HOWARD UNIVERSITY Game Notes B I SON Morgan State University (Bears) vs Howard University (Bison) GREENE STADIUM Washington, DC 1 PM Game Day THE GAME: This is a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference match- BEAR TRACKS: up between the Bears of Morgan State University and the Bison Morgan State has 10 interceptions on the seaosn of Howard University. The Bears (2-5, 2-1 in the MEAC) have and have allowed only 8 passing TDs...the Bears won two in a row, the latest a 34-22 win over North Carolina lead the conference in punting and in time of Central on the road this past Saturday. Bison (2-5, 1-3 in the possession...they are tied for 2nd in least sacks allowed and MEAC) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 21-10 win 3rd in rushing offense, in pass defense, in pass efficiency and in over Florida A&M University this past Saturday. third down conversion...Lamont Brown ranks 6th in rushing... Seth Higgins is 6th in pass efficiency and 10th in total offense... THE COACHES: Morgan State is coached by Donlad Hill- Chris Moller leads the MEAC in PATS, 5th in field and 7th in scor- Eley (Virginia Union, ‘91), who is in his 12th season and has a ing...Lawrence Forbes leads the MEAC in punting...Chris Flow- 57-79 career record to date. Hill-Eley is 10-2 versus Howard. ers is 7th in kick returns...Cody Acker is tied for 2nd in fumble Howard is coached by Ray Petty (Elon College, ’79), who is in recoveries and tied for 1st in forced fumbles. his first year of his second tenure as head coach and has a 27-35 career record to date in six-plus seasons. HOWARD: The Bison are paced offensively by junior QB GREG MCGHEE SERIES RECORD: Howard snapped a seven-game losing (79 carries, 318 yards, 1 TD; 134 of 222, 1,342 yards, 10 TDs, 7 streak to the Bears last season with a 21-20 win at Greene Sta- interceptions), sophomore HB WILLIAM PARKER (93 carries, dium. The Bears hold a 38-34-3 advantage in the series which 389 yards, 2 TDs; 10 receptions, 90 yards), senior WR BRANDON dates back to 1892. FLANAGAN (20 receptions, 174 yards), junior WR STEWART HARTMAN (22 receptions, 203 yards, 2 TDs) and sophomore FOLLOW THE ACTION: The game will be broadcast WR JONATHAN BOOKER (18 receptions, 254 yards, 4 TDs) and on WEAA. Veteran Lamont Germany will provide the play by freshman RB ANTHONY PHILYAW (59 carries, 262 yards, 3 TDs; play and Lex Taylor the color commentary. You can find it by 8 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD). logging onto www.weaa.org Defensively, Howard is led by red-shirt junior S CAM ALSTON 2013 HU STATISTICAL LEADERS (30 solos, 24 assists, 2.0 tackles for losses, 6 pass defenses, an in- Rushing: William Parker, 93 carries, 389 yards, 2 TDs terception), junior CB ADEMOLA OLATUNJI (30 solos, 8 assists, Passing: McGhee, 134 of 222, 1,342 yards, 10 TDs, 7 int 3 interceptions, 8 pass breakups), senior LB TABRIAN RESBY (21 Receiving: Stewart Hartman, 22 receptions, 203 yards, 2 TDs solos, 32 assists, 6.5 tackles for losses, 2.0 sacks), sophomore DE Tackles: Cameron Alston, 54 tackles, 2.0 for losses, 1.0 sacks, DAMON GRESHAM CHISHOLM (15 solos, 13 assists, 9.0 tackles an int for losses, 3.5 sacks), sophomore LB DEVIN ROLLINS (26 solos, 20 assists, 2.0 tackles for losses) and sophomore DL TOMMIE 2013 MSU STATISTICAL LEADERS BOOZER (12 solos, 17 assists, 3.5 tackles for a loss). SOPHO- Rushing: Lamont Brown, III, 87 carries, 365 yards, 2 TDs MORE P/PK JOHN FLECK averages 42 yards per punt and leads Passing: Seth Higgins, 37 of 70, 452 yards, 5 TDs the MEAC in scoring. Junior RICHARD AIYEGORO, 31 yards per Receiving: Thomas Martin, 16 receptions, 246 yards kick return, including a 97 yarder. Tackles: Cody Acker 62 tackles, 6.5 tackles for losses, an int BISON HOOVES: KEY PLAYERS Philyaw has been named the MEAC Rookie of the MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: Week for his performance in the win over FAMU... The Bears are led offensively by red-shirt freshman RB LAMONT Howard leads the conference in third down conversions...the BROWN, III (87 carries, 365 yards, 2 TDs), freshman RB HERB Bison are 2nd in fewest penalties, tied for 2nd in fewest sacks WALKER, JR (65 carries, 240 yards, 1 TD), junior QB SETH HIG- allowed and 3rd in third in total offense, in passing offense and GINS (57 carries, 282 yards, 4 TDs; 37 of 70, 452 yards, 5 TDs, 4 in sacks. Parker is 5th in rushing...McGhee leads the MEAC in interceptions), red-shirt junior QB ROBERT COUNCIL (39 carries, total