Running back Orlando Johnson hobbled from the Morgan State locker room wearing a gray T-shirt with "BELIEVE" — the Bears' mantra for 2016 — printed on the back.
Doesn't that word ring hollow after Morgan State's 51-24 football loss to Holy Cross at Hughes Stadium on Saturday?
"We believe," insisted Johnson, who rushed for two touchdowns in the Bears' opener. "We made some stupid errors. This was a learning experience, and the [loss] is already behind us."
The 51 points were the most Morgan State has allowed since its second game last season, when it fell to Illinois State, 67-14. It was a rude christening for Fred Farrier, 44, the Bears interim head coach who played at Holy Cross.
"It is what it is," Farrier said of the rout by his alma mater. "When we get the opportunity to do that, we'll do it, too."
Early on, Morgan State held its own and led 17-14 midway through the second quarter. But the Crusaders reeled off 30 straight points and kept the Bears at bay for more than 30 minutes. Quarterback Peter Pujals passed for 240 yards and three touchdowns as Holy Cross amassed 498 yards of total offense.
But Morgan State crippled itself with penalties (14 for 115 yards) and boneheaded plays, including an 11-yard punt on one play and a high center snap on another that sailed through the end zone for a safety.
"Way too many unforced errors and missed tackles," Farrier said. "We've got to preach discipline. Those 20 to 30 minutes where you make five or six big mistakes is where you lose football games.
"Are we embarrassed? No. This just gives us something to work toward correcting. The kids played their tails off and, as coaches, we'll try to figure out how not to give up 51 points in another game."
Johnson led Morgan State in rushing (71 yards on 10 carries) despite not starting. He led the team in rushing last season, but was bypassed in favor of Herb Walker Jr., who'd torched Holy Cross for a school-record 271 yards in a 29-26 loss in 2014. Walker was academically ineligible in 2015.
"Yeah, that put a chip on my shoulder," Johnson said of the snub. "I didn't find out until today. But I know we have three good backs and that when I came in, I had to make an impact."
Three times, Johnson cramped up and had to be helped off the field. Each time he returned, and scored on runs of 1 and 13 yards, both in the first half.
"He's a tough little man," quarterback Chris Andrews said. "He got his touches and showed what he could do with them."
It was Andrews' first game for Morgan State. Before an announced crowd of 4,203, the left-handed Andrews completed 21 of 34 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception and fumbled to kill a Bears drive inside the Crusaders' 5-yard line.
"Bittersweet," Andrews said of his outing. "I wasn't mentally tough when it came to ball security, but I'll fix that."
A graduate student, he transferred from Wagner with one year of eligibility left.
"[Andrews] did a good job, for only having been here for 26 days," Farrier said. "He'll get better as he learns the system."
Despite the score, Morgan State held the ball for more than 31 minutes.
"We ran 50 plays in the first half," Andrews said. "We were mad that we didn't put up as many points as we wanted [before halftime]. We just have to learn how to play through it all."
Hackneyed as it sounds, mental toughness is the Bears' big bugaboo, said Jai Franklin, a 280-pound junior nose tackle.
"We've got to stay disciplined," he said. "Once we get our emotions in check, play within the whistle and don't do any dirty stuff, we'll be a fine team as well."
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