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GAME TIME
Morgan State (5-1) travels to Nashville, Tennessee, to face Tennessee State (1-5, 0-2 OVC) in the Tigers' homecoming celebration on Saturday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (ET) at Nissan Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with additional radio coverage provided by HSRN and SIRIUSXM Radio.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+ (online) Click Here |
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.tustigers.com
THE SERIES
• Saturday will mark the 5th meeting in the series that began with a 14-0 win by the Tigers at the Atlanta Gridiron Festival on Sept. 15, 1972.
• The Tennessee State Tigers hold a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series against Morgan State. TSU claimed the most recent meeting with a 37-17 victory on Oct. 24, 1987 in Nashville.
THE COACHES
• Damon Wilson enters his 5th 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.
• Reggie Barlow enters his 2nd season as head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers. Before arriving at Tennessee State, Barlow led the UFL's D.C. Defenders. In 2023, he guided the Defenders to a league-best 9-1 regular-season record and an appearance in the championship game, earning XFL Coach of the Year honors.
THE 2026 SCHEDULE
Morgan State will open the 2026 regular season with back-to-back road contests, beginning with a CAA matchup at North Carolina A&T on Aug. 29, followed by an FBS showdown at Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., on Sept. 5. The Bears return home for their home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Sept. 12, before welcoming Robert Morris for Homecoming on Oct. 10. Morgan State will then open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play at home against longtime rival Howard.
QUICK HITS
• The 2026 Morgan State Bears are under the leadership of fifth-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 won 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.
• Cameron Edge (6-2, 230) was named the starting quarterback for Morgan State, head coach Damon Wilson announced at the conclusion of preseason camp. The competition behind Edge remains ongoing, with Ade Olanegan (6-1, 210) currently listed as the No. 2 quarterback. Tahj Smith (6-1, 200), Raeden Oliver (6-3, 195), Howard Kennedy III (6-1, 204) and Timothy Cole II (5-10, 185) also remain in the mix as the Bears continue to develop depth at the position.
• As a result of Morgan State's 28-27 win versus Robert Morris last Saturday, the Bears improved to 5-1, marking the first time Morgan State has opened a season 5-1 since 2009, when the Bears finished with a 6-5 winning record.
• Edge directed the Bears' offense in his sixth career start for Morgan State against Robert Morris, completing 18 of 29 passes for 181 yards and a TD...he also had 61 yards on seven carries.
• RB Keith Jenkins Jr. led the Bears with 13 carries for 98 yards, including 2 TDs.
• Justin Perry leads the MEAC with 451 yards on 24 receptions, including three TDs...Joseph Towler ranks No. 4 with 14 catches for 327 yards and leads the league with 4 TD catches.
• Jenkins Jr. had a 95-yard touchdown return against Towson and finished the night by accounting for 213 all-purpose yards. He currently leads the MEAC averaging 27.1 yards on 13 kick returns.
• Through the opening six games, Donovan Moyer leads the Bears with six sacks, ranking No. 1 in the MEAC in sacks and third in the conference with 8.5 tackles for loss.
• Morgan has several offensive linemen as they enter the 2026 season ... The Bears have 21 OL listed on the roster and will be led by veterans Adorain Favors (6-7, 300), Alec Washington (6-4, 325), and Daniel Casillas Jr. (6-2, 315).
MORGAN STATE MAKES HISTORY, ENTERS STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 POLL
• Morgan State football has made history, earning its first-ever appearance in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, debuting at No. 24 in the latest national media poll released Monday.
• The milestone marks the first time Morgan State has appeared in the national media rankings, which date back to approximately 1990, underscoring the significance of the Bears' breakthrough season and their emergence on the national stage.
• The historic recognition comes on the heels of the Bears' thrilling 28-27 Homecoming victory over Robert Morris on Saturday at Hughes Stadium.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• Tennessee State is coming off a 2025 campaign that ended in a 2-10 overall record and went 0-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• TSU was selected to finish last out of eight teams in the OVC. UT Martin was chosen to win the conference.
