PLAYER NOTES:• Redshirt senior quarterback
Moses Skillon completed 4-of-7 passes for 30 yards before being replaced in the lineup by redshirt senior
Seth Higgins late in the first quarter. Higgins completed 17 of 26 passes for 226 yards and accounted for a pair of touchdowns. He also led the Bears with 16 carries for 30 yards.
• Starting junior running back
Orlando Johnson was limited to a season-low -4 yards on seven carries, including a pair of catches for 13 yards.
• Redshirt sophomore wideout
Landen Malbrough led the Bears with five catches for 65 yards.
• Senior wideout
Andrew King had a 40-yard punt return to help set up the Bears first score of the contest. He also had three receptions for 18 yards.
• Junior wideout
Ladarious Spearman had a pair of catches for 46 yards, including a 39-yard reception on the Bears final drive of the game.
• Freshman linebacker
Mike Gaynor posted a season high 11 tackles with a QB hurry, while sophomore linebacker
Damare Whitaker also had 11 stops to go along with a tackle for loss.
• Starting junior defensive end
Andrew Mitchell posted a season high eight tackles with a tackle for loss. Senior linebacker
Joel Scott had seven tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, including a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
• On special teams, junior
Chris Moller averaged 43.5 yards per punt, including a 47-yarder and four punts inside the 20. He also averaged 64.5 yards per kickoff. He booted a career-long 50-yard field goal to tie the game at 17 early in the fourth quarter.
TEAM NOTES:• Game Captains:
Chris Moller,
Andrew King and
Greg Gibson.
• Morgan State’s offense totaled -11 rushing yards (lowest total of season) and a touchdown, and 256 passing yards with a TD.
• The Bears held NCCU to 44 passing yards and finished with four tackles for loss and a sack. The Bears allowed 187 rushing yards.
• The Bears had four fumbles and lost two, while the Eagles had a pair of fumbles and lost one.
• MSU’s offense surrendered four sacks to the Eagles.
• On special teams, the Bears gave up a season high average of 15.0 yards per punt return and 50.3 yards per kick return.
• The teams combined for 19 penalties for 136 yards. The Bears were flagged a 8 times for 62 yards, while the Eagles lost 74 yards on 11 flags.
• The Bears had a two-game winning streak against the Eagles snapped as a result of the loss.
• The attendance at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium for “Pepsi Youth Day” was 4,336.
• The Bears defense limited NCCU to just 3 of 11 in third down conversions and was 0 for 1 in 4
th downs.
• Morgan State posted 17 first downs, while the Eagles finished with 14.
• MSU head coach
Lee Hull's record against NCCU dropped to 1-1.
• The weather conditions in Durham were marked by sunny skies, 9 mph winds and upper-60 degree temperatures.
• It was the 40
th meeting between the teams. The Bears lead the series against NCCU with an overall record of 24-14-2 since the teams first played on Nov. 15, 1930.
• NCCU head coach Jerry Mack celebrated his 35
th birthday
