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@MorganStBearsGAME TIME
Morgan State will face Towson in the season opener on Saturday (Sept. 1) at Hughes Stadium. The Bears open the 2018 season under the leadership of interim head coach Ernest T. Jones. Towson completed the 2017 season with a 5-6 overall mark and were 3-5 in Colonial Athletic Association play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast by SPORTSfever Television Network (STN) and WEAA, 88.9FM. The game will mark the second of the "Battle for Greater Baltimore" series between the teams.
GAME COVERAGE
TELEVISION: SPORTSfever Television Network (STN) will be broadcasting the game live ... Phil Schoener will handle the play-by-play duties with color analyst Emory Hunt.
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 and Austin Wardin the booth. The game will be broadcast live on 88.9 FM and streamed on WEAA.org.
LIVE STATS: www.morganstatebears.com
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Fans can keep up-to-date with all MSU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/MorganStBears and @MorganStateFootball. You can also become a fan of the Bears on Facebook at Facebook.com/MorganStateBears.
TICKETS
Season ticket plans—which include a ticket to all five home games, including homecoming start at only $95. Premium seats are now available for purchase by calling 443.885.1522 or visiting MSU Student Center Athletics Ticket Office during business hours (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or visit morganstatebears.com/tickets.
THE SERIES
• Saturday, Sept. 1stwill mark the 25th meeting in the series that began with a 34-7 Morgan Sate win at Towson on Sept. 1, 1979.
• The Tigers hold an 18-6 advantage in the series vs. MSU.
• SPORTSfever's broadcast will mark the fifth time the Towson-Morgan game has been televised in the Baltimore area. In 1998, WMAR-TV aired the Tigers' 15-10 win and again carried the 1999 contest. In 2011, ComCast SportsNet telecast the Tigers' 42-3 victory, and in 2017 Sportsfever carried the Tigers' 10-0 win.
THE COACHES
• Morgan State - Ernest T. Jones (Alcorn State, '95) joined the Bears as the Defensive Coordinator in 2016 and was previously a head coach at ASA Miami (2015); he has also worked at Connecticut, Notre Dame, Univ. of Buffalo, Cincinnati, Alcorn State, Central Michigan, Oberlin, Kentucky State and Concordia. CAREER RECORD (11-10, 2yrs)
• Towson - Rob Ambrose (Towson, '93) has led the Tigers to four winning seasons, two CAA championships, two playoff appearances and a trip to the 2013 FCS National Championship game. CAREER RECORD (55-61, 9yrs); RECORD AT TOWSON (52-54, 8yrs).
LAST TIME OUT vs. THE TIGERS
• Sept. 2, 2017 -- Monty Fenner's interception set up the only touchdown which led to Towson beating Morgan State 10-0 in a defensive struggle as the cross-town rivals met in the Battle for Greater Baltimore.
• The game marked the first meeting between the two schools since 2011.
• Fenner intercepted an Elijah Staley pass, returning it 32 yards to the Morgan State 2. Shane Simpson took a quick pitch in for the score on the next play. Aidan O'Neill's extra point gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 9:04 left in the first half.
• Aidan O'Neill added a 42-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the first half. The Tiger defense picked off three Morgan State passes before halftime.
• Towson quarterback Morgan Mahalak had his struggles also as he was picked off three times too. Brandon Griffin, IanMcBorroughand Cravon Rogers all grabbed one.
A WIN WOULD ...
...give Ernest T. Jones his first win as MSU's head coach and his 12th career win.
... would mark the Bears' second win against Towson in the last four meetings since 2009.
... mark MSU's first home non-conference win since defeating Bowie State (28-23) on Sept. 13, 2014.
... mark MSU's first home win since defeating Savannah State on Oct. 14, 2017.
... mark the Bears first home win against Towson since a 12-9 win on Sept. 26, 2009.
... .mark MSU's first season-opener victory since recording a 30-27 OT win against Sacred Heart on Sept. 1, 2012.
QUICK HITS
• Junior DeAndre Harris, a 6-4, 210-pound quarterback from Washington (Ga.) split time with Elijah Staley last year and should take over the duties full-time in '18. He completed 62-of-196 passes for 781 yards, with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He completed 58.5 percent of his passes.
• The frontrunner for the starting RB job looks to be talented redshirt-freshman Josh Chase (6-1, 210, Severn, Md.). Behind Chase is 6-3, 230-pound true freshman Jordan Riggins (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) who had a solid spring and will also provide competition in the backfield throughout preseason.
• LB Rico Kennedywas the team's leading tackler in 2017 with 70 stops, in addition to 19.5 tackles for loss (No. 3 in the FCS).
• DE Malachi Washington was a force on the Bears' defensive line in '17 where he ranked No. 3 in the league with eight sacks and ranked T-No. 3 in the tackles for loss (17; ranked T-No. 8 in FCS). He completed the season with 39 tackles, including a forced fumble and fumble recovery .