offense, is 2nd in passing offense, 4th in passing efficiency 156 yards, 2 TDs; 10 of 16, 136 yards, a TD), freshman WR THOM- and is 9th in rushing...Flanagan is 8th in receptions per game... AS MARTIN (16 receptions, 246 yards), junior WR ANDREW KING Booker is 7th in receiving yards per game...Fleck is 2nd in scor- (9 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TDs), junior TE NATE INGRAM (9 recep- ing and in punting...Aiyegoro is 2nd in kick returns...Tyson is tions, 97 yards, 1 TD) and senior WR CHRIS FLOWERS (8 recep- 8th in kick returns...Chisholm is tied for 5th in sacks and is 3rd tions, 128 yards, 2 TDs). in tackles for losses...Resby is tied for 8th in tackles for losses.. Olatunji is tied for 1st in passes defended and tied for 2nd in Defensively, Morgan State is led by junior LB CODY ACKER (40 interceptions. Howard ranks 12th nationally in pass sacks and solos, 22 assists, 6.5 tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fum- 18th in total offense....Fleck ranked ninth in fields made per bles, 2 forced fumbles, an interception), red-shirt freshman game and 18th in punting. DE HELEAINCE GATES (9 solos, 8 assists, 6.0 tackles for losses, 2.0 sacks), red-shirt junior DE CHRIS ROBINSON (10 solos, 13 assists, 5.5 tackles for losses, 3.0 sacks), junior DB NATHAN AYERS (12 solos, 4 assists, 2 fumble recoveries) and senior DB JOE RANKIN (18 solos, 12 assists, 2 interceptions). 2 Game Day PASSING AN EARLY TEST: There was some concern about the state of the offensive line coming into the season. Joshua Matthews, the senior all conference center was the only player on the front with playing experience. Under the tutelage of new offensive line coach Manny Martinez and the leadership of Matthews, the young quartet of red-shirt sophomore tackle John Smith, red-shirt freshman guard Deonta Allen-Wright, red-shirt junior guard Malcolm Rutledge and “true”freshman tackle Toree Boyd have held up well as the offense is averaging almost 360 yards per game of total offense, which ranks third the MEAC. VERSATILITY PERSONIFIED: Brandon Flanagan could be the most versatile player on the Howard team. The diminutive senior who serves as a wide receiver where he is second on the team in receiving this season with 20 receptions for 148 yards. He also leads the team in punt returns, averaging almost 8 yards per return. And if that is not enough, he has shown his value to the team by serving as the holder on extra points and field goals. MOST IMPROVED: John Fleck had a good season as a freshman kicker and punter last season. The sophomore from Indianapolis, IN, attended a kicker’s camp over the summer and it appears to have made a difference. He is having an fine season thus far, averag- ing almost 42 yards per punt, knocking six inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. He leads the team in scoring with 38 points and has nine field goals. TRANSFERS WITH IMPACT POTENTIAL: The Bison figure to be much improved with the addition of transfers Godspower Offor and Richard Aiyegoro. Offor is a 6-3, 240-pound junior transfer from Wake Forest, who brings depth and athletic talent to the front line on defense. Offor has made some impact plays with two sacks and, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as a reserve to his credit. Aiyegoro is a 5-6, 155-pound junior transfer from Elizabeth City State, who brings the home run threat to the offense as a wide receiver and to the special teams as a return specialist. He ranks among the nation’s leaders in kick returns, averaging 26 yards per return and is fourth on the team in receiving with 15 receptions. MAKING THE MOST Of AN OPPORTUNITY: Junior Ademola Olatunji is starting at cornerback for the first time in his career and has been a pleasant surprise. He ranks fourth on the team in tackles with 38 and he leads the team in interceptions with 3. He also ranks among the best in the MEAC and in the FCS in passes defended with 8. THE PLEASANT SURPRISE: Through the first 6 games of the 2012 season, Damon Gresham Chisholm was a situation player on defense as a freshman last season. But things changed dramatically when starting defensive tackle Ibrahima Kebe went down with an injury and forced some changes on the defensive line. Greshman-Chisholm was inserted into the starting lineup at defensive end and the rest is history, as they say. The 6-3, 250-pound sophomore went on earn MEAC Rookie of the Year and first team all- conference honors, recording 18.5 tackles for losses.