Morgan State University’s Bears look to win at their first home game of the season against the Delaware State Hornets today — their last scheduled home game.
The game marks the 67th matchup between the two teams. The Bears lead the series 39-27 and have won eight of the last 10 matches.
Sophomore Defensive Back Keith Jenkins Jr. was named MEAC specialist of the week after his 158 kick return yards and pivotal touchdown against the Spartans. This season, Jenkins has 20 kickoff attempts for 478 kick return yards. Jenkins said he is going to try to get another touchdown when they play the Hornets later today.
“I feel like it’s us versus just us so we got to stay on the same page as a team and not get too high or too low,” Jenkins said.
The Bears are fresh off of an impressive comeback win against the Norfolk State Spartans last Saturday – in which, the Bears were behind 28-10 in the third quarter. However, they scored an additional 22 points in the fourth quarter and won the game 32-28.
Their win against the Spartans was the Bears’ first in MEAC and made them eligible for the Celebration Bowl and playoffs.
The Hornets enter todays game with a 1-7 record and lost to the Howard Bisons last Saturday 17-10. This loss left the Hornets with a 0-2 MEAC record.
The Bears and Hornets last faced each other Nov. 12, 2022, when the Bears beat the Hornets 37-7.
The Hornets are ranked last in the MEAC standings, their only win of the season being against Virginia University of Lynchburg, 48-10 on Sept. 30.
The Hornet’s average 18.3 points per game while the Bears average 15.71 points.
Damon Wilson, Bears head football coach, said he wants the Bears to come out against the Hornets with the same momentum they had when facing the Spartans in the fourth quarter.
“We are in the playoffs … that is the raw reality. We have already put ourselves in the eight ball by losing that game to North Carolina Central,” Wilson said. “We know that we don’t have any room for mistakes and they will be focused on playing on Saturday.”
Wilson also said he recognizes the gravity of this game for his team and knows that they need the win.
“We want to start out fast and eliminate explosive plays and make sure we communicate on all three phases,” Wilson said.
Today, the Bears are scheduled to face the Hornets at 1 p.m. at Hughes Memorial Stadium.