• Tennessee State placed 14 student-athletes on the 2026 OVC-Big South Football Association Preseason Players to Watch list...The Tigers are well-represented across all phases of the ball, highlighting both veteran leadership and an exciting wave of sophomore talent:
Offense: QB Daylin Lee (Sr.), RB Zack Simmons-Brown (So.), WR Cam Bulluck (So.), TE Aaron Duncan (So.), and OL Breon Brown (So.). Defense: DL Bryce Gray (So.), LB Sammy Taylor (Jr.), and DB Syncere Safeeullah (Jr.). Special Teams & All-Purpose: AP/PR Anthony Taylor (So.), PK Britton Watts (So.), P Davion Moore (So.), KR Jaden Jones (So.), and LS Steven Nelson (So.).
• QB Daylin Lee, a 6-2, 225-pound transfer from Winston-Salem State, has completed 54% of his passes, totaling 1394 yards and a league-high 9 TDs through six games. Lee is averaging 232.3 passing yards per game and has thrown just three interceptions. He enters the Morgan State matchup following a 20-of-39, 376-yard, 4-TD performance in a win against UT Martin.
• The Tigers feature a pair of talented targets in the passing game. Junior wide receiver Cam Bulluck (6-3, 185) ranks No. 2 in the OVC by leading the team with 32 receptions for 457 yards and five touchdowns. Sophomore Jayden Guy (5-11, 175) ranks No. 3 with 23 catches for 329 yards.
• Freshman running back Brenton Paul (5-9, 190) leads the team with an average of 3.4 yards per carry. He has 66 carries for 227 yards, including two TDs.
• Defensively, senior linebacker Epoki Fakaosi, and sophomore safety Kaiki Baker lead the Tigers. Fakaosi has 29 tackles and a forced fumble, and Baker has 28 stops, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. Senior defensive end Jaylon Price paces the Tigers with 3.5 sacks and has 25 total tackles.
• Passing Offense: TSU ranks No. 3 in the league in passing, averaging 238.5 yards per game.
• 3rd-Down Conversions: The Tigers rank No. 3 in the OVC, converting 40.7% of their attempts (37-of-91).
PRESEASON PICKED FOURTH
Morgan State was picked to finish fourth (4th) 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 2026. North Carolina Central was tabbed to place 2nd.
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
The Bears placed nine student-athletes on the 2026 Preseason All-MEAC Team, as selected by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
• Leading the way were three first-team selections: tight end Alex Simmons, linebacker Arturo Mattocks, and defensive back Aki Harvey.
• The Bears also had five second-team honorees, including running back Keith Jenkins Jr., wide receiver Justin Perry, defensive lineman Justin Dutton, defensive lineman Kristopher Boyd, punter Shane Messenger, and return specialist Malique Leatherbury.
BEARS OPEN 51st SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open their 51st season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) when they host Howard for the conference opener on Oct. 24.
• The Bears opened the 2025 MEAC schedule with a 33-27 loss at Howard (Oct. 25) at Greene 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.
MSU IN THE CIAA
Morgan State was a power as a former member of the CIAA. The Bears posted 173 wins between 1929 and 1959 when Edward P. Hurt was the head coach, and the Bears won 14 CIAA championships. Earl Banks added to the championship collection by winning four titles during the 1960s.
MSU LEGEND EARL 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.
BEARS OPEN 127th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 127th season of football and will open the 2026 campaign under five-year head coach Damon Wilson.
RETURN MEN
The 2026 Morgan State Bears return 15 starters - 4 on offense, 6 on defense, and 5 on special teams.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2026 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 2026 campaign with seven non-conference contests, including four road games. Morgan State begins the season at North Carolina A&T on Aug. 29 before traveling to Arizona State on Sept. 5. The Bears return to Hughes Stadium for their home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Sept. 12, then head back on the road to face Towson on Sept. 19 and Villanova on Oct. 3. Morgan State returns home for Homecoming against Robert Morris on Oct. 10 before wrapping up its non-conference slate against Tennessee State at Nissan Stadium on Oct. 17.
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 Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master's degree, doctorate, and certificate programs. 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.
