Morgan State snaps Towson’s 17-year winning streak in front of record crowd

By Kylie Jones, Sports Editor and Jack Ahumada, Contributing Writer

Morgan State ended Towson’s 17-year undefeated streak in the Battle for Greater Baltimore on Saturday.

The Tigers were defeated 41-26 at Johnny Unitas Stadium in front of a record crowd of 10,900 fans.

The annual matchup came with a longstanding history between the two programs. Towson entered the game with an 8-0 record in the series and held a 24-6 advantage in the all-time matchup. 

“This is the only game that really matters,” Towson head coach Pete Shinnick said about what he discussed with his team prior to the game. “This is the only one that’s important.” 

With an 0-3 record, the Tigers entered Saturday’s game searching for their first win. 

Towson took control in the first minute of the game as sophomore defensive lineman Weston Woodward forced and recovered a fumble at Morgan State’s 7-yard line.

On second down, Morgan State freshman linebacker Kayson Simmons and sophomore defensive lineman Donovan Moyer combined for a sack that knocked sophomore quarterback Andrew Indorf’s helmet off.

Freshman backup quarterback Jacob Davis was subbed in for the third down, but his incompletion forced the Tigers to settle for a 25-yard field goal by freshman kicker Zaydaan Faridi, giving Towson a 3-0 lead. 

“A little frustrated there. We called a timeout to get our quarterback back in and we were told he couldn’t,” Shinnick said. “I’m pretty sure that’s not the rule. So, I would’ve liked Andrew throwing that ball instead of Jacob.”

Morgan State responded with Cameron Edge finding running back Marquez Spells on a short pass for a touchdown. 

The extra point was successful, giving the Bears a 7-3 lead.

“He’s (Edge) a guy that you want to build a program around. He’s a guy that can teach you how to be a pro because of his approach,” said Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson.

On Towson’s next drive, the Tigers moved into Morgan State territory after a 15-yard pass to Cleveland Charlton put them at the 19-yard line. 

A penalty and a sack halted the drive, forcing Towson to punt. 

“We’re giving up too many sacks. You can’t do that and be good,” Shinnick said. “Our quarterback gets hit too much.” 

Morgan State opened up the second quarter with a rushing touchdown by senior running back Jordan Barnett to take a 14-3 lead.

Towson’s junior wide receiver Jashaun Amin ran for a 27-yard kick return, but two sacks and a false start gave Morgan State the ball back on fourth down.

The Bears quickly capitalized on the possession, with Edge connecting with junior wide receiver Joseph Towler for a 40-yard pass and a touchdown, leaving the Tigers trailing by 18. 

“I think our guys, you know, didn’t look at it as seriously as they needed to,” Shinnick said. “I don’t think our attention and our focus was there.”

The Tigers worked their way to Morgan State’s 9-yard line, but a third-down sack by the Bears’ freshman defensive end Christian Ose-Afiana forced Towson to settle for a 34-yard field goal from Faridi. 

The Bears received the ball with a little more than two minutes left in the half. Short passes put the team in field-goal position, giving them a 24-6 lead over the Tigers heading into halftime.

The Tigers’ third quarter started strong with Indorf finding sophomore wide receiver Aaron Enterline in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown pass, cutting Morgan State’s lead to 24-13.

Towson got the ball back with less than five minutes left in the third quarter and applied offensive pressure to advance to Morgan State’s 5-yard-line. A field-goal attempt blocked by Bears senior defensive back Dantonio Hackworth Jr. gave the Bears possession to close out the quarter.

The Bears asserted themselves early in the fourth. Edge found Perry for a 37-yard touchdown and a successful extra point.

Towson responded with a 41-yard pass from Indorf to Enterline for a touchdown and a successful extra point, but Morgan State quickly regained momentum with a 95-yard kickoff return for a quick turnaround touchdown, putting the score at 38-20. 

Towson put together a long scoring drive despite multiple penalties, with Indorf connecting on key passes to move the Tigers downfield. After reaching the 2-yard line, Indorf found tight end CJ Schaeffer for a short touchdown pass, but the Tigers’ 2-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful. 

“Love the effort in the second half, but, you know, again, like I said, not enough and it was too late,” Shinnick said. 

Morgan State extended its lead to 41-26 on a 20-yard field goal with just under three minutes remaining. 

Towson attempted to respond with Indorf completing multiple passes to move the Tigers downfield, but an end zone pass intended for wide receiver Jacob Zollar was intercepted by Morgan State’s Joshua Narh, resulting in a touchback. 

Morgan State ran out the clock on its final possession, finishing the game 41-26, and taking home the trophy in the Battle for Greater Baltimore. 

“We were really close the last few years and these guys, man, they deserve it,” Wilson said. “There’s some seniors that never beat Towson, so that’s at least one thing they can check off their box.”

Edge led the Bears with 209 passing yards and two touchdowns. 

“Any time you’re in a game and you continually lose to the same school over and over again, you start questioning, ‘Can we beat them?’ Those guys didn’t allow that to happen today,” Wilson said. 

Despite the loss, Towson earned its first 300 yard passing game of the season. Indorf threw for 365 yards, the most by a Towson quarterback since Tom Flacco in 2018. 

“We’ve spotted our opponents too many points,” Shinnick said. “I got to find a way to motivate these guys, get them going early, and see if we can do that.” 

The Tigers are slated to face Delaware State at Alumni Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m.