As always, this week’s 15-7-0 is brought to you by Roofing By Elite. Visit them at roofingbyelite.com. We make 15 observations about football that are ELITE, 7 that are “not so ELITE” and one “zero” who deserves to sleep on the roof from outside of football.

(As a reminder, we don’t do Baltimore Ravens game analysis here. We do PLENTY of that elsewhere. This is about the rest of the world of football.)

Here we go.

“The Elite 15″…

1. I have to assume that at this point they don’t need to keep trying to wake up the echoes in South Bend.

Remember when the Trojans were down two scores late and went for it on 4th down anyway? I bet that worked out well…

I can’t tell if Fighting Irish LB (and likely Heisman Trophy finalist) Manti Te’o was excited about the win, though…

Also, what do you think Lane Kiffin was thinking here…

Of course, the Trojans are NEVER losers…

2. Now that Jay Cutler has returned to save the Chicago Bears’ season, we can all get back to talking about how much Jay Cutler sucks.

He’s unlikeable, but he’s a hell of a QB…

Back to that “unlikeable” thing. Ask AJ Jefferson…

J’Marcus Webb might disagree though…

3. Jesus. Weren’t the Bengals just completely dead a couple weeks ago?

Mohamed Sanu had a busy day (on my fantasy football bench)…

Credit to NFL Red Zone’s Scott Hanson-who saw Raiders DL Tommy Kelly in a fight and IMMEDIATELY noticed he was a doppelganger for Suge Knight…

4. There might be a LITTLE bit of drama headed to New York this year, but I’m pretty confident Johnny Manziel has locked up the Heisman Trophy.

His big game Saturday against Missouri happened AFTER Johnny Football overcame this troublesome looking injury…

Manziel will finally speak to the media for the first time Monday. He’ll have to play catch up to the all out blitz the Irish have gone through with Te’o…

5. Now Alabama plays Georgia next week for the right to be favored to win the BCS Championship Game.

Georgia’s Alec Ogletree prepared for the SEC Championship showdown by going all Kurt Angle on Georgia Tech…

Elsewhere in the SEC, I give you Jarvis Landry!

(Continued on Page 2…)

GAME TIME
Morgan State (3-6, 2-4 MEAC) continues the 2012 season play in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup against Hampton on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Hughes Stadium.  The Pirates are under the leadership of fourth-year head coach Donovan Rose. The Pirates (2-7, 2-5) are coming off a 35-27 loss against Delaware State.  The Bears were beat 30-0 against Norfolk State at William “Dick” Price Stadium.

THE BEARS-PIRATES MATCHUP
• The Bears and Pirates will meet for the 62nd time since 1930. Morgan State leads the series 36-23-2.
•  Nov. 19, 2011 – the Bears fell, 42-18, to Hampton in a game that knocked the Bears to 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Hampton’s freshmen quarterback duo of Travis Champion and Bradford Hudson were solid. Champion completed 13-of-17 passes for 192 yards and tossed three touchdowns, while Hudson was 6-of-13 for 59 yards and threw a touchdown. MSU posted 311 total yards on offense, while the Pirates finished with 405.
• The last time the Pirates played in Hughes Stadium was on Nov. 20, 2010 … Morgan State managed just 10 first downs and 142 yards of total offense, giving up the game-winning touchdown on a 23-yard pass from David Legree to Javaris Brown with 46 seconds left in a 21-16 loss to Hampton. Morgan appeared to have had the game in hand, taking a 16-15 lead with 1:42 left on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Delonte Williams, before allowing the Pirates to drive 78 yards on seven plays in under a minute.

QUICK HITS
• Travis Davidson currently ranks 3rd in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 877 yards (87.7 avg/g). He also ranks No. 1 the MEAC in scoring (78 Pts).
•  QB Robert Council had a rough outing for the Bears at Norfolk State … he completed just 4 of 12 passes 38 yards, and was picked off three times, including one that was returned 15 yards by Deon King for a touchdown.
•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registered his 9th interception of his career, picking off Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostic in the 1st quarter…He currently is tied for first in the MEAC in INTs with four in 10 games…he also ranks T-No. 3 in passes defended (10) with his freshman teammate DaShaun Summers (6 pass breakups & 2 INTs).
• The MSU defense has collected 11 interceptions (ranked No. 5 in MEAC) through the first 10 games of 2012.
•  The Bears enter Saturday’s contest as the MEAC’s No. 6 ranked scoring offense (21.2 avg/g).
•  True freshman LB Elandon Roberts currently ranks T-No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles by posting 88 tackles with one game left on the schedule. … he recorded a season-high 16 tackles against Delaware State on Oct. 25. Roberts was also added to the 2012 Jerry Rice Award Watch List. The selection puts Roberts among the top freshmen players in the country, adding further recognition to the linebacker’s outstanding first season.
•  Four of the Bears’ losses have been by a total of 10 points – an average of 2.5 points per game.

