Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson isn’t interested in moral victories.
After falling short in a 27–22 loss to crosstown rival Towson in the annual “Battle of Baltimore,” Wilson is focused on correcting costly mistakes and preparing his team for another major challenge this weekend.
“We didn’t do enough to win,” Wilson said during Monday’s MEAC coaches’ media availability. “It was a back-and-forth game, but we had three turnovers in the red zone. That eliminated the opportunity to go ahead by a couple of scores.”
Despite the loss, the atmosphere at Hughes Stadium provided a bright spot. The Bears’ home opener drew a packed house, but the celebration was muted when Towson capitalized on a late-game opportunity, scoring the winning touchdown with under 20 seconds remaining.
Now sitting at 0–2, Morgan State travels to face its second FBS opponent of the young season: the Toledo Rockets.
“Toledo is probably the best ball club we’ve seen thus far,” Wilson said. “They’re coming off a big win and picked to finish at the top of the MAC. But at the end of the day, we’re focusing on us.”
Morgan State’s opener at South Alabama also slipped away due to turnovers and penalties. While the Bears cut down on flags against Towson, turnovers remain a glaring issue. In total, the team has committed seven turnovers in the first two games.
One bright spot for the Bears has been running back Jason Collins Jr., who carried the ball 28 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns against Towson.
“He’s a very good football player,” Wilson said. “Our offensive line has done a good job giving him lanes, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield, too.”
Wilson acknowledged Collins also had a few miscues, but he remains one of the offense’s most consistent contributors.
Morgan State’s offense produced over 400 total yards against Towson and converted efficiently on third and fourth downs. Still, the team’s inability to protect the football overshadowed its overall performance.
In practice this week, Wilson and his staff are emphasizing ball security incorporating high-pressure drills designed to simulate game scenarios and build muscle memory.
“We can’t keep turning the ball over,” Wilson said. “We’ll continue to work on protecting the football and making good decisions.”
On defense, the Bears will have their hands full with a Toledo offense that features explosive playmakers, including standout running back Chip Trayanum, who has impressed in the early part of the season.
“They’ve got two good backs, a solid quarterback, and some weapons at receiver,” Wilson said. “We have to play sound football. If everyone does their job and we don’t put our defense in bad positions, we’ll have an opportunity to compete.”
Despite the early losses, Wilson remains confident in the talent within his locker room.
“We have a good football team,” he said. “Everything we need is in that room. We just have to believe, execute, and have fun doing it. If we do that, we’ll live with the outcome.”
Morgan State (0–2) kicks off against Toledo (1–1) this Saturday at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio.
This story was drafted using an AI tool based on the transcript of the MEAC weekly coaches’ conference and was then reviewed and edited by a journalist before publishing.
