NORFOLK, Va. - The Spartan football team (0-5, 0-0 MEAC) opens MEAC play and looks to secure its first win of the year when NSU faces Morgan State (2-2, 0-0 MEAC) this Saturday in Baltimore. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Hughes Stadium.

OPENING KICKOFF
• The Spartans fell to 0-5 after a 31-14 loss at Sacred Heart last Saturday in Fairfield, Conn.
• The Spartans amassed 330 total yards, 214 on the ground, but SHU scored the final 17 points of the game to pull away.
• True freshman Jordin Lennon found the end zone for the second straight week with a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter, and redshirt freshman Ikeem Wright caught a 6-yard TD pass for his first career score in the second quarter.
• Linebacker Tyler Long had a career-high 13 tackles to lead the defense.
• MSU won its second straight game last week, topping Virginia Lynchburg 44-10 in Baltimore.
• Carson Wagner threw three touchdown passes to earn MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Alfonzo Graham rushed for 70 yards and a TD.
• The Bears are currently second in the MEAC in both rushing offense (144.8 ypg) and rushing defense (122.0 ypg).
• The Bears, who beat Sacred Heart 24-9 on Sept. 18, are in their first year under new head coach Damon Wilson. MSU was picked to finish sixth in the MEAC this year.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• NSU leads the all-time series with Morgan State, 20-
12 with three other wins vacated.
• With 20 wins, the Spartans have beaten MSU more than they have defeated any other MEAC school.
• On the field, NSU is 19-4 against MSU since moving to Division I in 1997 (with three wins later vacated).
• The Spartans defeated Morgan State 31-20 on Oct. 30, 2021 in the teams' last meeting. Juwan Carter passed for 368 yards and three scores and J.J. Davis ran for 105 yards while scoring a TD both rushing and receiving (an 86-yarder).
 
YOUTH IS SERVED
After losing more than 30 letterwinners from last year's team, the Spartans have welcomed in more than 40 newcomers this season. That has led to a youth movement of sorts for the Spartans.
• To date, 14 true freshmen and 13 redshirt freshmen have played in at least one game for NSU.
• Two true freshmen have started so far in OL Vincent Byrd Jr. and Lamar Robinson.
• Redshirt freshmen to start so far include TE Ikeem Wright, OL Baron Franks, DL Levontae Jacobs and DE T.J. Stevenson.
• True freshmen were NSU's leading rushers against St. Francis. Jason Wonodi led the way with 81 yards, all on a third-quarter TD run. Jordin Lennon ran 10 times for 80 yards and one score, while Kevon King ran eight times for 51 yards.
• Freshmen have accounted for four of NSU's six touchdowns the last two games: Lennon and Wonodi against St. Francis, and Lennon and redshirt freshman Ikeem Wright at Sacred Heart.
 
TYLER TALLIES TACKLES
NSU junior Tyler Long has been racking up the tackles of late. More on the standout linebacker:
• Long is second in the MEAC and 14th in all of the Division I FCS with 50 total tackles in five games.
• He has reached double figures three times, with 11 at Marshall, a then career-high tying 12 against St. Francis and a career-high 13 at Sacred Heart.
• Long also leads NSU and is tied for third in the MEAC with 2.5 sacks on the year.
 
GROUND AND POUND
NSU's rushing attack has picked up steam the last two weeks, tallying over 200 yards against both St. Francis and Sacred Heart.
• The Spartans had 254 yards against SFU, then 212 against SHU.
• It has been a run-by-committee approach the last two weeks. Six different players logged carries at Sacred Heart, with four (J.J. Davis-57, Jaylan Adams-56, Kevin King-46 and Jordin Lennon-38) gaining at least 38 yards.