Remembering Morgan State and Delaware’s Boardwalk Bowl Clash

The Boardwalk Bowl is back, sort of. Morgan State and Delaware agreed to play in 2028. Two of the NCAA College Division’s defining programs of the 1960s and 1970s will meet for just the sixth time ever. The occasion calls for a recollection of both schools’ most famous meeting, the 1970 Boardwalk Bowl.

Morgan State and Delaware both rode star-studded rosters to excellent seasons in 1970. Delaware finished the regular season 8-2, led by First Team Little All-American Conway Hayman and Third Team AP All-American Chuck Hall.

Hall ran for 1,084 yards, had five 100-yard games, and scored 18 total touchdowns for the Blue Hens, while Hayman paved the way for a rushing attack that averaged 387 rushing yards per game. The Delaware rushing attack was so potent that leading passer Jim Colbert only completed 22 of his 87 passes on the season for 403 yards in 11 games.

Morgan State had a similarly explosive attack. The Bears averaged 30 points per game mostly thanks to the dynamic receiving duo of Greg Latta and Ron Mayo. Mayo led the team with 32 receptions for 526 yards, while Latta averaged a staggering 29 yards per catch on 13 receptions. Their efforts helped Jeff Freland throw for 1077 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.

After an opening loss to Grambling, the Bears rattled off eight straight wins to finish the season. Morgan State featured seven future NFL players, including Latta, Mayo, and running back John Sykes, who ran for 752 yards in 1970.

Morgan State and Delaware were the Boardwalk Bowl’s final selections in a wide-open race to Atlantic City that included Boston University, Central Connecticut State, Springfield, New Hampshire, West Chester, and Johnson C. Smith. Delaware’s win over Temple and Morgan State’s win over Virginia State served as defacto elimination games for the Boardwalk Bowl.

The much-anticipated clash between College Football Hall of Fame head coaches Earl Banks and Tubby Raymond’s teams did not disappoint. Delaware only carried a 21-15 lead into the fourth quarter before an 84-yard rushing touchdown by Dick Kelley and a two-yard run by Chuck Hall helped the Blue Hens pull away with a 38-23 win. Morgan State’s Jeff Freland threw for 209 yards, but it was not enough to overcome Delaware’s 397 rushing yards.

Since then, the schools have met four other times: in 1977, 1980, 1985, and 2022, with Delaware winning three and tying in 1977.

2028’s game between these two may seem like a mundane FCS-FBS clash between nearby schools. However, it conjures recollections of both schools’ peaks as the Eastern hegemons of the NCAA’s College Division.