BY JARRETT HOFFMAN
The North Carolina Central Eagles began their quest for a second straight MEAC football championship by going on the road to defeat the Morgan State Bears 16-10.
This was the first time Morgan State has taken the football field since September 30 after its homecoming contest against Stony Brook, scheduled for Oct. 7, was canceled due to a shooting on campus.
With the loss, the Bears have dropped five straight games, bringing their record to 1-5. Meanwhile, the Eagles have won four consecutive games, improving their record to 6-1.
Both teams struggled in the first half on offense, dealing with the pressure from the opposing defense. NC Central especially had a hard time dealing with the Morgan State defense, only managing 59 offensive yards in the first half.
Not only did the Eagles offense have to deal with the Bears’ defense, but multiple dropped passes halted any potential momentum for the team.
After a hard-fought defensive battle in the first half, Morgan State entered the locker room with a 3-0 lead.
In the second half, North Carolina Central head coach Trei Oliver gave his team a simple message saying, “Wake up.”
That is exactly what the Eagles did, beginning to move the ball more effectively on their first drive on offense to the tune of their first points of the game, making the score 3-3.
Just as the Morgan State offense began to return the favor, the Eagles’ defense got their first big stop of the game on an interception by Jason Chambers.
North Carolina Central took full advantage following the turnover, holding the ball for over five minutes, culminating in the game’s first and only touchdown on a pass from Davius Richard to Tynez Warner.
The Eagles connected on two more field goals, one set up by a forced fumble on defense, to push their lead to 16-3.
A late touchdown by Morgan State was too late, as the Bears could not convert an onside kick attempt.
