of the season.
THE COACHES
•
Damon Wilson enters his 3rd 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.
•
Billy Cosh was named the third head coach in Stony Brook football's Division I era on December 13, 2023. Cosh joined Stony Brook for his first career head coaching job after spending the 2023 season at Western Michigan as the Broncos' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
QUICK HITS
• The 2024 Morgan State Bears will be under the leadership of second year head coach Damon Wilson. Wilson, the 24th 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.
• Sophomore quarterback Tahj Smith enters the season as the Bears' starter. Smith's emergence comes after a freshman season in which he appeared in five games and started in the last four games of the season. He completed 29-of-71 passes (40.8 pct) for 426 yards and three touchdowns. He was also also the team's third leading rusher, accumulating 159 yards on 4.1 average carries and scoring two touchdowns.
• RS Keith Jenkins Jr. enters the Fall as a Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection and will certainly be one to watch. Appearing in 10 games throughout the season, Jenkins showcased his versatility as both a running back, a receiver, and most notably as a dangerous return specialist. He averaged an impressive average of 23.2 yards per kick return, ranking him fourth in the MEAC.
• Last season, 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 and finished with 116 carries, 584 yd, 2 TDs in 10 games played.
• Anthony James Jr. (20 rec., 189 yds, TD) and Demier Shipley (14 rec., 146 yds, TD) return as the Bears' leading wideouts this fall.
• 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 Preseason All-MEAC First Team T Treyvon Branch. (6-3, 290).
• LB Erick Hunter, is on the official watch list for the 2024 Black College Football Player of the Year Watch List, led the MEAC with 75 tackles and ranked No. 6 in tackles for loss (9.5). In addition to his elite tackling ability, Hunter also showcased his versatility and playmaking skills. He registered 7 quarterback hurries, 3.0 sacks (No. 11), two forced fumbles, two interceptions and a pass breakup. Hunter is poised to continue his impressive trajectory and lead Morgan to even greater success in the 2024 season.• DL Elijah Williams, is on the official watch list for the 2024 Black College Football Player of the Year Watch List, was a defensive standout in the trenches for the Bears in 2023. The New Jersey product registered 50 total tackles, including 31 solo tackles. His ability to penetrate the offensive line and disrupt plays was unmatched, as evidenced by his league-leading 11.0 tackles for loss.
NOTABLE NATIONAL NOTES
Here are a few 2024 FCS national statistics of note on offense, defense and special teams that pertained to the Bears:
• The Bears rank T-No. 1 in 4th down conversion pct. defense (0.000), rank T-No. 6 (FCS) in turnover margin (1.50), T-No. 5 in interceptions (6), No. 9 in total defense (270.5), T-No. 10 in turnovers gained (9), No. 12 in scoring defense (17.5), No. 29 in time of possession (31.45), No. 29 (116.3) in rushing defense, No. 31 in rushing offense (174.5), and No. 34 in first downs defense (64).
Elijah Williams ranks T-No. 8 in sacks (5),
Jadon Carter and
Carlvainsky Decius rank T-No. 16 in interceptions (2).
A GLANCE AT THE SEAWOLVES
• Stony Brook finished the 2023 season with a 0-10 overall record and were 0-8 in CAA play.
• The Seawolves were picked to finish last (16th) in the CAA Preseason Poll ... sophomore WR Anthony Johnson was named to the Preseason All-CAA Team.
• Roland Dempster ran for 179 yards and two scores and Stony Brook defeated Campbell 24-17 on Saturday in the Coastal Athletic Association opener for the Seawolves. Malachi Marshall completed 13 of 30 passes for 157 yards for Stony Brook. With two minutes left and a 10-point deficit, the Fighting Camels drove to the 12-yard line, but with time running out they opted for a short field goal to get within seven points, potentially leaving enough time for a Hail Mary attempt. But Stony Brook recovered the onside kick and took a knee to run out the clock.
• The Seawolves have played a pair of QBs so far this season ... QB Malachi Marshall has thrown for 682 yards (50-102) with a TD and 2 INTs, while Tyler Knoop has completed 13 of 21 passes for 122 yards with a TD and a pick.
• WR RJ Lamarre (13 rec., 185 yds) and Cole Bunicci (8 rec., 167 yds, TD) are the Seawolve's leading receivers.
• RB Roland Dempster currently leads the CAA in rushing with 84 carries for 427 yards (5.1 avg), including 6 TDs ... RB Brandon Boria has added 133 yards on 35 carries, including a TD.
• LB Anthony Ferrelli leads the team with 30 tackles (12 solo) and has two tackles for loss and a sack, while safety Chayce Chalmers has registered 27 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
• Stony Brooks ranks among the league leaders in a number of statistical categories: No. 2 in sacks (12), No. 5 in interceptions (4), No. 6 in rushing offense (171.3) and No. 7 in pass defense (207.3).
• In Morgan's last meeting (Nov. 5, 2022), the Seawolves kicked a game-winning field goal to hold off the Bears 24-22 at LaValle Stadium.
KNOW THY OPPONENT
• Notable alumni: Joy Behar - ABC daytime talk show "The View"; Jon Oringer - founder and CEO of Shutterstock; Steven K. Galson - served as the Surgeon General of the United State; Carolyn Porco - a planetary scientist most known for her imaging work on the Voyager missions and Cassini missions.
A LOOK AHEAD
Morgan will host the Lincoln (Pa.) Lions for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Hughes Stadium. The game will air on ESPN+.
PRESEASON PICKED THIRD
Morgan State was picked to finish third (3rd) in the MEAC standings, according to the poll of the conference head coaches and sports information directors.
North Carolina Central has been picked win the MEAC Football Championship as the Eagles topped the league's annual preseason poll for 2024. Returning MEAC champion Howard was picked to place 2nd.
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
Eight (8) Bears were named to the MEAC preseason team at the 2024 MEAC Football Press Luncheon in Norfolk, Va. Senior OL
Treyvon Branch, senior DL
Elijah Williams, senior LB
Erick Hunter, junior RS
Keith Jenkins Jr. were first-team selections. Sophomore QB
Tahj Smith, senior DL
Nana Asante, senior DB
Carlvainsky Decius, and sophomore DB
Ja'son Prevard were second-team picks.
BEARS OPEN 49th SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 49th season in the MEAC when they travel to face North Carolina Central for the conference opener on Oct. 26.
• The Bears opened the 2023 MEAC schedule with a 16-10 loss against North Carolina Central (Oct. 19) 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.
BEARS OPEN 125th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 125th season of football and will open the 2024 campaign under third year head coach
Damon Wilson.
RETURN MEN
The 2024 Morgan State Bears return 18 starters - 7 on offense, 8 on defense and 3 on special teams.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2024 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 2024 campaign with three of its first seven non-conference matchups coming on the road. MSU opens the season at Hampton (Aug. 31), followed by a game at Towson (Sept. 6) and Ohio (Sept.14). The Bears will host Virginia Lynchburg (Sept. 21), before traveling to face Stony Brook (Sept. 28). The Bears round out non-conference play when they host Lincoln (Pa.) (Oct. 5) and Merrimack (Oct. 12).
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.
