There are certain moments on a football calendar that can build morale and define a team?s season. For Morgan State, winning homecoming games on the road and rallying around their backup quarterback fulfill those scenarios.
The Bears (4-3 overall, 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) enjoyed an uplifting victory at Howard?s homecoming game Saturday, snatching the ball ? and the victory ? from their rival?s hands and continuing their resurgence after a slow start this season.
“It breathes a little extra energy into the team heading into the next week,” said Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley. “Normally in the past, it happened against us.”
The Bears scored on a 99-yard fumble return in the second overtime to beat the Bison, 18-12. Linebacker Jarrell Guyton stripped the ball from Howard quarterback William Blanden and ran 20 yards before flipping it back to Everette Baker, who carried it 79 yards for the win.
While that victory had an inspirational effect, the biggest boost to the Bears? season has come from eight formerly ineligible players being reinstated, as well as the play of backup quarterback Mario Melton, who took over for starter Byron Selby several weeks ago.
“The thing is, we?re not turning the ball over,” Hill-Eley said. “He?s moving the offense and we?re getting some production, and that?s something we haven?t gotten in previous games.”
While Hill-Eley said he expected Selby to begin throwing Tuesday, he won?t mix things up quite yet.
“The team is rallying around Mario, so I definitely won?t do anything to disturb that,” he said.
The Bears started the season with losses at Towson (30-2) and Monmouth (26-9) and were 1-3 before a current three-game win streak.
“It just shows us where we are,” Hill-Eley said. “When we played against Towson, eight of the starters we had were not eligible. Now, those guys are back and all those academic issues are out of the way and they?re starting to gel.”
According to Hill-Eley, the Bears must “continue to play good defense and not to have any breakdowns in special teams. All those things are the recipe to success.”
The Bears host their own homecoming game Saturday at 1 p.m. against Delaware State.
