Thursday, September 10, 2015

Morgan State ravaged by academic ineligibility

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Morgan State was going to find it difficult to win either of its first two games even with its team fully intact.

After the academic ineligibility that jarred the Bears last week, second-year coach Lee Hull and his staff are reworking their lineup to try to keep them competitive following their opening games against Air Force and Illinois State.

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced on the eve of the season opener that an NCAA review showed shortcomings in mandated academic requirements, and at least 10 players were ruled academically ineligible. Included were six starters, all-conference junior running back Herb Walker Jr., redshirt junior wide receiver Thomas Martin, sophomore right guard Matthew Thompson, senior outside linebacker Joel Scott, redshirt junior outside linebacker Ta'Quon Jackson and junior strong safety Antonio Jefferson.

Morgan State, which last season earned a share of the MEAC title for the first time since 1979 and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time, fell 63-7 at Air Force last weekend and follows up with a game Saturday night at fourth-ranked Illinois State, the national runner-up last season.

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