The Morgan State Bears secured their first win on the road in three years this Saturday against the Delaware State Hornets after an 18 away game losing streak.

The Bears (4-6) dominated the Hornets (5-5) with a 37-7 win at Alumni Stadium in Dover, Del. The victory over the Hornets broke a one-game skid for the Bears and was their second win in their last six games.

The Bears opened the score in the first quarter with a blocked punt for a touchdown.

Morgan missed the ensuing extra point attempt keeping the game at 6-0 Morgan, before a Bears fumble gave the Hornets the ball deep in the Bears half of the field.

The Hornets went on a three play, 29-yard scoring drive, putting them in the lead over the Bears, 6-7.

The Hornets offense was stymied by the Bears defense for the rest of the game, accumulating 86 net yards for the entire game. The Bears scored 31 unanswered points, capped by 16-yard passing touchdown from Duce Taylor, and dominant displays on special teams and defense.

Here are the five takeaways for the Bears win over the Hornets.

Special Teams and Defense dominate the scoring

The Bears special teams and defense combined for 30 points on the outing.

The special teams started the scoring with a blocked punt returned 26-yards by Hosea Robinson for a touchdown with 11:22 left in the first quarter.

Beckett Leary then chipped in with a 23-yard field goal towards the end of the second quarter.

The third quarter opened with a bang as star returner Keith Jenkins Jr. took off for a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown. Jenkins Jr. entered the game ranked 11 in FCS in kickoff return yards.

Carl Decius added a 37-yard “pick 6” later in the third quarter before Devan Hebron capped the scoring with a fumble recovery for a touchdown with 13:48 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Morgan’s pass rush has a day to remember

The Bears pass rush gave both Hornet quarterbacks problems all afternoon as the defense racked up nine total sacks. Six different Bears had at least one sack, but Eric Hunter, Elijah Williams, and Darrius Outlaw led the way with game-highs of two sacks apiece.

This outing was the most sacks the Bears have had in a single game all season. Defensive coordinator Antone’ Sewell’s young defensive unit have been moving in the right direction all season and Saturday’s game was their best display to date.

First 1,000-yard rusher since 2014

Senior running back Alfonzo Graham rushed 20 times for 69 yards and he became the first Bears rusher to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing on the season since Herb Walker Jr. put up 1448 yards in 2014. Graham has been a steady presence all season and leads the MEAC in total rushing yards with 1035 yards.

The closest rusher to Graham in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Latrell Collier at North Carolina Central University, has 751 yards.

Graham’s big-play threat has been integral to the Bears offense as they are on pace to have their best record since the 2015 season.

The Bears outgained Delaware State 225 to 81 on offense

The Bears came out on top in this defensive showdown and had enough offense to propel them to a victory. The offenses combined for 306 total yards and two touchdowns and would have been a low scoring affair if not for the Bears defensive and special teams scores.

Quarterback Duce Taylor led the Bears on their sole offensive touchdown with :29 remaining in the second quarter. He completed passes of 11, eight, and three yards respectively before hitting Joseph Owumi for a 16-yard touchdown.

Morgan gets their first road win since Nov. 17, 2018

This effort broke a 18 losing streak on the road, dating back to Week 11 of the 2018 season. This is Damon Wilson’s first win on the road as head coach. The Bears were unlucky not to record their first road win against Stony Brook, but their fortunes changed this time around.

The Bears look to end their season on a high note as they take on the Howard University Bison for their final game of the season. This will be the Bears Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day.

Kickoff is at 12 p.m. at Hughes Memorial Stadium and the game will be shown on ESPN3, and radio play-by-play on WEAA 88.9 FM.