The 38th Annual NY Urban League Classic-A recap By The Gambler [J.Gamble] Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online

The 38th Annual NY Urban League Classic-A recap

By The Gambler [J.Gamble] Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
 
East Rutherford, N.J. -- The first half of Morgan State’s 16-10 OT win over Winston-Salem State in the 38th annual NY Urban League Classic should have been renamed The Exuse Caboose Classic.
 
Each team had credible and understandable exuses as to why despite the huge stage – 25,000 Giant Stadium fans, an epic battle of the bands and the Deputy Mayor of New York sitting front endzone – they played sloppy and uninspired football.
 
“We have to get back and work on our timing on offense, said MSU coach Donald Hill-Eley, “and we have to create an identity for our offense.”
 
The Bears were without the services of their offensive identity, junior sensation Devan James. James, out with an abdominal strain, is an All- MEAC First Team tailback. He rushed for a whopping 1,337 yards last season as a sophomore. And 219 of those were in one big game against Howard !
 
Quarterback Carlton Jackson seemed to be battling two fronts. The lingering effects of an injury that caused him to miss some key games at the end of the 08’ season, and the 41-0 beating MSU suffered in a season-opening loss to Akron. The negative effects of James absence was obvious, as MSU’s offense sputtered. The ground game was non-existent. The passing attack was limited.
 
WSSU entered the game in the midst of turmoil and disheartening circumstances.  The Rams, in their fourth year of a five-year transition into Div 1 football, found out on Thursday that the school’s chancellor has abandoned the ambitious plan, and will return the school to Div II status next season.
 
“Its been tough for the whole team not only football team but whole athletic program,” said Rams sophomore defensive end Stephen Young, whose college will suffer a loss in scholarships from 53 to 38 as well as exclusion from high-profile Div I games, like the Urban League Classic.
 
“We feel the freshman and sophomores deserve better than that. We came here with the intention of playing DIV I football. The whole team was sad and upset. A whole lot of emotions were going through our minds.”
 
There were even rumors around the WSSU campus of an organized boycott of games. But Young says the team had a meeting and never considered quitting on the season.
 
With the halftime score an offensively stifled 7-3, Hill-Ely looked at the scoreboard and realized there was a game up for grabs that neither team seemed to want. He needed a few good men to stop feeling sorry, and will his team to victory.
 
Senior quarterback Carlton Jackson and widereciever Ed Baptiste seized the moment.
 
Down 10-7 late in the fourth quarter, Jackson found a groove with Baptiste and they connected on pass plays of 36 and nine yards to fuel a 5-play, 39-yard drive, capped with a  42-yard field goal that tied the game and sent it into an overtime shootout.
 
On MSU’s first OT possession Jackson -- who at this point had transformed into Doug Williams -- withstood a vicious hit in the pocket and connected with Baptiste, who outhustled a leaping defender in the end-zone, sealing victory for the Bears. MSU evened its record at 1-1, and can look forward to trying to play up to the team’s high preseason MEAC Conference and FCS [Football championship Subdivision] expectations.
 
“Me and Baptiste we work everyday for moments like this,” said Jackson, who completed an efficient 16 of 21 passes for 146 yards and two TD's. “I been playing with Devan James since five years old and he is a vital part of our offense and he is missed, but that doesn’t stop the show. We got to keep trucking.”
 
WSSU, on the other hand, is just stunned. Stunned by the news of going back to Div II. Stunned by the likelihood of falling to 0-4 with a meeting against FCS No. 1 South Carolina State a week away.  Stunned by the way they relinquished a 10-7 lead. Stunned by the fact that they had 188 rushing yards to MSU’s 43. And 79 more total yards. And still lost.
 
The future of the Rams athletic program is in limbo. Coach Kermit Blount has re-written the record books at WSSU in his 17 years there. He is confident the university and its football team will end up on its feet.
 
 “We just didn’t make the plays” said Blount. “We’ll make the proper adjustments. I won’t blame it on the transition back to Div II. The kids were hurt and the coaches were hurt [by the news], but the things we control are in between the lines. We have to move on.”