Sunday, October 4, 2015

MSU Bears pull away from Delaware State Saturday for 26-6 win

DOVER, Delaware  –  Morgan State running backs Lamont Brown III and Orlando Johnson each scored touchdowns late in the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Stadium as the Bears downed Delaware State 26-6.

Morgan State's defense flexed its muscles and played big role in improving the Bears record to 2-2 overall, and 2-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The Bears held Delaware State's offense to 91 rushing yards and finished with 11 tackles for loss, a season-high six sacks to go along with three turnovers. Meanwhile, Morgan State's offense amassed 393 yards on 71 plays, including 250 yards on the ground.

Morgan State started the ballgame by recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff, resulting in 1st and 10 from the Hornets' 26, but the Bears failed to pick up a first down, going four plays and out.

Delaware State won the battle of field position for most of the first quarter, but failed to put points on the board as a result of the Bears defense. The Hornets threatened to score following a 26-yard pass from Esayah Obado to Jeremiah Williams that gave DSU a 1st and goal from the Bears' 8. However, the Bears defense stiffened and on 4th and goal from the 3 MSU's inside linebacker Greg Gibson stuffed Jamaal Jackson in the backfield for a goalline stand.

The teams played to a stalemate until late in the second quarter. Moses Skillon hit Andrew King for a 16-yard reception to give the Bears 1st and goal from the 9. But MSU's offense stalled and was forced to settle for a 26-yard field goal by Chris Moller.

Morgan State finally started rolling on offense on its first drive of the second half. It took eight plays, 54 yards and 3:56, before Moller connected on a 23-yard field goal to give the Bears a 6-0 lead.

Delaware State (0-4, 0-1 MEAC) scored its only points of the game on the ensuing drive. On 3rd and 10 from its own 35, Obado was flushed and pursued out of the pocket by linebacker Joel Scott and he tossed a 65-yard TD pass to Malik Golson who was wide open behind the Bears secondary. There was a holding penalty on the ensuing extra point, resulting in a missed extra point into the wind. The ballgame was tied at 6-6 with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bears responded just before the end of the quarter when Skillon connected on a 25-yard pass to Grayling Harrison. On the next play, Skillon raced 32-yards to paydirt. Two plays, 57 yards in 26 seconds. The Bears led 13-6.

Morgan State blew the ballgame open toward the end of the fourth quarter when Lamont Brown III turned a swing pass from Skillon and shook a Hornet defender at the 5 before trotting into the endzone for an 11-yard TD. The Bears held a 19-6 lead with 5:33 remaining.

On the ensuing kickoff, Moller pooched the ball into the stiff breeze and the ball touched a Delaware State player and was recovered by Cravon Rogers at the Hornets' 27.

The Bears needed just four plays to find the end zone again, when Orlando Johnson raced 8-yards for a TD and the PAT by Chris Moller accounted for the final points of the game.

Johnson was the game's leading rusher with a career-high 124 yards on 22 carries and Brown added 50 yards on nine attempts.

Notes
Darius Johnson, a freshman cornerback, recorded an interception to finish the first half with the Bears holding a 3-0 advantage.

Moses Skillon's final stat line was 11-of-26 passing for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also accounted for 61 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown.

Andrew Mitchell, Greg Gibson and Damare Whitaker paced the Bears' defense with seven tackles apiece and combined for 5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks.

The game included light rain and 30-35 mph wind gusts.

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