Morgan Vs. Towson: The Battle for Greater Baltimore
The Battle of Greater Baltimore is back as the Tigers of Towson take the trip down to Baltimore to face the Morgan State bears this Saturday, Sept. 16.
Towson has dominated the overall series 21-6. The Tigers are looking to make that 22 wins and get in the win column for the first time this season. Towson is starting the season 0-2 after getting blown out at Maryland 38-6 and losing to Monmouth in their home opener 42-23.
Morgan on the other hand is in the hands of second-year head coach Damon Wilson and looks to defeat expectations and win in their home opener. The Bears have started this season 1-1 winning week one 17-10 at Richmond and last to Akron 21-24.
Morgan State:
The Morgan State offense goes as the ground game goes behind a good offensive line and their primary running back J.J. Davis is the focus point of this offense. Their passing game has a big glaring question on it. When will they be able to keep any quarterback on the team upright for long enough to not have to rely on their defense? They have played multiple quarterbacks in both games so far playing two against Richmond and three against Akron. This Morgan offensive line has given up seven sacks and even more pressure across two games. They must step up or Towson could come in and sneak away with this one.
The Morgan State defense is the strength of the team. They are a tough group led by All-MEAC linebacker Erick Hunter who has 2.5 sacks and 3.5 TFL so far this season and senior defensive back Jordan Toles who has two interceptions this season. This Bears defense is based around getting pressure from the front seven and having ballhawks in the secondary. They have 11 sacks and four interceptions over the past two weeks. They also don’t allow people to run on them as much either only allowing 147 rushing on the season.
Towson:
The Towson offense is a balanced one they played exactly how you would expect against Maryland but put 276 yards total. Against Monmouth, they kept it close through three-and-a-half quarters. Quarterback Nathan Kent has shown to be a good passer putting up 328 yards and two touchdowns across the first two games. The Tigers have a decent run game as well through running back Devin Matthews and Mr. Do-it-all All-American return man D’Ago Hunter.
Jesus Gibbs All-CAA second-team defensive lineman is a force on a Towson defense that has given up 886 yards of total offense in the first two weeks. That along with the 80 combined points this defense has given up gives this defense a bad look but they looked promising against Monmouth. The Tigers would hold them to only 14 points at half time and if it wasn’t for a 21-point outburst that game would’ve been a lot closer. Don’t let the stats catch you off-guard or this Towson defense will blindside you.
Prediction:
This game won’t be a blowout on either side like we’ve seen in the past. Both teams are coming with a point to prove and a chip on their shoulder. My prediction is that Morgan State’s defense will bottle up that Towson offense and the Bears will win 24-17.
