asu
7
Morgan St. MSU 1-1 , 0-0
70
Winner Arizona St. ASU 1-0 , 0-0
Morgan St. MSU
1-1 , 0-0
7
Final
70
Arizona St. ASU
1-0 , 0-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MSU Morgan St. 7 0 0 0 7
ASU Arizona St. 28 21 21 0 70

Game Recap: Football | | MSU Athletics Communications

Arizona State simply Too Much for Bears

Morgan State looks to bounce back next week in home opener

Postgame Notes

TEMPE, Ariz. (September 5, 2026) – Damon Wilson did not sugarcoat it.

"We played bad," Wilson said. "We didn't tackle well defensively. We didn't line up well at times defensively. We did not convert a third down offensively."

Arizona State proved to be too much for Morgan State on Saturday night, scoring touchdowns on each of its first seven possessions en route to a 70-7 victory over the Bears before 54,000 fans at Mountain America Stadium.

"I thought we were able to have a little bit more success than we did running the football," Wilson said. "But we got behind early. Therefore, we had to throw the ball a little bit more, just to try to give ourselves a chance. The kicking game wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't bad either.

"We played a Big 12 opponent. Got a couple guys banged up, but we got to get ready for the next one."

Arizona State scored four touchdowns in the opening quarter and added three more in the second to build a commanding 49-7 halftime advantage.

For the Bears (1-1), the second half provided an opportunity to get valuable experience for players who made the trip while beginning preparations for next Saturday's home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg.

Wilson said the Bears will have plenty to learn from the film and the experience.

"It's not going to be difficult," Wilson said. "I mean, these guys are going to be able to watch the film and see what we did right and wrong, and see the areas that we need to improve and get out there and improve.

"The good thing about it is we played a lot of guys. So some guys got some playing time. They hadn't got playing time before, which I think will carry us, and help us later down the line. That's all I need."

Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley led the Sun Devils' offensive attack, completing 21 of 27 passes for 387 yards and six touchdowns. The Sun Devils finished with 681 yards of total offense, while Morgan State was held to 188 yards.

Arizona State wasted little time getting on the scoreboard.

Kyson Brown scored on the Sun Devils' second play from scrimmage, taking a handoff from Boley and racing 48 yards for the game's opening touchdown.

Following an onside kick recovery by the Sun Devils, Boley connected with Omarion Miller on a 10-yard touchdown pass, capping a five-play, 53-yard drive that took just 1:16 off the clock.

Arizona State added another touchdown with 6:15 remaining in the first quarter when Delaware State transfer Marquis Gillis broke loose for a 25-yard touchdown run.
Morgan State answered.

Freshman running back Marquez Spells provided the spark with a 39-yard run that helped set up Jordan Barnett's two-yard touchdown plunge. The score capped a four-play, 75-yard drive and put the Bears on the board at 21-7 with 4:20 remaining in the opening quarter.




Arizona State, however, continued to pour it on.

Boley found Reed Harris for a 28-yard touchdown with 2:45 remaining in the half before connecting with running back Grayson Rigdon on a 54-yard touchdown pass.

The Sun Devils added another score when tight end AJ Ia caught a 12-yard middle screen from Boley for a touchdown. Harris then hauled in his second touchdown pass of the half, giving Arizona State a 49-7 advantage at the break.

Cameron Edge, a senior transfer from Eastern Michigan, made his second consecutive start at quarterback for the Bears. He completed 6 of 15 passes for 54 yards before giving way to backup Ade Olanegan in the third quarter. Third-string quarterback Tahj Smith checked in late in the fourth quarter.

Morgan State also used the opportunity to get its entire travel roster into the game, with five different running backs carrying the football.

Arizona State added two more touchdowns in the third quarter.

David Avit scored on a one-yard run to cap a 12-play, 66-yard drive engineered by backup quarterback Mikey Keene. The drive consumed 4:42 and extended the Sun Devils' lead to 63-7 with 7:01 remaining in the third quarter.

Jason Brown Jr. added another two-yard touchdown run with 4:34 remaining, and Carston Kieffer's extra point pushed the lead to 70-7.

The fourth quarter was shortened from 15 minutes to 10 minutes.

The Bears will return home next Saturday for their 2026 home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg.


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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.

 
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