There were few secrets Saturday between Morgan State and visiting North Carolina A&T. Not with former Bears coaches Alonzo Lee and Chennis Berry standing on the opposite sideline as the Aggies' first-year head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively.
So for the better part of three hours, each team successfully snuffed out what the other does best on both sides of the ball.
It was special teams, however, that ultimately made the difference in Morgan's 7-6 win before an announced 12,045 on Homecoming Day at Hughes Stadium.
First, Bears linebacker Fred Davis blocked Patrick Courtney's extra-point try in the third quarter after A&T's only touchdown, then Wallace Miles' 51-yard desperation field-goal attempt fell short as time expired, helping the Bears improve to 4-1 for the first time since 1979.
"It was like fighting with your brother over bread," Bears coach Donald Hill-Eley said. "When you've been together for 15 or 20 years, they know your tendencies. It's very difficult because there's only so much you can do. It was a chess match."
The win gave Morgan (4-1 overall, 2-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) just its second four-game winning streak since moving to Division I in 1984.
This one, however, could easily have gone the other way.
After Courtney, under pressure, came up short on a 32-yard field-goal attempt, quarterback Carlton Jackson (nine of 14 for 101 yards) quickly helped Morgan take the lead late in the first quarter. Jackson hit three straight passes on the drive, including a 45-yard screen pass to Lamont Bryant, to set up a 7-yard scoring run around the right side by Devan James.
It marked the first score this season for James, who finished with 81 yards on 19 carries.
That lead would stand, with A&T (3-3, 1-2) racking up 263 yards of offense but continually hurting its cause with key mistakes.
"We moved the ball up and down the field," Lee said. "I know we did some good things. It was just a couple things that hurt us right at the end."
One mistake came when Justin Farrell's 103-yard kickoff return was called back because of a pair of illegal blocks. Courtney later missed his second field-goal attempt, striking a 38-yard try wide right midway through the second quarter.
The biggest mistake, however, followed the Aggies' lone score on Tony Cole's 1-yard run with 7:03 left in the third. That's when Davis broke through a huge gap in the line to bat down Courtney's extra-point attempt.
"On the first couple of kicks I saw it opened up wide," Davis said. "Then on the third one, it just opened up the same way, so I just went in, dived and caught it. I had a sense that if we blocked it, all we had to do was stop them on defense. If they don't score, they don't win."
N. Carolina A&T
0 0 6 0-6
Morgan St.
7 0 0 0-7
First quarter
Morg-James 7 run (Scarlett kick), :24.
Third quarter
NCAT-Coles 1 run (kick failed), 7:03.
A-12,045.
NCAT Morg
First downs 16 6
Rushes-Yards 40-130 30-123
Passing 133 101
Cmp.-Att.-Int. 18-34-1 9-15-2
Return Yards 13 31
Punts-Avg. 7-37.6 6-31.0
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-3
Penalties-Yds. 5-78 5-66
Time of poss. 35:34 24:26
Rushing-N. Carolina A&T, Fears 16-50, Payne 11-45, Mayhew 10-26, Raper 2-8, Coles 1-1. Morgan St., James 19-81, Jackson 4-30, D.West 3-9, Mann 2-8, Team 2-(minus 5).
Passing-N. Carolina A&T, Fears 18-34-1-133. Morgan St., Jackson 9-14-1-101, Dickerson 0-1-1-0.
Receiving-N. Carolina A&T, Miles 7-84, Mayhew 5-21, Lowrance 2-24, Raper 2-8, Payne 1-11, Fears 1-(minus 15). Morgan St., Cherenfant 3-15, Bryant 2-65, Diggs 2-11, Baptiste 2-10.
HOWARD @MORGAN STATE
Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Radio: 88.9 FM
