Morgan State’s football season started promisingly enough with a 17-10 win over Richmond, but three tough losses since then have forced the Bears to regroup.
As they head to Yale University this weekend to try and snap that losing streak, head coach Damon Wilson believes that this Bears team can’t be satisfied with where they are if they’re going to be a MEAC contender.
“We’ve got to teach them how to finish,” Wilson said. “A couple of years ago, Albany beat Morgan by 40 points, so some guys just may be happy with having a close game, but my mindset is winning that game. We’re looking at things we can do as coaches to improve situations for those guys. We understand we’re young and inexperienced at certain positions, but we’re going to push through.”
The Bears’ most recent defeat, a 23-17 double overtime loss to another Coastal Athletic Association opponent in Albany, was particularly regretful for Morgan because they were so close to winning the game in regulation.
“We had the ball on the one-inch line and couldn’t punch it in, so we had to settle for the field goal to get to overtime,” Wilson said. “We got started late offensively and defensively we gave ourselves a chance. We’re going to continue to work, continue to build, and see where this thing takes us.”
This week, they’ll take a trip to New Haven, Connecticut, to visit a Bulldogs team looking for their first win of the season and coming off of a 23-21 loss to Cornell in their home opener, Yale looks to be another tough opponent for Morgan State.
“They came off a tough loss, and we’ve got to go their place,” Wilson said. “They have a dual-threat quarterback and a defense that plays physical football, so we have to get our running game off the ground and sustain some drives and score some points. We’ve got to continue to fight so these guys can be rewarded for all the work they’re putting in.”
