msu vs how
27
Morgan St. MSU 3-5 , 0-1
33
Winner Howard HOW 4-4 , 1-0
Morgan St. MSU
3-5 , 0-1
27
Final
33
Howard HOW
4-4 , 1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT F
MSU Morgan St. 7 7 7 6 0 27
HOW Howard 7 7 0 13 6 33

Game Recap: Football | | MSU Athletics Communications

MEAC Clash Goes Down to the Wire, Bears' OT Bid Ends in Heartbreak

Postgame Notes

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 25, 2024) -- In an exciting clash on Saturday, Morgan State clashed with longtime Beltway rival Howard for the 78th time on Saturday, adding another chapter to their storied rivalry.
 
Despite a strong effort from the Bears, Howard prevailed in a hard-fought 33-27 overtime victory. The win snapped the Bison's three-game skid and marked their first triumph over Morgan State since 2023, improving their record to 4-4 overall and 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Bears fell to 3-5 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.

The Bison gained 441 yards, including 199 yards on the ground, while Morgan State finished with 335 total yards.

Morgan State redshirt freshman quarterback Raymond Moore III turned in a strong performance, completing 13 of 25 passes for 157 yards, and had 99 rushing yards and a touchdown. Freshman wideout Justin Perry chipped in with three receptions for 59 yards.

On the defensive side, Jordan Johnson II led the Bears with a game-high 10 tackles (eight solo). Rasheen Duncan added six stops and a tackle for loss, while Erick Hunter tallied five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Hiroshi Carr and Joshua Narh each came up with an interception to round out a strong defensive effort.

Tyriq Starks paced the Bison's offense, going 20 of 27 for 163 yards and a touchdown pass while adding 36 rushing yards. Anthony Reagan Jr. led all runners with 122 yards on 17 carries, with two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.  Breylin Smith hauled in a game-high nine catches for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Howard's offense struck first on its opening drive of the game. Tyriq Starks engineered an eight-play, 54-yard march, capping it off with a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Xavier Newsom, who broke a tackle and powered into the end zone. Matt Conord's extra point gave the Bison a 7-0 lead with 10:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Morgan State answered quickly. Moore led the Bears deep into Howard territory before finding Joseph Kennerly Jr. on a short pass. Joseph Kennerly Jr. shook off a tackle and sprinted 9 yards for the score, tying the game at 7-7 with 6:48 left in the opening quarter.

Howard regained the lead on its next possession as Starks directed a 12-play, 87-yard drive that chewed up 6:24 of the clock. Anthony Reagen Jr. capped it with a 34-yard touchdown run, bouncing outside after taking a handoff up the middle. The Bison went up 14-7.

Just before halftime, Morgan State pulled even thanks to a trick play. A perfectly executed flea flicker set up a 33-yard connection from Moore to Perry, giving the Bears first-and-10 at the Howard 14. Four plays later, redshirt freshman Randall Nauden punched it in from 2 yards out to knot the game at 14-14.

The Bears opened the second half with fireworks, as Moore III broke loose for a thrilling 81-yard touchdown run, giving Morgan State a 21-14 advantage with 14:03 left in the third quarter.
Morgan State's defense came up with a big play when defensive back Hiroshi Carr intercepted Starks at the Howard 26-yard line, setting the Bears up with excellent field position.

After a timeout, the Bears sent out Sahr Gbundema for a 36-yard field goal attempt, but it missed wide, keeping Morgan State ahead 21-14 with 4:32 left in the third quarter.

Howard capitalized on the next possession when a miscue in the backfield led to a fumble by Malique Leatherbury, recovered by the Bison at the Morgan 28-yard line.

Backup quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins then found a lane up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown run, capping a quick 4-play, 24-yard drive to tie the game at 21-21.

The Bears' defense responded, tightening up to force a stop and return possession to the offense midway through the final quarter.

That's when sophomore running back Jason Collins Jr. took over. He broke off an 18-yard run to the Morgan 42, and a facemask penalty on the Bison moved the ball to the Howard 39. From there, the Bears leaned heavily on Collins as they worked to drain the clock.

Facing 4th-and-5 from the Howard 34, Morgan dialed up a perfectly executed misdirection play — Moore found Collins out of the backfield for a clutch first-down conversion. On the very next play, Collins capped the drive with an 18-yard burst into the end zone to put the Bears back in front, 27-21.

With just over three minutes remaining, Howard mounted one final drive. The Bison kept their hopes alive by converting a crucial 4th-and-2 when quarterback Elijah Scroggins connected with Antonio Hunter on a crossing route. Three plays later, Tyriq Starks dropped back and fired a 32-yard strike to Smith over the middle, setting up the Bison deep in Morgan territory with 1:11 left.

Facing 3rd-and-4 with 56 seconds remaining, Scroggins found Smith again on a short pass, and Smith turned it upfield for a 16-yard touchdown, outracing the Bears' defense to tie the game at 27-27 with just 49 seconds to play.

Morgan State managed to move the ball near midfield but stalled at 3rd-and-6 from its own 45. The Bears were forced to punt with 14 seconds left. Alex Amaya's punt was muffed by Antonio Hunter, and Morgan's Erick Hunter appeared to recover, but after review, the officials ruled the ball belonged to Howard—sending the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Howard won the toss and chose to play defense first. Morgan struggled to gain ground—Moore's scramble went for no gain, followed by a deflected pass caught by Kennerly, and an incomplete throw on third down. Amaya's ensuing 39-yard field goal attempt was blocked and sailed wide right.

On the ensuing possession, Reagen Jr. dramatically ended the game, bursting through the defense for a 25-yard touchdown run to seal Howard's thrilling 33-27 overtime victory.

In the aftermath of the hard-fought overtime battle, redshirt senior linebacker Erick Hunter shared his thoughts on the team's effort and the lessons learned.
 
"It's any given Saturday," Hunter said. "We've had three games this year that have come down to the last play. Finishing is the biggest thing — that's the biggest takeaway. We keep coming up on the short end of the stick. We're playing good football, but we just have to figure out how to close it out at the end."
 
When asked about the long-standing rivalry with Howard, Hunter pointed to the consistent intensity of the matchup.
 
"Since I've been here, these games have always come down to the wire — except maybe one," he said. "It's a great rivalry; they're right down the road. D.C. and Baltimore — it's always competitive. We just came up short today. We got it last year, but it's always back and forth. It's any given Saturday."


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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.


 
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