The Battle for Greater Baltimore continues
By: D’Mari Dreher-Smith, Sports Editor and Jackson Palich, contributing writer
The Battle of Greater Baltimore continues for the 29th time as Morgan and Towson meet at Johnny Unitas Stadium. After a rollercoaster of a game, the Tigers brought home the win, 14-9.
Last year, the Tigers won, in a 20-10 matchup. Going into this year’s game, head coach Pete Shinnick reminded the team who exactly they were fighting against.
”For us we say it’s how we play, not who we play,” said Shinnick. “If that got lost in translation with any of our guys then shame on them.”
Looking to build off of the promising offensive showing against Cincinnati, Umass grad transfer Carlos Davis’ first pass in Unitas stadium was jumped by Morgan DB Carlvainsky Decius and picked.
While it wasn’t an ideal start for the Tigers, the new and improved Tigers defensive unit held The Bears to a three and out, exclaimed by an emphatic tackle for no gain on third and short by DB Xavier Terry. Morgan State’s Beckett Leary would convert the 40-yard field goal, giving the Bears an early lead.
In an attempt to redeem the unfortunate start, Towson rallied behind Devin Matthews and Zay Perkins, tacking on 20+ yard advancements into Morgan territory. The drive would stall in the red zone, with Tyrell Greene Jr getting stuffed on the Morgan 6-yard line after Towson elected to pass up on a short field goal. Finishing drives would go on to be a problem for The Tigers, leaving points on the board countless times throughout the night.
After a defensive 3 and out, Davis responded to back-to-back turnovers by finding sophomore receiver Jaceon Doss for a 45-yard completion. Towson would convert this time, with Davis delivering a 5-yard strike to receiver Sam Reynolds. Not seeing the field since November of 2022, Reynolds’ recovery story is remarkable. After season-halting cardiac arrest, seeing Sam Reynolds out there again is a bright spot for not only him but the Tigers’ offensive production.
After the score, offenses traded punts. Morgan would put together a small drive of their own into Tiger territory, abruptly halted by a CJ McClendon 4th down sack. Teams would exchange punts again, followed by The Tigers taking full momentum into the half behind a Christopher Watkins 6-yard TD run late in the half. Towson would hold a 14-3 lead into the half, backed by a strong defensive performance.
Once again, the Tigers entered the second half slowly, allowing Morgan State wide receiver, Joseph Kennerly Jr. a 74-yard touchdown on 2nd and 11. The obvious loss in momentum had Towson scrambling to make up for lost yards.
The Tigers continued to struggle throughout the third quarter, only saved by a heavily reviewed fumble said to be incomplete. They continued to make sloppy mistakes ultimately leading to a missed field goal to finish the third quarter. While Morgan out-possessed Towson during the third quarter, both teams had double digit drives that didn’t produce any points.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Tigers were quickly met with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as emotions on the field boiled over.
“I was trying to get my team back on the same page,” said Matthews. “We were getting off task and kept talking back with Morgan. We heard all week, it’s supposed to be a nameless, faceless opponent.”
The Tigers continued to make mistakes resulting in penalties that negated every big offensive play, but defensively were able to keep Morgan State from the endzone. Towson was able to pull off a big time sack, by Will Middleton, after the two minute warning. The game was sealed after pressure from Rodney Roane Jr, forced a bad throw from Morgan and a turnover on downs.
Towson football is back on the road for their game against Villanova. Kickoff is set for Sept.14 at 3:30 p.m.
