Complete Game Notes

FOLLOWING THE GAME
Stadium
Greene Stadium (7,086)

Webcast, notes and more
www.howard-bison.com
Play-by-Play: Mark Gray
Color: Tony McGhee

Media Notes
The Carey Bailey Show can be seen every Thursday on MASN Sports at 12:30 pm...Coach Bailey will discuss the previous game and preview the upcoming game...Today's game is being broadcast live on WHUT and is also being webcast live over the Howard internet...Mark Gray is handling play by play, Tony McGhee the color commentary and Lou Holder and Ashley Ross the sideline interviews and features...Morgan State fans can follow the action on WEAA, 88.9 in Baltimore, MD...Rob Long will handle the play by play and Kelvin Bridgers will provide color commentary.

Series Information
The Bears prevailed 36-33 in overtime last year at Morgan State.  MSU has won three straight to maintain a 37-33-1 advantage in the rivalry which dates back to 1889.  Those three contests have been decided by seven points or less, including two overtimes. Coach Hill-Eley is 5-1 lifetime vs. the Bison.

The Game
This is a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference match-up between the Bears of Morgan State University and the Bison of Howard University.  The Bears (3-3 overall, 1-1 in the MEAC) are coming off an impressive 41-3 win over North Carolina A&T on the road this past Saturday that snapped a two-game losing streak.  The Bison (1-4 overall, 0-2 in the MEAC) had the week off after suffering a 34-10 road loss to Winston-Salem State University on October 4.  There will be a special ceremony in the pre-game to honor the 15^th Anniversary of the Howard University football team that went 11-0.

The Coaches
Morgan State University is coached by Donald Hill-Eley (Virginia Union, ‘91), who is in his seventh year at the helm and has a 33-40 career record to date. Howard Coach Carey Bailey (University of Tennessee, ‘92) is in his second season after serving as an assistant at the University Minnesota.  Bailey was the defensive line coach there and under his tutelage, the Gophers led the nation in turnover margin (plus 1.33).  Bailey also gained a wealth of experience in stints at Oklahoma State, Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Virginia Military Institute and at West Virginia. 

SETTING THE SCENE
Howard
The Bison offense, which ranks among the best in FCS, is led by red-shirt junior QB FLOYD HAIGLER (140 of 230, 1,476 yards, 10 TDs, 9 interceptions), senior RB KARLOS WHITTAKER (48 carries, 222 yards carries, 2 TDs), senior WR ARLANDUS HOOD (35 receptions, 323 yards), freshman WR WILLIE CARTER (39 receptions, 398 yards, 5 TDs), junior WRs BRANDON SHERMAN (26 receptions, 361 yards, 2 TDs) and ULYSSES ALEXANDER (6 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TDs) senior WR/RB RAMON "RAY RAY" MCELRATHBEY (20 receptions, 159 yards, 1 TD; 15 carries, 97 yards).

Defensively, Howard is led by senior All-American candidate, MLB ENDOR COOPER (42 solos, 29 assists, 9.5 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles), junior S ARANDO JAMISON (15 solos, 15 assists, 4.0 tackles for losses, a forced fumble), sophomore LBs PATRICK JEAN-MARY (11 solos, 11 assists, 3.5 tackles for a loss) and COREY BERRY (8 solos, 7 assists, 2.0 tackles for losses, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery), junior DL JAMES ROBINSON (8 solos, 8 assists, 4.0 tackles for losses), junior S MARTIN CORNIFFE (10 solos, 15 assists, an interception and a fumble recovery) and junior DL WILL CRONER (8 solos, 2 assists, 3.0 tackles for losses and an interception).

Bison Hooves
As a team, Howard boasts some impressive numbers...the Bison rank ninth in the country in passing offense and 13^th in time of possession...Haigler is third in passing, fourth in total offense and ninth in passing yardage...Arlandus Hood ranks first in receptions per game...Willie Carter is sixth in receptions per game and 30^th in receiving yards per game...Brandon Drayton is 19^th overall in punt returns...All-American candidate Endor Cooper leads the nation in solo tackles, is third in total tackles and tied for seventh in tackles for losses...Howard leads the MEAC in total offense, in passing offense and in time of possession...Carter, Hood, Sherman and Ramon McElrathbey rank 1-2-3-4 in receiving in the conference...McElrathbey is 10^th in all-purpose running and Drayton is third in punt returns...Carter and Drayton are highest ranked freshmen in their national statistical categories...Carter, a strong candidate for MEAC Rookie of the Year honors, has caught more passes than any freshman in school history. 

Morgan State
The Bears are led offensively by junior QB CARLTON JACKSON (51 of 94, 682 yards, 5 TDs, 6 interceptions), sophomore RB DEVAN JAMES (137 carries, 639 yards, 3 TDs), red-shirt freshman RB KEITH LEE (36 carries, 195 yards, 2 TDs), senior WR ROBERT SURRATT (22 receptions, 283 yards, 1 TD), junior WR EDWIN BAPTISTE (13 receptions, 223 yards, 2 TDs) and senior WR JAI WILSON (10 receptions, 134 yards, 1 TD).

The nationally ranked MSU defense is led by  senior LBs JARRELL GUYTON (14 solos, 22 assists, 8.0 tackles for losses, 3.0 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery) and GREGORY ONYIUKE (18 solos, 15 assists, 6.5 tackles for losses, 4 sacks)), sophomore LBs TROY LEFTWICH (18 solos, 20 assists, 2 assists, 5.0 tackles for losses, 3 fumble recoveries and an interception) and FRED DAVIS (10 solos, 12 assists, 6.0 tackles for losses 2 sacks), sophomore SS CHRIS WILLIAMS (17 solos, 4 assists, 2 interceptions) and junior LB GEORGE HOWARD (15 solos, 8 assists, 4.5 tackles for losses, a sack and an interception).

Bear Tracks
MSU's defense has been dominant...the Bears lead the country in tackles for losses (10.0 per game) and in fewest first downs allowed (13.5 per game)...MSU is second in 3^rd down efficiency defense and total defense, is tied for second in fourth down defense, tied for third in forced turnovers per game and tied for fourth in Red Zone defense...Troy Leftwich is Number 2 in the country in fumble recoveries...the Bears also rank first or second in 12 different statistical categories in the MEAC...Devan James is second in rushing (103 yards per game) and Carlton Jackson is seventh in total offense...MSU has been outscored 42-26 in the first quarter this season, but the Bears have a 62-23 advantage in the second quarter...the opportunistic MSU defense has recorded 16 sacks, picked off 12 passes and recovered 7 fumbles while holding its opponents' to 2.5 yards per rush...Winfield Diggs has been named MEAC Rookie of the Week and Dwayne Delaney the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week...Former Howard standout wide receiver Gary "Flea" Harrell, who will be honored along with the 1993 Bison team that went undefeated, is the quarterback coach for Morgan State.