Stats Carry out is bringing a higher highlight to athletes, college students and tales at Traditionally Black Faculties and Universities via a partnership with City Edge Community. Included within the 2024 school soccer season are each HBCU FCS Participant and Staff of the Week awards and a season-ending HBCU FCS Nationwide Participant of the Yr Award, every offered by HBCU+.
In 1979, head coach Clarence Thomas led the Morgan State Bears soccer staff to a 9-2 season – solely the third nine-win marketing campaign in this system’s first 59 years of existence.
It hasn’t occurred since then.
Within the following 44 years, Morgan State has managed to succeed in seven wins solely twice, and there’s been solely 4 profitable seasons in that point.
Probably the most-recent profitable season occurred in 2014 when the Bears completed with a 7-6 document. It was Lee Hull’s first season as head coach as they tied for the MEAC title and superior to the FCS playoffs.
That staff was led by an offense that averaged 372 whole yards and 27.8 factors per sport. The protection was not nice, however made well timed performs that helped propel the staff to success.
The 2024 season may see the Bears return to the MEAC success they loved in 2014. Nonetheless, if that occurs, will probably be as a result of the protection leads them to prominence.
Coach Damon Wilson is aware of that after back-to-back four-win seasons, there are increased expectations. As a substitute of downplaying them, he has chosen to lean into them.
“I feel you simply settle for it,” Wilson mentioned on the MEAC’s soccer media day. “You count on us to play protection, you count on us to be a sure manner on the sphere. Now we now have a duty to dwell as much as it.”
It’s been exhausting for the Bears to stay beneath the radar with the preseason expectations coming off the heels of a 2023 season by which they’d the No. 1-ranked protection within the convention. They allowed 21.4 factors per sport general and simply 18.4 on common in convention whereas going 3-2. Out of convention, the Bears was named the FCS nationwide staff of the week following a season-opening upset at Richmond.
The stingy defensive unit returns eight starters, together with senior defensive lineman Elijah Williams and senior linebacker Erick Hunter – each 2023 All-MEAC first-team alternatives who this preseason had been named to the Stats Carry out All-America squad. In addition they had been named to the HBCU+ Preseason Participant of the Yr watch checklist.
The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Williams adopted up his breakout 2022 marketing campaign of 60 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 9 sacks with 50 tackles, 11 TFLs, seven sacks and two compelled fumbles in solely 9 contests. He gives the Bears with a flexible chess piece that may be placed on the sting or moved to the inside.
Whereas Williams is the unquestioned chief on the entrance line, it additionally options returnees in fellow seniors Melteon Davis and Nana Asante, who began all 10 video games final season. Their mixture of dimension and athleticism have been tough for even the very best offensive strains to deal with. The truth is, final season, they helped restrict the highest two groups within the MEAC, Howard and North Carolina Central, to a mixed 30 factors.
Hunter is the engine that goes completely in the midst of the Morgan State protection. Final season, the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award finalist continued to point out his versatility as a linebacker, recording a second straight season with 70+ tackles whereas additionally sacking the quarterback thrice, intercepting two passes and forcing two fumbles. His athleticism to hurry the passer, fill operating lanes and canopy is what makes him such a particular participant.
Count on his listed body (6-4, 210) to hold a bit extra weight this season as his defensive duty will increase. He’ll seemingly be joined by junior Arturo Mattocks and a bunch of athletic linebackers who function because the second-level mainstays in a Morgan State protection with a 4-2-5 base alignment. They’ll hope to make up for the lack of Lawrence Richardson, a 2023 All-MEAC second-team choice.
The secondary has some holes to fill after saying goodbye to All-MEAC first-team alternatives Jordan Toles and Jae’Veyon Morton. The Bears nonetheless have security Carlvainsky Decius and cornerback Ja’son Prevard returning to command expanded roles. Prevard has the kind of dimension (6-3, 185) and manufacturing (eight passes defended final season) to make NFL groups take discover; Decius is a serious contributor as a tackler.
Pretty much as good because the Morgan State protection was in 2023, the unit certainly is aware of it may be higher. Their opponents’ first-drive or late-game scores had been pricey when the Bears misplaced shut video games. CAA Soccer tri-champ Albany scored twice in extra time to assert a victory. North Carolina Central kicked a area purpose with lower than two minutes remaining to make it a two-score sport. Howard, the MEAC champ, had a gap landing drive that went 81 yards in 11 performs.
“Fear concerning the little issues,” Williams mentioned on how the protection can take the subsequent step in 2024. “Actually keying in on how you can suppose and focus once you’re fatigued. A number of instances we let up late scores within the video games. Actually simply coming with that mentality.”
To Wilson, the Highway to Atlanta – the MEAC champion will advance to play the SWAC champion within the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 – means the Bears can’t skip steps within the course of.
“We’re gonna take it in the future at a time, one sport at a time and proceed to get higher,” he mentioned, “however the general purpose is to be in Atlanta in December.”
No matter Morgan State’s offensive enhancements this season, Wilson’s purpose will largely depend upon the defensive facet of the ball.
The Bears consider they’re prepared for the problem.
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