PIRATES THUMBNAIL
• The Pirates enter Week 10 coming off a 35-27 loss against Delaware State to drop to 2-7 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
• In 2011, Hampton finished with a 7-4 overall record and 5-3 in the MEAC.
• Travis Champion leads the Pirates offense this season. Champion, a 6-2, 218-pounder from Moreno Valley (Calif.) has completed 117 of 191 for 1,223 yards and eight touchdowns, including nine interceptions. He currently ranks No. 3 in passing average (174.7 and No. 6 in pass efficiency (119.4/g).
• Through the first 10 games, RB Jeremiah Schwartz (5-11, 235) is the MEAC’s leading rusher (Ranks 12^th in the FCS). The true freshman from Orlando (Fla.) has recorded 167 carries for 930 yards (5.6 avg), including nine TDs.  He rushed for a game-high 136 yards against Delaware State last Saturday. He has rushed for over 100 yards in six of the last 10 games, including a 201 yard outing against Bethune-Cookman.
• MSU’s offense will have to account for the Pirates’ linebacker Delbert Tyler. The junior currently ranks among the league leaders with 75 tackles (ranks 7th), to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks … he had a season-high 14 tackle outing against Bethune-Cookman.
• The Bears’ defensive unit will face a Hampton line that ranks No. 5 in the league in rushing by averaging 138.9 per contest.
• Through 10 games, the Pirates offense ranks 7^th in the MEAC in scoring by posting 21.2 points per contest and ranks 5th in total offense (322.1/g).

JUICE UPDATE
• Travis Davidson needs to gain 35 rushing yards to surpass Craig Nelson at No. 9 on the school’s all-time rushing list. “Juice” currently has 1,563 career rushing yards.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK
•  The Bears having a 300-yard passing game for the first time since October 8, 2011. In Week 6, Morgan State defeated Savannah State 44-17 and Seth Higgins, Nate Furrha and Robert Council combined for 16-of-26 passes for 318 yards and five TDs.
•  Quarterback Robert Council needs just 25 yards to reach 1,000 passing yards for the season.
•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registering an interception would mark his fifth of the season and the 10th of his career.  He would need to collect six more to surpass Joe Fowlkes for the school record.  Fowlkes posted 15 INTs during his career (1975-78).
•  Running back Travis Davidson rushing for 100 yards or more for the eighth time in his career.

NOVEMBER CHILL
The Bears are 10-20 in November games since the start of the 2002 season and 3-8 at home that month.

Friday, Nov. 16, 2012
Opponent: University of South Carolina (1-0)
Site: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia S.C.
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Television: Fox Sports South
Television Talent: Andy Demetra (Play-by-Play) and Eddie Fogler (Analyst)
MSU Coach: Todd Bozeman (112-86 – 7th yr)

BALTIMORE, Md. —  Morgan State takes on the University of South Carolina in the Bears’ true first road test of the 2012-13 campaign. Morgan State will enter the contest following a weekend in which they posted a 1-2 record during the ODU Liberty Tax Classic. The Gamecocks (1-0) needed overtime to defeat Milwaukee 82-75 during the Gamecocks season-opener at Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 11. The Bears-Gamecocks game will be televised live by Fox Sports South.

Bear Bits:
• Morgan State will play the South Carolina Gamecocks for the first time in school history.

• The Bears had 10 games decided by 1-4 points during the 2011-12 season…The Bears held a 1-9 record.

• DeWayne Jackson averaged 14 points, 5.7 rebounds and shot 53 percent from the field in three games at the Liberty Tax Classic … he was selected to All-Tournament Team as a result of his performance.

• Sophomore guard Blake Bozeman has connected on 7-of-12 (.583 pct.) from 3-point territory .

• Anthony Hubbard leads the Bears in scoring by averaging 15.7 points to go along with a team-high 9.3 rebounds.

• The Bears are outrebounding opponents by an average of 39.3 to 33.3 through the first three games.

• An MSU win would give Todd Bozeman his 113th victory in his 200th games as Morgan State’s head coach.

