Four turnovers resulting in 17 points for South Alabama was the key difference in the Bears’ loss last Saturday.
Heading into their heavily anticipated matchup against Towson, the Bears look to secure the ball offensively and come out with a win.
“That was the difference between the ball game,” said head coach Damon Wilson when asked about what his team would do differently this week. “If you don’t turn the ball over you have an opportunity to win that ball game without a doubt.”
Jaguars’ freshman defensive linemen E’Mauri Smiley forced quarterback Kobe Muasau to fumble early in the game. The Jaguars’ recovery landed them in great field position and they capitalized, taking a 10-7 lead.
“We definitely [have to] hold tight on the football you know, take care of it,” said redshirt senior linebacker Erick Hunter. “The best thing you can do as a defensive player is to continue to encourage those guys during the game and practice.” “Just giving them the best looks possible… so they know how to take care of the ball.”
In the second half of the game, a turnover on downs, Muasau’s interception, and another Bears fumble by redshirt sophomore running back Jason Collins Jr. were enough mistakes for South Alabama to run away with the game.
“We were playing against an FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) program, which is different from the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision),” said Wilson. “At the end of the day, the guys played well but didn’t execute at times to protect the football.”
The rest of the stat sheet shows that the guys did indeed play well, Morgan State finished with 340 yards of total offense – 159 passing yards and 181 yards on the ground – and 17 first downs.
“This week we just made sure [to] focus on the little details,” said senior offensive lineman Daniel Casillas Jr. “Every little coaching point… lock the ball and don’t make a bad play worse.”
The Bears showed a strong defensive presence as well (it really was just the turnovers). Standout performers included Hunter, who recorded 10 tackles and half a sack, and sophomore defensive lineman Chance Pickard, who recovered a fumble by Jaguars quarterback Bishop Davenport.
“In regards to the defensive line, I always tell them that it starts with us. Any success we have or don’t have is going to start up front in the trenches,” said defensive linemen coach Ramal Faunteroy. “Towson has been a very good program, we’ve been close but you know almost don’t count. So for us it’s about getting back to the basics. Alignment, Assignment, Technique [and] Hustle.”
The Morgan State Bears will face off next against the Towson Tigers Saturday night, at Hughes Stadium at 7 p.m.
