In a close battle that would go into overtime, the Bears of Morgan State held off to beat the Spartans of Norfolk State 38-37. Down 24-16 at halftime after trailing 24-3, the Bears faced a critical need for a comeback against Norfolk State to prevent the Spartans from pulling away.
After early struggles from Duce Taylor, the Bears turned to sophomore quarterback Tahj Smith. Smith finished the day with 179 passing yards on 19 of 28 completions, including one touchdown, and rushed for 30 yards. He also caught a touchdown on a trick play from wide receiver Andre Crawley.
Running backs Myles Miree and Jason Collins Jr. combined for 47 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt-sophomore wide receiver Jaden Coffen scored the Bears’ only receiving touchdown, while Crawley, Malique Leatherbury, and Joseph Kennerly Jr. totaled 104 receiving yards on 12 catches.
Morgan State’s offense amassed 316 yards, but the defense faced challenges in containing the Spartans. Tackle leader Arturo Mattocks tied with all-time sack leader Elijah Williams, both recording seven tackles. Williams set the new sack record during overtime, surpassing Chris Robinson's previous mark of 28.5, now totaling 29 sacks with three games left in the season.
Despite Mattocks and Williams' efforts, the Spartans capitalized on several opportunities. Quarterback Jalen Daniels completed 13 of 18 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Kevon King rushed for 117 yards on 24 carries. Kam’ryn Thomas, Jacquez Jones, and Elyjah Mitchell combined for 157 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions.
Norfolk State’s offense totaled 325 yards, while the defense showcased remarkable performance, recovering four fumbles—their first time achieving this since September 7, 2019. Through 10 games, the Spartans' defense has recovered eight fumbles and recorded 11 interceptions, leading the MEAC in interceptions and ranking second in fumble recoveries.
Linebacker Aj Richardson, the conference leader in tackles, recorded five tackles, tied with three other Spartans. Defensive lineman Amadeu Vital added two forced fumbles and a sack, contributing to the defense’s dominant showing.
After last week’s narrow victory over Howard, head coach of Norfolk State Dawson Odums emphasized the team’s mentality heading into the matchup against Morgan State. “The biggest thing is we played hard. This team has been fighting for every second on the play clock and beyond,” Odums said. “When you’re playing the better teams in this conference, you have to put yourself in a better position to win, and I thought our guys did that.”
“They're a very talented football team, and they’re going to be tough. You can’t beat yourself, and that’s really the message when playing against Morgan State.”
The Spartans will have a bye week to regroup before returning for Senior Day at William “Dick” Price Stadium at noon on Saturday, Nov. 16. Meanwhile, the Bears will travel to Dover to face the Delaware State Hornets, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.
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