MORGAN STATE VS. SEC
Morgan State’s last time out against an SEC opponent was at Arkansas on Nov. 24, 2009. The Bears posted a 97-94 victory and improved its record to 1-2 vs. SEC opponents.
Arkansas 1-1
Florida 0-1

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
The Gamecocks welcome back eight veterans — two starters — from a squad that posted a 10-21 overall record and finished 12th in the Southeastern Conference with a 2-14 ledger last season. Freshman Michael Carrera paced the Gamecock with 17 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in the win against Milwaukee. Head coach Frank Martin is 118-54 in his 6th season.

FIRST THREE PART OF ODU TOURNAMENT
The first three games of the regular season made the Liberty Tax Classic on the Morgan State schedule. The Bears defeated the University of Texas at San Antonio (W 71-59), and fell to Old Dominion (L 72-61), and Holy Cross (L, 74-73) in the event hosted by Old Dominion at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Morgan State senior swingman DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Liberty Tax Classic All-Tournament Team as a result of his performance during a weekend in which he averaged 14 points, 5.7 rebounds 3.7 assists with three steals.

FRESHMEN MAKE MORGAN STATE DEBUT IN LIBERTY TAX CLASSIC
Morgan State’s freshman class made class made its debut during the Liberty Tax Classic hosted by Old Dominion (Nov. 9-11) at Ted Constant Convocation Center. Rookies Donte Pretlow, Rasean Simpson and Cedric Blossom saw their first action as Bears. Pretlow made his debut versus University of Texas-San Antonio. He played 8 minutes and had seven points (2-2 FG) and two steals. Simpson and Blossom took the court for the first time against host Old Dominion. Simpson posted 3 points and a rebound in 3 minutes, while Blossom grabbed a board in 5 minutes of action.

MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2012-13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball preseason poll behind Savannah State and Delaware State.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

UNFAMILIAR FOES
Morgan State will face six teams this season that the program has never met in its basketball history. The first time opponents are: UTSA, Old Dominion, Holy Cross, South Carolina, Illinois State and San Diego. The Bears do not see a familiar foe until the Nov. 29 matchup at Liberty (MSU leads, 1-0), their fifth game of the season. The other five opponents MSU previously has played are University of Virginia (trails, 0-1), Loyola Marymount (leads, 2-0), and Saint Joseph’s (trails, 0-1).

ROAD WARRIORS
Morgan State, which played its first three games on the road, including nine of its first 11 last season on the road, has won 15 of its past 25 games held away from the Hill Field House, including a 1-2 mark on neutral courts. The Bears finished 5-10 in true road contests and 0-3 on neutral floors in 2011-12 and posted a 4-4 road conference ledger, which was its worst mark since Todd Bozeman took over the program in 2006. This season’s schedule will send MSU on the road for 10 of its first 11 games, including a six-game road trip from Nov. 29-Dec. 29 that features contests in three different time zones. The Bears are guaranteed at least 19 games away from home this season.

JACKSON SET TO LEAD
DeWayne Jackson is the lone returning senior who saw action for Morgan State last year. There are seven (7) juniors, four (4) sophomores and two (2) freshmen on the Bears roster.

RECOVERING THE SWAG
The Bears will look to rebound from last year’s dismal season in which the Bears recorded a 9-20 finish. It marked Todd Bozeman‘s worst season as a head coach, and it was Morgan State’s worst season since going 4-26 in 2005-06.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON CLIMBING THE MSU RECORD BOOK
DeWayne Jackson (1,184, 396 rebs., 108 asts) needs just 8 points to surpass James Hall (1,191 points – 1963-67) to become the school’s No. 14 all-time leading scorer. Jackson is one of three Bears on MSU’s all-time scoring list who have been coached by Todd Bozeman. Kevin Thompson (2009-12) ranks No. 9 (1,487 points) and Reggie Holmes (2007-10) is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,051 points.

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has eight players from the Metropolitan-D.C. area, including one from Baltimore. Senior DeWayne Jackson (Bowie High) and sophmore Blake Bozeman (Solebury Prep) are both from Bowie. Transfer guard Daryl Traynham is from Melwood (Wise High), walk-on Daon Riley is from Severn (Old Mill High), and Cedric Blossom is from Columbia (Montrose Christian). Anthony Hubbard is a product of Woodbridge (Va.), while junior Justin Black attended DeMatha High and Donte Pretlow was a standout at Dunbar High in Baltimore.

BOZEMAN WIN PERCENTAGE AT MSU
Todd Bozeman, now in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears, has an overall win percentage of .563 (112-89) after 199 games at Morgan State. That winning mean is the second highest among 15 head coaches in the history of the Morgan State men’s basketball program. Nathaniel Frazier’s winning percentage of .578 (166-121) is the highest percentage in Morgan State history.

