After a dominant 27-0 shutout over Central State last weekend, Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson is hopeful his Bears are beginning to find their rhythm heading into Saturday’s Circle City Classic in Indianapolis.
“It definitely feels good to get a win,” Wilson said during Monday’s MEAC Coaches’ Conference. “We’re still not playing clean football, but defensively, we kept them out of the end zone. We even scored on special teams. It’s tough to get a win in college football.”
The victory marked Morgan State’s first of the season, snapping a three-game skid that included a pair of close losses and one lopsided defeat. Now, Wilson is focused on building off the momentum as the Bears (1-3) prepare to face defending SIAC champion Miles College in the high-profile showcase at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern time.
“Miles is a championship-caliber program,” Wilson said. “They’re still looking for their first win this year, so they’ll be hungry. We’ve got to be hitting on all cylinders.”
The matchup will be the first time Wilson leads Morgan State into an NFL stadium as head coach, though he has coached in similar venues as an assistant. He acknowledges the significance for both the program and his players.
“If you’re a guy looking to play at the next level, these are the types of environments you want to be in,” Wilson said. “It helps us in recruiting and gives our guys a chance to showcase their talents.”
Despite the victory over Central State during Hall of Fame Weekend, Wilson emphasized that his team remains a work in progress—particularly on offense and special teams.
“We’ve played a lot of guys,” Wilson said. “That’s going to pay off later. We just have to be more consistent and execute better up front.”
Morgan’s defense was the story in last weekend’s win, holding Central State to just 15 rushing yards and collecting multiple sacks and two takeaways—the team’s first interceptions of the season.
“That’s what we pride ourselves on—stopping the run and taking the ball away,” Wilson said. “But we still have room to improve, especially in underneath coverage.”
One area Wilson is hoping to clean up is fourth-down execution. He admitted the team struggled in long-yardage fourth-down situations against Central State, which he attributes in part to poor first and second-down play.
“You’ve got to be better early in drives to avoid those tough calls,” he said.
Looking at the season in thirds, Wilson believes Morgan State is trending in the right direction as MEAC play approaches.
“We’ve cut down on penalties, and we’re minimizing turnovers,” he said. “Now it’s about finishing drives and playing our brand of football.”
