Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said discipline isn’t just what his players need to defeat Bethune-Cookman on Saturday — it’s the biggest reason for his team’s early success.
“It’s teaching the players how to respond to adverse situations,” he said. “When you look at the penalties on our team, it was because we were doing things after the whistle. Whether it was hitting defenseless players or running our mouth. You can shut that up by taking care of your business.”
The Bears (2-2) have done a good job of taking care of their business this season, as they enter their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against Bethune-Cookman (3-1, 1-1) at Hughes Stadium with one of the top defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision. The unit is ranked fifth in the country overall, yielding an average of just 232 yards per game.
In last week’s 38-0 loss at Rutgers (1-3) — a team from the larger, Football Bowl Subdivision — the Bears’ defense allowed just 297 total yards, including 93 rushing yards on 39 carries. The unit also forced three turnovers and recorded three sacks.
The offense still needs to improve if the Bears are to contend for the MEAC title, but the team has been much more disciplined this season. The Bears were flagged for just five penalties for 39 yards against the Scarlet Knights, increasing the team’s total to 27 infractions for 260 yards.
The Bears average of 65 yards in penalties isn’t great, but it’s better than last season, when Morgan State averaged about 10 penalties a game for 110 yards.
“The penalties and discipline was bad and out of line last year,” senior defensive end Clarence McPherson said. “The leadership this year, we aren’t tolerating that. We killed ourselves in many games last year. This year, the discipline is up and the penalties are low.”
For Morgan State to defeat Bethune-Cookman for the third straight season, it must contain quarterback Maurice Francois. In his team’s 33-17 win over Norfolk State last week, the freshman ran for 179 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries to go with 5-of-13 passing for 67 yards. Bethune-Cookman also touts junior running back Brian Sumlar, who has 297 yards and a MEAC-leading seven touchdowns on just 62 carries.
“It’s a physical game,” Hill-Eley said. “You don’t need to have a cheap shot, there will be others coming up.”
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BEARS (2-2, 0-0 MEAC) vs. BETHUNE-COOKMAN (3-1, 1-1)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Hughes Stadium
Radio: 88.9 FM
Tickets: Available