UP NEXT
The Bears will travel to face Liberty at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29.

Glenn Clark’s Rankings…

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (31)

I had a funny feeling they’d end up back here.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (32)

In my heart of hearts, their defense is better than the Jags’.

30. Cleveland Browns (26)

The entire state is too concerned with the Buckeyes’ pursuit of an undefeated season to notice.

29. Carolina Panthers (28)

Oh right. They stink. Sorry I forgot that.

28. Oakland Raiders (24)

Just an absolutely piss poor effort. Which I appreciated.

27. New York Jets (25)

Rex is popular enough that he’ll survive this.

26. St. Louis Rams (30)

They deserved to lose and stole a tie.

25. Arizona Cardinals (23)

Welcome back from the bye. Enjoy Atlanta.

24. Buffalo Bills (27)

That was pretty respectable.

23. Philadelphia Eagles (21)

There are too many good players to be this bad.

22. Washington Redskins (22)

This is a big stretch here after the bye for Mike Shanahan.

21. Tennessee Titans (29)

Where the hell did that come from?

20. San Diego Chargers (18)

And yet…do any of you feel comfortable about the Ravens’ trip to San Diego next week?

19. Miami Dolphins (14)

This is a crucial test for them on Thursday Night Football.

18. Dallas Cowboys (19)

They don’t go away, do they?

17. Detroit Lions (12)

That could end up being a brutal loss to their playoff hopes.

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GAME TIME
Morgan State (3-6, 2-4 MEAC) continues the 2012 season play in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup at Norfolk State on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Dick Price Stadium.  The Spartans enter the 2012 season under the leadership of eight-year head coach Pete Adrian. The Spartans (3-7, 1-6) are coming off its first conference win following a 33-21 homecoming win against Savannah State. The Bears fell 24-13 at Hughes Stadium against top-ranked Bethune-Cookman.

THE BEARS-SPARATNS MATCHUP 
• The Bears and Spartans will meet for the 25th time since 1965. Norfolk State leads the series 14-10 and has won the last five meetings against MSU.

•  Nov. 12, 2011 – Morgan State took the field at Hughes Stadium Saturday still with an outside shot at a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. But after gamely battling No. 22 Norfolk State throughout the first half, the Bears saw their chances disappear with one utterly forgettable stretch to open the second half.

Morgan allowed 17 straight points in a span of 4 minutes, 26 seconds, turning a close game into a 47-14 rout before an announced 5,329.

• The last time the Bears played at William ‘Dick’ Price Stadium was on Nov. 6, 2010 … Morgan State matched Norfolk State punch for punch, before falling 37-25. Spartan quarterback Chris Walley passed for season highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns and set a single-game school record by completing 20-of-22 passes in the process.

QUICK HITS
•  Travis Davidson currently ranks 2nd in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 851 yards (94.6 avg/g). He also ranks No. 1 the MEAC in scoring (78 Pts).

•  QB Robert Council completed 14-of-31 passes for 121 yards and ran for 16 yards against Bethune-Cookman.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registered his 9th interception of his career, picking off Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostic in the 1st quarter…He currently ranks T-No. in the MEAC in INTs with four in nine games…he also ranks T-No. 4 in passes defended (10), while his freshman teammate DaShaun Summers leads the league with 1.33 average passes defended.

• Twenty-one (21) Morgan State seniors were honored before the start of last Saturday’s game against B-CU.

•  The Bears continue to be among the top scoring offenses in the league, entering Saturday’s contest as the MEAC’s No. 5 ranked scoring offense (23.6 avg/g).

•  True freshman LB Elandon Roberts currently ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles by posting 83 tackles so far this season … he recorded a season-high 16 tackles against Delaware State on Oct. 25.

•  Sophomore defensive end Christopher Robinson currently leads the MEAC with seven sacks in just seven games played. He posted seven nine tackles, a forced fumble and a sack against Bethune-Cookman last Saturday.

SPARTANS THUMBNAIL
• The Wildcats enter Week 10 coming off a 33-21 Homecoming victory against Savannah State. The win snapped the Spartans’ 6-game losing streak and marked its first conference win of the season.

• In 2011, Norfolk State finished with a 9-3 overall record and 7-1 in the MEAC and captured the league championship.

• Norfolk State junior quarterback Nico Flores was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Flores got his first start at quarterback in over a month and helped lead the Spartans to a 33-21 win over Savannah State on Saturday. Flores completed 17-of-28 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 14 times for a career-high 116 rushing yards. Flores totaled 329 yards of total offense. This is the first weekly MEAC award of Flores’ career.

