The Morgan State and Norfolk State football teams share a common theme in the 2023 season – close, but no cigar.
Of the Bears’ five losses, four have been by one score, while five of the six games the Spartans have played have ended in a similar fashion.
Saturday’s game, NSU’s homecoming, will likely end the same way as two talented defenses square off to stay alive in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship race. The Bears are 1-5 overall and 0-1 in MEAC, while Norfolk State is 2-5 and 0-1 in MEAC play.
“We talk about it as a coaching staff and with our players every week; we want to give ourselves a chance,” Spartans head coach Dawson Odums said about Norfolk State’s 27-23 loss at Howard last weekend. “We just haven’t been able to come up with the plays to win these games.”
“There’s no softness in this conference,” Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson said. “They’ve been fighting just like we’ve been fighting. We’re both trying to find ways to finish games, and it’s their homecoming weekend, so it’s going to be a nice atmosphere for football.
The Bears’ dominant defensive capabilities were on full display last Thursday, holding defending Celebration Bowl champion North Carolina Central well below their season’s average of 35 points per game in a 16-10 loss at Hughes Stadium.
Morgan’s problems stem from an offense averaging just 13 points per game through six games played this season. According to Wilson, changing their offensive fortunes will be key for the rest of the season.
“We’re in ball games, but we’re not where we want to be offensively. Turning the ball over, not being able to run the ball and score will hurt you.”
Odums, meanwhile, is proud of his team’s improvement (NSU went 2-9 a season ago) but continues to stress improvement in all phases of the game.
“We’ve gotten better. Our players are playing hard, but the ball just hasn’t bounced our way yet,” he says. “It’s going to bounce our way, though. When we taste winning again, I know our guys will always want that feeling. That’s what we’re chasing.”
