The Morgan State University Bears look to bounce back after a 14-9 loss to Towson University last Saturday.
However, this won’t be easy as the Bears take on Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Ohio University Bobcats in Athens, Ohio, Sept. 14.
“They are going to pose a different challenge than our first two opponents did,” Damon Wilson, Morgan head coach, said. “As a player, we’re at the FCS level. A lot of guys feel like they are on the FBS level — this [gives] them the chance to show it.”
Both teams go into the matchup with a 1-1 record, but the competition they have faced is not equal.
Morgan started with a week-one win at Hampton University and dropped week two at Towson — both teams were Football Subdivision Championship Opponents.
However, the Bobcats had a 27-20 victory over another FBS team — the University of South Alabama. The Ohio team’s loss was to their week one Power Five opponent Syracuse University, 38-22.
The Bobcats are strong on the ground — 462 of their 847 total yards came from their rushing attack alone and four of their five touchdowns this season were on the ground.
“We’ve got to buckle up. Those guys are going to be physical. Very big, up front offensive line [and] defensive line. They have two running backs that can take the ball the distance,” said Wilson.
Morgan’s defense has the potential to challenge the Bobcats and despite the final scores of their previous games, they have caused havoc for their opponents.
The Bears have forced four turnovers, gotten nine tackles for loss in the backfield and two sacks in their two games thus far.
The Bears had a big day on the ground against Hampton, but they did not repeat that same success when they faced Towson last week. The cross-town team held Morgan to 86 yards on the ground, making it harder to set up their passing offense.
“Their safeties got down in the box and played really well to stop our run game or make it stagnant at times,” Wilson said. “When you’re not stretching the field or causing confusion from a passing standpoint, that allows them to play heavy in the run.”
The Bears are scheduled to play the Ohio University Bobcats later today Saturday, Sept. 14 at Peden Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. EST.