A GLANCE AT THE TIGERS
• Towson finished the 2017 season with an overall mark of 5-6 and a 3-5 conference record. They capped the season with a 29-10 home win against Rhode Island, and finished the season by winning three of its last four games.
• Rob Ambrose (Towson, '93) leads the Tigers in his 10th season at the helm.
• Towson was tabbed to finish 10th in the CAA's preseason predicted order of finish and did not have a single player selected to the preseason All-Conference Team. James Madison was tabbed No. 1 with 21 first-place votes and New Hampshire was No. 2.
• The Tigers ranked No. 9 in the CAA in total offense (301.8/g), No. 10 in scoring offense (17.5 avg), and ranked No. 4 in the league in kickoff returns (21.8 avg). Towson ranked No. 6 in sacks allowed (25) and finished No. 9 in sacks (27).
• R-junior QB Tom Flacco (6-1, 208), the younger brother of Joe Flacco, is battling with r-sophomore QB Ryan Stover (6-4, 210) to be the starter. Flacco is a transfer who spent the 2017 season at Rutgers as a walk-on on the scout team and the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Western Michigan. He played in 13 games total during the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Western Michigan, running for 336 yards, passing for 188 yards and accounting for three TDs. Western Michigan went 13-1 during the 2016 season.
• One of the defensive leaders for the Tigers is senior LB Diondre Wallace. In 2017, Wallace (6-0, 233) led the team with 52 solos tackles. In 2016 he appeared in all 11 games, making seven starts, ranked third on the team with 66 tackles, added four tackles-for-loss, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble.
• R-senior Monty Fenner (6-3,270) leads the Tigers secondary from his S position where he racked up 69 stops with three interceptions.
• PK Aidan O'Neill returns after earning All-CAA Third Team honors as a sophomore a season ago. He ranked No. 2 in the league by connecting on 18-of-22 field goals and was perfect in PATs (25-25).
• The Tigers ranked No. 4 in the league in pass defense (187.0 yds/gm) and recorded 11 interceptions. They also ranked No. 7 in pass offense by averaging 200.1 yards per game.
PRESEASON PICKED 9TH
Morgan State was picked to finish ninth (9th) to MEAC defending champion and Preseason #1 North Carolina A&T and #2 Howard.
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
Seven (7) Morgan State football players were named to the 2018 MEAC preseason team, which was voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Senior defensive lineman Malachi Washington and junior linebacker RicoKennedy were first-team selections. Senior offensive linemen Joshua Miles and Matthew Thompson were third-team picks, along with junior wideout Manasseh Bailey, junior linebacker Ian McBorrough, and senior defensive back Carl Garnes. The seven preseason All-MEAC performers are part of a group of 37 lettermen and 16 starters returning for the 2018 Morgan State football season.
BEARS OPEN 120th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 120th season of football and will open the 2018 campaign under interim head coach Ernest T. Jones, set to enter his first year at the helm and his third year at Morgan State.
RETURN MEN
The 2018 Morgan State Bears return 37 letterwinners, including 16 starters - 7 on offense, 8 on defense and 1 on special teams.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2018 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 2018 campaign against four non-conference opponents. MSU opens the season against Towson (Sept. 1) in the 'Battle for Greater Baltimore', followed by road trips versus Akron (Sept. 9), Univ. at Albany (Sept. 15) and the N.C. A&T (Sept. 22) game will also be recorded as a non-conference contest.
BEARS OPEN 41st SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 41st season in the MEAC when they host South Carolina State for Homecoming on Oct. 6.
• The Bears opened the 2017 MEAC schedule with a 49-17 loss against #15 N.C. A&T at Hughes Stadium.
• The Bears kicked off its 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.
EDWARD SCOTT NAMED TO FCS ADA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Division I Football Subdivision Athletics Directors Association announced that Morgan State's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Edward Scott will serve on its Executive Committee. Scott represents the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
MAKING AN IMPACT IN THE CLASSROOM
The Morgan State football team has had great success in the classroom.
• Most recently, the Bears produced a 3.24 GPA during Summer 2018.
• The 2017-18 school year saw the Bears achieve their highest single-year GPA in program history.
• The program had 31 Athletic Director Honor Roll Members in the Fall of 2017, a 41% increase from the previous Fall.
MSU LEGEND EDDIE P. HURT NAMED TO 2019 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME BALLOT
76 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 32 coaches from the divisional ranks make-up the 2019 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Morgan State head coach Eddie P. Hurt is among the list of nominees.
• Hurt led Morgan's football teams to six Black College National Championships and won 14 CIAA titles.
• Eleven of his squads executed undefeated seasons, including a non-losing string of games from 1932 to 1938.
• His 1943 team did not allow a score from a single opponent.
FOLLOW US IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
Instagram: /MorganStateBears
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