With six minutes left in the game, the Florida A&M University Rattlers scored with a 12-yard touchdown pass to win a back-and-forth game against The Bears, 34-31. This brings The Bears to 1-7, with three games left in the season.
Key penalties and a late fourth quarter interception by sophomore quarterback DeAndre Harris added to the Bears defeat. Harris took over the reigns late in the second quarter after head Coach Fred T. Farrier decided to pull starter, Elijah Staley.
The Bears failed to capitalize on two early turnovers forced by the defense. If Morgan were able to turn those turnovers into points, the outcome of the contest may have been different.
“There’s no excuses we lost the game we got too many penalties in critical situations,” said Farrier. “If you talk about being any type of a good football team when you play close games you gotta find a way to win them.”
Penalties and turnovers has been the Bears’ weakness all season. The Bears came into this game averaging 92.43 yards a game off penalties and have a total of 68 penalties for 647 yards and the former four-star ESPN prospect Staley, has thrown 11 total interceptions this season.
Staley got the Bears on the board on a 41-yard run to tie the game at seven, but on the next possession he put the ball on the turf, which led to a Rattlers recovery for a score. That would be the last action of the game Staley would see.
Though he threw a costly interception into triple coverage late in the fourth quarter that could have been a game-winning drive, Harris came into the game with poise and command of the offense.
“It was a bad read by me, I take full responsibility for that,” said Harris referring to the late fourth quarter interception.
Farrier has not made a decision yet on who will be his starter for the remainder of the season. But with only three games left and a lackluster performance thus far by the starting redshirt junior quarterback, it would make more sense to give the young Harris some game reps.
“He [Harris] came of age till the last interception then went right back to being a little baby,” said Farrier. “DeAndre is doing a good job he’s trying to do what we ask.”
The Morgan State Bears will be on the road for the next two games. They travel to Bethune-Cookman University Nov. 4 and Delaware State University on Nov. 11. The Bears return to Hughes Stadium to close out the season against Norfolk State University on Nov. 18.