• Through the first 10 games, WR Xavier Boyce (6-4, 220) and Derrick Demps (5-11, 180) have been two of the  leading receivers in the Spartans  offensive attack. Boyce, a junior from Virginia Beach (Va.), has recorded 54 receptions for 574 yards (10.6 avg), including three TDs. Demps, a Tallahassee (Fla.) product, ranks No. 6 in the MEAC with 39 catches for 645 yards (11.2 avg) with six touchdowns.

• MSU’s offense will have to account for the Spartan linebacker Lynden Trail. The junior currently ranks among the league leaders with 66 tackles (ranks 18th), to go along with 5 sacks (ranks No. 6).

• The Bears’ defensive unit will face a Spartan offensive line that ranks No. 5 in the league in rushing by averaging 139.1 per contest.

• Through 10 games, the Norfolk State defense ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in total defense by limiting opponents to 283.8 yards per contest and ranks No.1  in pass defense (136.0/g) and No. 8 in run defense (147.8/g).

JUICE UPDATE
• Travis Davidson needs to gain 61 rushing yards to surpass Craig Nelson at No. 9 on the school’s all-time rushing list.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK
•  The Bears rushing for 100 yards or more for the ninth consecutive game this season.

•  QB Robert Council needs just 63 more passing yards to reach 1,000 yards for the season.

•  The Bears having a 300-yard passing game for the first time since October 8, 2011. In Week 6, Morgan State defeated Savannah State 44-17 and Seth Higgins, Nate Furrha and Robert Council combined for 16-of-26 passes for 318 yards and five TDs.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registering an interception would mark his fifth of the season and the 10th of his career.  He would need to collect six more to surpass Joe Fowlkes for the school record.  Fowlkes posted 15 INTs during his career (1975-78).

•  Travis Davidson needs just 149 more rushing yards to reach 1,000 yards for the season.

NOVEMBER CHILL
The Bears are 10-19 in November games since the start of the 2002 season.

NEXT UP
After Saturday’s contest at Norfolk State, the Bears will host the Hampton Pirates at Hughes Stadium. The matchup is set for Saturday, November 17. Kickoff at 1 p.m.

BALTIMORE, Md. —  Morgan State men’s basketball team will open the 2012-13 season with a trio of games at the Liberty Tax Classic this Friday-Sunday, Nov. 9-11, in Norfolk, Va. The Bears will face the University of Texas-San Antonio at 5 p.m. on Friday, host Old Dominion at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday and Holy Cross at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday.

Morgan State at Liberty Tax Classic
Game #1 — vs. UTSA •   5 p.m. • Friday, Nov. 9
Game #2 — vs. Old Dominion Manarchs •   7:15 p.m. • Saturday, Nov. 10
Game #3 — vs. Holy Cross Crusdaers •   4:15 p.m. • Sunday, Nov. 11
Ted Constant Convocation Center (8,472) •  Norfolk, Va.
Live Stats: odusports.com

Bear Bits:
• Morgan State will play the University of Texas at San Antonio, Old Dominion and Holy Cross for the first time in school history.

• Morgan State is 2-1 vs. Conference USA opponents. The Bears are 1-1 against East Carolina and defeated Marshall 72-67 during the 2008-09 season in their only match-up.

• Morgan State is 15-19 vs. Colonial Athletic Association opponents.  2-0 vs. Hofstra; 1-8 vs. James Madison; 12-10 vs. Towson; and 0-1 vs. William and Mary.

• Morgan State is 3-3 vs. Patriot League opponents. 3-1 vs. American and 0-2 vs. Navy

• The Bears had 10 games decided by 1-4 points during the 2011-12 season… The Bears held a 1-9 record.

• DeWayne Jackson scored a career-high 33 points against Norfolk State on Jan. 14, 2012.  He added 4 rebounds, 3 assist, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

LAST TIME OUT
Morgan State entered the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament winners of four of their last five games. However, the Bears’ struggles with converting field goals was their undoing this Tuesday afternoon. Hampton found their stride with their three-point shooting and Darrion Pellum stepped up late to help them defeat the Bears 69-65 in the first round action of the MEAC Tournament. The loss ended what was a tough season for head coach Todd Bozeman and his Bears.
“It’s tough to take a loss on the first day. It’s been the most challenging season I’ve ever had in my career,” said Bozeman, whose Bears finished the season 9-20.
MSU was very much in the game despite converting only four of 32 field goals in the first half. It was because of their rebounding, particularly on the offensive end.  The Bears outrebounded Hampton by a 48-35 margin that included 21 offensive boards.
The game was nip and tuck for most of the second half. Kevin Thompson (12 pts, 17 rebs) gave MSU their final lead of the game, 55-54, on a three-point play with 2:40 remaining.
Hampton (11-20) scored the next 10 points and sealed the Bears’ fate. The run started when Jasper Williams, who scored 20 points, hit an off-balanced three-pointer. Williams hurt the Bears from long range, nailing five of seven shots three-pointers. It ended on Darrion Pellum’s four consecutive free throws. The last two with 39 seconds left put the Pirates up to stay at 64-55.
Pellum led everyone with 23 points on the afternoon. But he wasn’t the sole focus for Morgan State defensively according to Bozeman.

