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GAME TIME
Morgan State (1-0) will face the Arizona State Sun Devils (0-0), members of the Big 12 conference, on Saturday, September 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. (ET) at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The game will also air on WEAA, 88.9FM. This highly anticipated clash marks the first meeting between the schools.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+ (online) Click Here | Connor Smith will call the play-by-play with color analyst Doug Tammaro.
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.thesundevils.com
THE SERIES
• Saturday will mark the first meeting between the schools.
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.
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.
• Kenny Dillingham, who was the offensive coordinator for Oregon, is the 26th coach in the history of the Sun Devils. He has strong ties to the state of Arizona — he is from Phoenix and spent time at the high school level as a coach, where he was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Chaparral from 2007 to 2013. He then spent a year at ASU as a graduate assistant in 2014-15 under Todd Graham, where he worked on the offensive side.
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 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.
• 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.
• Edge directed the Bears' offense in his first career start for Morgan State at N.C. A&T, completing 13-of-19 passes for 167 yards, including a touchdown and an interception. Edge posted a 68.4 completion percentage and recorded a 149.09 passing efficiency rating. His longest completion was a 68-yard strike.
• The Bears were led on the ground by Shepherd University transfer Jordan Barnett (5-11, 235), who rushed 12 times for 114 yards and a touchdown, averaging 9.5 yards per carry. Barnett provided Morgan with its most explosive rushing threat, including a 42-yard run and a game-clinching 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter at N.C. A&T.
• Justin Perry led Morgan with four receptions for 45 yards, while Joseph Towler supplied the game's biggest passing play, hauling in a 68-yard touchdown reception. The Bears finished with 13 completions distributed among nine different receivers.
• 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).
• The current Morgan State Bears alumni active or recently signed on NFL rosters include defensive end Elijah Williams, while offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is with the Atlanta Falcons. Linebacker Erick Hunter, who signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent, was recently waived by the club during its 2026 roster cuts.
SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS
• Arizona State finished the 2025 season with an 8-5 overall record and were 6-3 in Big 12 play. The Sun Devils dropped a 42-39 decision against Duke in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
• After going 3-9 in back-to-back seasons (2022 and 2023), ASU is 19-8 over the past two seasons under Kenny Dillingham. That is the most Sun Devil wins in back-to-back seasons since ASU went 20-7 under Todd Graham in 2013-14.
• ASU had three players named to the Big 12 Conference preseason team, as voted on by media members who cover the league and its 16 member institutions. R-Senior QB Noah Fifita, senior WR Amare Thomas, and senior DL C.J. Fite.
• Arizona State has named Cutter Boley as the school's starting quarterback, coach Kenny Dillingham announced Saturday (Aug. 29), and the Kentucky transfer will debut against Morgan State on Sept. 5. Boley started 11 games over two years at Kentucky, throwing for 2,489 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushing for two touchdowns. He completed 65.8% of his passes in 2025, a record for a Wildcats freshman.
• Boley will get plenty of support around him in his first season as the signal-caller, especially with the transfers of talented senior wide receivers Omarion Miller and Reed Harris.
• The Football Writers Association of America listed DL C.J. Fite on both their Bronko Nagurski and Outland Trophy Watch Lists for the second consecutive preseason. The Nagurski Trophy recognizes the national defensive player of the year, while the Outland is presented to the nation's best interior lineman (offensive or defensive). Fite has played in 38 games in his Sun Devil career and has racked up 76 tackles (40 solo).
• ASU averaged 25.8 points per game and allowed 24.5 points per game.
• ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 29 of the team's 39 games under Kenny Dillingham.
KNOW THY OPPONENT
• Notable alumni: Roger Allers '71 - filmmaker, co-directed "The Lion King"; Matt Barrie '79 - ESPN SportsCenter anchor; Derrick Hall '91 - president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks; James Harden - third overall NBA Draft pick in 2009, enters his 18th NBA season in 2026-27; Reggie Jackson - Hall of Fame baseball player and five-time World Series champion; Al Michaels '66 - sportscaster since 1971 and five-time Emmy Award winner.
A LOOK AHEAD
Morgan State will host the Virginia University of Lynchburg Dragons on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff will be at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
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.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
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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.
