Morgan State Notes | Central State Notes | MEAC Notes | 
Purchase Tickets |
MEAC Video Conference | GAMEDAYGuide
Facebook.com/MorganStateBears | 
@MorganStBears
GAME TIME
Morgan (0-3) will host the Central State Marauders (0-3) in a non-conference matchup on Saturday, Sept. 20. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore, Md. The game will air on ESPN+. The game will also be broadcast by WEAA, 88.9FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+ (online) Click Here | will air the game live. Phil Schoener will call the play-by-play with color analyst Emory "The Czar of the Playbook" Hunt.
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 SiriusXM 386 and 988 on the SiriusXMmobile app.
LIVE STATS: www.morganstatebears.com - here
THE SERIES
• Saturday will mark the 14th meeting between the two schools.
• Central State leads the series 10-3 since 1951.
• Morgan State's most recent victory over Central State occurred in 1975, with a final score of 24–21.
• The teams' most recent matchup was a narrow 18–17 victory for Central State in the 1996 Capital City Classic inside Ohio State Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
THE COACHES
• Damon Wilson enters his 4th 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 championships.
• Tony Carter enters his first season as Central State's head coach. Carter was a star CB at Florida State and then spent seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). His coaching journey began in the NFL, serving as a defensive assistant with the Detroit Lions in 2020.
QUICK HITS
• The 2025 Morgan State Bears are under the leadership of fourth-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.
• QB Kobe Muasau emerged from fall camp, beating out four other quarterbacks to earn the Bears' starting signal-caller role for the season. Muasau, from Honolulu, Hawaii, spent most of last season on the sidelines before making his lone appearance in the 2024 finale. He earned the start against Beltway rival Howard on November 23 at Hughes Stadium, guiding the Bears to a 35–21 victory. Muasau has completed 37 of 58 passes for 388 yards, including two interceptions and a touchdown.
• RB Jason Collins Jr. was named the MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Collins Jr. made an immediate impact in his debut season, rushing for 634 yards and eight touchdowns on 114 carries to earn 2024 MEAC Rookie of the Year honors. His breakout performance came against Delaware State where he totaled 152 rushing yards on 24 carries. He leads the Bears with 234 yards on 61 carries and has scored 4 TDs so far this season.
• Returning as the Bears' leading receiver for the 2025 season is Malique Leatherbury, a promising talent looking to build upon his previous year's experience. In 2024, he appeared in 12 games and had a stat line of 29 receptions for 250 yards. He was also one of the premier return specialists in FCS football. He earned him a spot on the All-MEAC Second Team, largely fueled by his remarkable 17.9-yard average per punt return, which ranked second-best in the entire FCS.
• Morgan has several offensive linemen as they enter the 2025 season ... The Bears have 19 OL listed on the roster and will be led by veteran center Preseason All-MEAC Second Team Daniel Casillas (6-3, 315).
• LB Erick Hunter is on the official watch list for the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List. Despite missing most of the 2024 season, he made a strong comeback in the final two games, ending the year with a standout performance against Howard that included seven tackles and one sack. Hunter, who currently ranks fifth on Morgan State's all-time tackles list with 222, has already proven himself as one of the top defenders in the FCS.
SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS
• Central State closed the 2024 season dropping their last seven contests to finish with a 1-9 overall record and went 1-7 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
• Head coach Tony Carter has assembled one of the most impressive coaching staffs in Division II football. On the offensive side, NFL All-Pro Leon Washington takes charge as offensive coordinator, while Dayton-area great and NFL veteran Brandon McKinney directs the defensive line. The staff also features Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, who will mentor the wide receivers, and NFL veteran and former Judson University head coach Quintin Demps, now serving as a defensive assistant.
• On offense, veteran wideout Jaden Bossie returns as a reliable target. The newcomers include Kentrell Rinehart, a former NC State commit, QB Qeanu Campbell-Caldwell from Long Beach CC, WR Nicholas Smith, an FIU transfer, and Quinten Johnson, a transfer from Illinois State.
• Central State (0-3) fell to Benedict College, 10-0, as they were unable to capitalize on a strong rushing production and defensive pressure in a hard-fought contest. The Marauders' ground game racked up 159 rushing yards, led by Dai'Vontay Young's 68 yards on 10 carries. Jaden Bossie added 49 yards on 12 carries while QB Qeanu Campbell-Caldwell contributed 28 yards. CSU completed just 11-of-21 passes for 113 yards with one interception in the loss.
• Central State football was a powerhouse in the 1980s and '90s. The Marauders won three NAIA Division II national championships from 1990-95, and they were runner-up in 1983 while competing in NCAA Division II. Legendary head coach William "Billy" Joe helmed the program from 1981-93 before giving way to Rick Comegy. The program sent several players to the NFL over the years, most notably Erik Williams, who was a member of the dominant Dallas Cowboys offensive lines of the 1990s, and Hugh Douglas, a standout defensive end for the Jets and Eagles. Financial problems forced the suspension of the football program in 1997, but it was restored in 2005.
• Central State is a historically black college that gained university status in 1965. Since 2014, CSU has competed in the SIAC with other Division II HBCUs. CSU is the only Ohio school in the SIAC, which includes members from Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.
A LOOK AHEAD
Morgan will face non-conference opponent Miles College in the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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. Returning MEAC champion South Carolina State has been picked to win the MEAC Football Championship as the Bulldogs topped the league's annual preseason poll for 2024. North Carolina Central was tabbed to place 2nd.
BEARS OPEN 50th SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open their 50th season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC ) when they travel to face Howard for the conference opener on Oct. 25.
• The Bears opened the 2024 MEAC schedule with a 16-7 loss at North Carolina Central (Oct. 26) at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
• The Bears kicked off their 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.
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
The Bears made a clean sweep of the conference's top individual honors, with standout LB Erick Hunter earning the prestigious title of Preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, and RB Jason Collins Jr. securing the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year nod at the 2025 MEAC Football Press Luncheon in Baltimore, Md. Eleven (11) Bears were named to the MEAC preseason team: DL Dashawn Fields, LB Erick Hunter, DB Jadon Carter, RS Malique Leatherbury, PK Sahr Gbundema, and P Shane Messenger were first-team selections. RB Jason Collins Jr., WR Malique Leatherbury, C Daniel Casillas, OL Kahari Finley, OL Treyvon Branch, and LB Arturo Mattocks were second-team picks.
BEARS OPEN 126th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 126th season of football and will open the 2025 campaign under fourth-year head coach Damon Wilson.
RETURN MEN
The 2025 Morgan State Bears return 20 starters - 9 on offense, 6 on defense, and 5 on special teams.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2025 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 2025 campaign with four of their first seven non-conference matchups coming on the road. MSU opens the season at South Alabama (Aug. 30), host Towson (Sept. 6), followed by a game at Toledo (Sept. 13), before returning home to face Central State (Sept. 20). Morgan will face Miles College in the Circle City Classic (Sept. 27), and round out non-conference play at Georgetown (Oct. 4) and then homecoming versus Virginia Lynchburg (Oct. 11).
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 in 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 website 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.