MORGAN STATE IN SEASON OPENERS
The Bears are 17-30 in season openers since 1963-64. Todd Bozeman is 2-4 in season openers at Morgan State. The last time the Bears won a season opener was during the 2010-11 campaign when they posted an 81-79 victory at Loyola Marymount.

MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2012-13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball preseason poll behind Savannah State and Delaware State.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON SET TO LEAD
DeWayne Jackson is the lone returning senior who saw action for Morgan State last year. In fact, he is just one of two seniors on the Bears roster. After transfer Anthony Hubbard, who transferred to Morgan State from Iowa and sat out the 2011-12 campaign, there are six (6) juniors, four (4)  sophomores and two (2) freshmen on the Bears roster.

RECOVERING THE SWAG
The Bears will look to rebound from last year’s dismal season in which the Bears recorded a 9-20 finish. It marked Todd Bozeman‘s worst season as a head coach, and it was Morgan State’s worst season since going 4-26 in 2005-06.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON CLIMBING THE MSU RECORD BOOK 
DeWayne Jackson (1,156, 384 rebs., 107 asts) needs just 14 points to supass Billy Newton (1,169 points) to become the school’s No. 16 all-time leading scorer. Jackson is one of three Bears on MSU’s all-time scoring list who have been coached by Todd Bozeman. Kevin Thompson (2009-12) ranks No. 9 (1,487 points) and Reggie Holmes (2007-10) is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,051 points.

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has eight players from the Metropolitan-D.C. area, including one from Baltimore. Senior DeWayne Jackson (Bowie High) and sophmore Blake Bozeman (Solebury Prep) are both from Bowie. Transfer guard Daryl Traynham is from Melwood (Wise High), walk-on Daon Riley is from Severn (Old Mill High), and Cedric Blossom is from Columbia (Montrose Christian). Anthony Hubbard is a product of Woodbridge (Va.), while junior Justin Black attended DeMatha High and Donte Pretlow was a standout at Dunbar High in Baltimore.

BOZEMAN WIN PERCENTAGE AT MSU
Todd Bozeman, now in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears, has an overall win percentage of .566 (111-85) after 196 games at Morgan State. That winning mean is the second highest among 15 head coaches in the history of the Morgan State men’s basketball program. Nathaniel Frazier’s winning percentage of .578 (166-121) is the highest percentage in Morgan State history.

UP NEXT
The Bears will travel to face the University of South Carolina at 7 p.m. on  Friday, Nov. 16.

Glenn Clark’s Rankings…

32. Kansas City Chiefs (32)

Getting rid of Stanford Routt will probably solve everything, though.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (31)

I have to come up with eight more weeks of commentary to make about them.

30. St. Louis Rams (29)

They really have three wins?

29. Tennessee Titans (26)

They’re better than that, aren’t they?

28. Carolina Panthers (30)

I THINK they’re on the uptick?

27. Buffalo Bills (27)

Played the Texans better than the Ravens did.

26. Cleveland Browns (25)

But they’ve got Phil Dawson.

25. New York Jets (24)

Has any team ever been less excited to come back from a bye week?

24. Oakland Raiders (23)

It’s a good time to see them here.

23. Arizona Cardinals (19)

I’ve got nothing.

22. Washington Redskins (18)

At least they have their throwback uniforms.

21. Philadelphia Eagles (17)

Firing Juan Castillo totally solved their O-Line.

20. Cincinnati Bengals (20)

I left them alone for keeping things competitive against the Broncos. I’m giving them too much credit.

19. Dallas Cowboys (15)

Jerry Jones should be locked out of a number of rooms at this point.

18. San Diego Chargers (28)

I knocked them down too far. I’ll probably do it again.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (22)

DOUG MARTIN DOUG MARTIN DOUG MARTIN DOUG MARTIN DOUG MARTIN DOUG MARTIN.

