Damon Wilson was hired as the head football coach at Morgan State in late May of last year, which didn’t leave much time to build a culture ahead of the 2022 season.
The Bears went 4-7 overall and 2-3 in the MEAC in Wilson’s first season, winning two of their final four games to finish things off. Wilson was coming off a successful 13-season run at Division II Bowie State, where he won three consecutive CIAA titles from 2018-2021.
Entering the 2023 season, though, Wilson has had more time to learn about his players and the school, giving him a greater level of comfort with his program. The season starts with a major test at Richmond on Sept. 2. The Spiders are ranked No. 16 in the preseason FCS Coaches Poll.
Nevertheless, Wilson is ready to roll in 2023.
“We definitely didn’t accomplish our goal [in 2022]. Our goal is always to win the championship, so we didn’t accomplish that goal,” Wilson said on Glenn Clark Radio Aug. 31. “However, we definitely were able to lay the foundation of our program and how we want to move forward with the program, so I definitely saw some growth. I see some exciting times in the near future at Morgan State.”
The Bears’ 4-7 record marked an improvement from 2021, when they finished 2-9. Much of that can be attributed to their defense. Morgan allowed 20.9 points per game (tops in the six-team MEAC) and 336.3 yards per contest (third). The Bears also led the conference in sacks (29).
Morgan’s four leading tacklers from a year ago all return: linebackers Erick Hunter and Lawrence Richardson (77 tackles apiece), defensive lineman Elijah Williams (60) and defensive back Jordan Toles (48). That quartet was productive all over the field. Hunter had four pass breakups. Richardson had an interception. Williams had nine sacks. Toles forced and recovered two fumbles and added an interception.
Defensive backs Bryan Stukes (39 tackles, 5 pass breakups) and Jae’Veyon Morton (34 tackles, 10 pass breakups, 3 interceptions) also return.
“We want to lead in all three phases, and not just the conference but nationally. I think we made some strides in that defensively last year,” Wilson said. “I think we had a little bit more depth and experience in our defensive side of the ball last year. That’s something we want to build upon, but at the same time, we want to get that same depth and experience on our offensive side of the ball as well. I know and understand that defense wins championships and if we keep them out of the end zone, it’s a 0-0 ballgame. We understand that. That’s a mindset. But also, we want to be able to score points.”
That task will fall on the shoulders of quarterback Carson Baker, who is slated to start after throwing for 752 yards and seven touchdowns on 52.3 percent passing in seven games for the Bears in 2022. Baker had played at San Diego State and Western Kentucky prior to transferring to Morgan State.
Wilson said he’ll play multiple quarterbacks early in the season. Duce Taylor, who threw for 560 yards and four scores on 34.5 percent passing in 10 games for the Bears in 2022, is also an option. But it’ll be Baker who gets the first shot.
Baker has a better understanding of the offense than he did a year ago, according to Wilson, who also mentioned that his teammates respond well to him.
“He’s a professional. He’s a guy that you don’t have to worry about doing the film work and the extra work after practice,” Wilson said of Baker. “He’s a guy that’s going to quietly lead the offense with his actions, but definitely you can tell his experienced and exposure to football at its highest level has definitely shown its impact on him as a college student-athlete.”
Wilson is also pleased with the preseason camp that Morgan’s skill position players had. He said receivers Andre Crawley, Treveyon Pratt and Tyler Wilkins and running backs J.J. Davis and Jabriel Johnson all had quality camps. The coach also mentioned to keep an eye on Keith Jenkins Jr., who was a defensive back and kick returner a year ago but now is working with the offense.
Crawley (22 catches, 336 yards, 2 touchdowns), Wilkins (12 catches, 139 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Johnson (78 carries, 272 yards, 1 touchdown) were among the Bears’ most productive offensive players in 2022.
“We have some guys that, skill-wise, [give us] the ability to spread the ball around,” Wilson said.
Now Morgan has to put it all together on the field. Wilson referenced that the Bears dropped three one-score games a year ago — an eight-point loss at Towson, a three-point loss against Norfolk State and a two-point loss at Stony Brook — which helps inform the coach’s message heading into 2023.
“If you’re disciplined, if you make the certain plays you’re supposed to make early in a game, you minimize penalties, you don’t have the turnovers, that gives you an opportunity to win those games,” Wilson said. “If you win those games, it’s a different story last year. So one thing we’ve been focusing on is just the discipline … of guys on and off the football field.”
To hear more from Wilson, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Chris Thompkins