Saturday’s 45-0 loss to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe North Carolina A&T was a big blow for Morgan State.
Although the Bears (5-5 overall, 4-2 MEAC) dropped into a three-way tie for second with North Carolina Central (5-5, 4-2) and Norfolk State (4-6, 4-2), they trail a trio of conference leaders in No. 20 Bethune-Cookman (8-2, 5-1), the Aggies (8-2, 5-1) and South Carolina State (7-3, 5-1).
With two games left on the schedule, Morgan State could still capture a piece of the MEAC championship, but the Bears would need help.
That’s why coach Lee Hull said the team’s focus must be on Saturday’s 1 p.m. game against South Carolina State at Hughes Stadium.
“We have to take of business,” Hull said Tuesday morning during his weekly conference call organized by the MEAC. “We did not take care of business last week. A&T did a great job, won the football game. So now we just have to regroup, and we just have to go and play and take it one game at a time. We have South Carolina State coming in here, and that’s all we have to worry about. That’s what I’ve been preaching all year long, that it’s one game at a time and you just worry about the opponent that is ahead of you. This is week is South Carolina State, and that’s all we’re worried about.”
Saturday’s loss was the first time the Bears had been shut out by an opponent since Nov. 10, 2012 when they were blanked 30-0 by Norfolk State.
Hull said he thought the players were too anxious against the Aggies.
“There is a fine line, and I think last week, we were too excited as a football program,” he said. “The players were too excited and came out flat. But this week, we’re trying to just focus on South Carolina State, what they do, what our game plan is. We can’t worry about scenarios, and we have never worried about scenarios. ...
"We were just worried about North Carolina A&T, and this week, we’re worried about South Carolina State. So that’s our focus. We can’t worry about scenarios.”