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GAME TIME
Morgan State (3-5, 2-3 MEAC) continues the 2012 season play in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup against No. 24 Bethune-Cookman on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Hughes Stadium.  The Wildcats enter the 2012 season under the leadership of third-year head coach Brian Jenkins. The Wildcats (6-2, 5-0) are coming off a 42-17 win against North Carolina Central.  The Bears fell short in the final moments against Delaware State 28-23 at Hughes Stadium.

THE BEARS-WILDCATS MATCHUP 
• The Bears and Wildcats will meet for the 28th time since 1986. Bethune-Cookman leads the series 18-8.

•  Nov. 5, 2011 – Isidore Jackson rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown, and Jackie Wilson ran for three touchdowns as Bethune-Cookman eased past Morgan State 49-23 before a Homecoming crowd of 9,649 at Municipal Stadium. Wilson finished 10-of-15 for 186 yards for the Wildcats who finished the ballgame with seven rushing touchdowns. Travis Davidson had a 44-yard rushing touchdown and rushed for a game-high 133 yards on 17 carries to lead Morgan State.

• The last time the Wildcats played in Hughes Stadium was on Oct. 2, 2010 … A dominating 69-32 victory over Morgan State extended the Wildcats’ record to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the MEAC. MSU finished the game by committing eight turnovers, four by air (interceptions) and four by ground (fumbles). MSU, held to 247 yards total offense, got touchdowns from Tyrone Hendrix on a 93-yard kickoff return and Nico Scott on a 44-yard interception return and trailed 42-26 at halftime.

QUICK HITS
• Travis Davidson currently ranks 2nd in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 794 yards (113.4 avg/g). He also ranks No. 1 the MEAC in scoring (72 Pts).

•  QB Robert Council started against Delaware State and completed 13-of-19 passes for 68 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a  41-yard touchdown run.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registered his 9th interception of his career, picking off Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostic in the 1st quarter…He currently leads the MEAC in INTs with four in eight games…he also ranks No. 3 in passes defended (10), while his freshman teammate DaShaun Summers leads the league with 1.33 average passes defended.

• The MSU defense has collected 10 interceptions (ranked No. 3 in MEAC) through the first eight games of 2012.

•  The Bears continue to be among the top scoring offenses in the league, entering Saturday’s contest as the MEAC’s No. 4 ranked scoring offense (24.9 avg/g).

•  True freshman LB Elandon Roberts currently ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles by posting 76 tackles so far this season. … he recorded a season-high 16 tackles against Delaware State on Oct. 25.

•  Four of the Bears’ losses have been by a total of 10 points – an average of 2.5 points per game.

WILDCATS THUMBNAIL
• The Wildcats enter Week 9 coming off a 42-17 dominant performance against N.C. Central to move into sole possession of first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The win improved the Wildcats to 6-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play.

• In 2011, Bethune-Cookman finished with a 8-3 overall record and 6-2 in the MEAC.

• Bethune’s dual QB threat of Quentin Williams and Brodrick Waters continue to wreak havoc for defenses this season. Williams, a 6-foot, 190-pounder from Tampa (Fla.) has completed 49 of 83 for 655 yards and six touchdowns with an interception. He currenlty ranks No. 2 in pass efficiency (146.8 and No. 8 in passing average (109.2/g). Waters, a 5-11, 195-pounder from Sarasota (Fla.) ranbks No 8 in pass efficiency having completed 26 of 54 passes for 258 yards and four TDs.

• Bethune-Cookman maintained its status as the national leader in turnover margin with its +2.25 per game total.

• Through the first eight games, RB Isidore Jackson (5-10, 205) has been the leading rusher in the Wildcats’ high-octane offense. The junior from Mossey Head (Fla.) has recorded 126 carries for 707 yards (5.6 avg), including seven TDs.  He rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns against N.C. Central last Saturday.

• MSU’s offense will have to account for the Wildcat’s linebacker Jarkevis Fields. The junior currently ranks among the league leaders with 63 tackles (ranks 12th), to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

• The Bears’ defensive unit will face a Wildcats line that leads the league in rushing by averaging 235.1 per contest.

• Through eight games, the Bethune-Cookman defense ranks 3rd in the MEAC in scoring defense by limiting opponents to 19.9 points per contest and ranks 3rd in total defense (317.8/g).

JUICE UPDATE
• Travis Davidson needs to gain 107 rushing yards to surpass Craig Nelson at No. 9 on the school’s all-time rushing list. “Juice” currently has 1,537 career rushing yards.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK
•  The Bears rushing for 100 yards or more for the ninth consecutive game and for the 15th straight time since their October 8, 2011 game versus Savannah State.

