The last time the Morgan State Bears beat the Towson Tigers was Sept. 26, 2009, with a final score of 12-9.
Morgan State and Towson are just five miles apart and both compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Towson leads the all-time series 23-6 and has won the last seven meetings.
“It’s definitely a big game. It’s definitely a rivalry,” redshirt senior linebacker Erick Hunter said. “If you want to be named Baltimore’s team, you basically [have] to beat the other team in Baltimore … only one can win, and we got to come out on top.”
After their 2009 matchup, the Bears and Tigers didn’t meet for six seasons, during which Towson steadily built a strong program while Morgan State faced its own challenges.
Under then-head coach Rob Ambrose, Towson went from 1-10 in 2010 to 9-3 in 2011, marking the largest single-season turnaround in Division I FCS history at the time.
Towson went on to win the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) championship that year, finishing with a 7-1 conference record.
The Bears haven’t had a winning season since 2014, when they finished 7-6 with a 6-2 conference record, earning a share of the MEAC championship—their first since 1979—and securing the program’s first-ever FCS playoff berth.
Towson opened the 2024 season with a 14-9 win over Morgan State and carried that momentum to a 7-5 overall record, 5-3 in the CAA. That success included a victory over then–top 10 opponent William & Mary.
Towson opened this season with a 27-7 win over Norfolk State, holding the Spartans scoreless through the first three quarters. Morgan State fell 38-21 to South Alabama after four turnovers led to 17 points for the Jaguars.
“We have to be able to stop the run, pressure the quarterback and make it easy on the back seven,” defensive line coach Ramal Faunteroy said. “Our number one goal, we want to try to get the ball back to our offense, so they can have a chance to try to get some extra possessions and get the ball in the end zone.”
Sixteen years and seven losses later, the Bears hope to control the scoreboard, correct past mistakes and secure a much-needed win in tonight’s “Battle for Greater Baltimore” matchup at Hughes Stadium.
“Towson has had the better of the series since the game has been played and enough is enough,” head coach Damon Wilson said. “The last time we beat Towson was 2009 and that’s something we need to address.”