•  The Bears having a 300-yard passing game for the first time since October 8, 2011. In Week 6, Morgan State defeated Savannah State 44-17 and Seth Higgins, Nate Furrha and Robert Council combined for 16-of-26 passes for 318 yards and five TDs.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registering an interception would mark his fifth of the season and the 10th of his career.  He would need to collect six more to surpass Joe Fowlkes for the school record.  Fowlkes posted 15 INTs during his career (1975-78).

•  Running back Travis Davidson rushing for 100 yards or more for the eighth time in his career.

SENIOR DAY
Twenty-one (21) Morgan State seniors will be honored before the start of Saturday’s game.

NOVEMBER CHILL
The Bears are 10-18 in November games since the start of the 2002 season and 3-8 at home that month.

NEXT UP
After Saturday’s contest versus Bethune-Cookman, the Bears will hit the road to play against the Spartans of Norfolk State.

NORFOLK, Va. - Savannah State’s Rashad Hassan was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday. The defending MEAC regular season champion Savannah State Tigers were also picked to win the 2012-13 MEAC regular season title. All awards are voted on by the conference’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Hassan led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points per game and started in 32 of 33 games a year ago. He ranked in the top 20 in the nation with a 57.0 field goal percentage.  As a senior Hassan averaged 14.2 points and recorded a 62.3 field goal percentage. The 2011-12 season was highlighted by three double-double performances including 20 points and 14 rebounds against Tennessee.

Savannah State received 24 first place votes and totaled 616 points to take hold of the conference’s top spot. The Tigers finished among the top five in the MEAC in several categories including scoring margin (2^nd), scoring defense (1^st), rebounding margin (1^st), assists (3^rd), steals (5^th), and assist-to-turnover ratio (5^th) a year ago. The Tigers finished the season with a 14-2 mark in MEAC play and 21-12 overall. SSU’s season concluded with a 65-51 loss to Tennessee in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The team welcomes back all five starters to this year’s campaign.

Delaware State was predicted to finish second with 525 total points. The Hornets finished with a 12-4 mark in the MEAC and 15-14 overall record last season. Morgan State was selected to finish in third while the defending MEAC champion Norfolk State Spartans were predicted to finish in fourth. Hampton was projected to finish fifth with Bethune-Cookman slated to follow at sixth place. North Carolina Central (7th), Howard (8th), North Carolina A&T (9th), Coppin State (10th), Florida A&M (11th), Maryland Eastern Shore (12th), and South Carolina State (13th) round out the 2012-13 preseason poll for the men’s basketball season.

Accompanying Hassan on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Tahj Tate (Delaware State), Pendarvis Williams (Norfolk State), DeWayne Jackson (Morgan State), and Ray Willis (North Carolina Central).

The 2012-13 MEAC men’s basketball season tips off on Friday, November 9 with ten MEAC teams in play.

The 2013 MEAC Basketball Tournament is slated for March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

Glenn Clark’s Rankings…

32. Kansas City Chiefs (32)

They’re in primetime this week because no one in the NFL wants to help lift the spirits of hurricane victims.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (31)

They weren’t as bad as we expected them to be in Green Bay, I just don’t think they’re worthy of moving up.

30. Carolina Panthers (29)

I’ll default to PFT’s Darin Gantt for this one…

29. St. Louis Rams (24)

“We welcome the New England Patriots to London, representing the NFL. We also welcome the St. Louis Rams, representing nothing.”

28. San Diego Chargers (22)

Norv Turner has naked pictures of everyone everywhere. He must.

27. Buffalo Bills (25)

Mario Williams is optimistic about his wrist, but not about his team’s chances of winning games.

26. Tennessee Titans (23)

You take it week by week with this crew.

25. Cleveland Browns (30)

I don’t this is a “good” team welcoming Baltimore to town, but I do think they’re somehow “better.” Probably.

24. New York Jets (19)

I’ve had a gut feeling about them all along.

23. Oakland Raiders (28)

I don’t really believe it though. They beat the Jaguars and Chiefs in the last two weeks.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27)

Well…they looked really good on Thursday night.

21. New Orleans Saints (17)

Joe Vitt’s return made a whole lot of no difference.

20. Cincinnati Bengals (20)

But they just BARELY sneaked past “bye.”

19. Arizona Cardinals (16)

They’ll be in the bottom four by the end of the season.

18. Washington Redskins (15)

Maybe the Shanahans will have Robert Griffin III line up on defense next.

17. Philadelphia Eagles (12)

But I’m sure starting Nick Foles would solve everything.

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