Bowl History

Florida A&M’s Jeremy Moussa tossed three fourth-period touchdowns, two to Kelvin Dean Jr., to lift the Rattlers to a 30-26 win over Howard Saturday in the 8^th annual Celebration Bowl at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Both teams were making their first appearance in the game, which decides the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) national champion.

A crowd of 41,108, the third-largest in the eight-year history of the event, was in attendance, while a national audience watched via television over ABC.

The win was the second in eight years for the Southwestern Athletic Conference, represented by SWAC champion Florida A&M — three years removed from participating in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) — which was represented by Howard, the league champion. The only other SWAC win came in 2016 when Grambling defeated NC Central 10-9.

Moussa, a graduate transfer from Vanderbilt, completed 19-of-32 attempts for 289 yards and three scores to go along with two interceptions in the contest, which lifted FAMU to 12-1 on the season. He found Dean with back-to-back to back scoring passes of 21 and 53 yards early in a wild fourth quarter — that featured three lead changes and a combined 30 points by the two teams – to give the Rattlers a 24-16 advantage with 10:58 to play.

Howard, which led 16-10 at the half, then scored 10 unanswered points on a 34-yard field goal by Aaron Bickerton and a 27-yard interception return by Carson Hinton as the Bison went ahead 26-24 with 7:14 left.

FAMU regained the lead at the 5:46 mark of the period when Moussa connected on this third touchdown pass of the period, a 38-yard strike to Jah ‘Marae Sheread, to give Coach Willie Simmons’ team a 30-26 advantage and on the ensuing drive SWAC Defensive Player of the Year closed the door on a potential Bison comeback with an interception of Quentin Williams with a little over a minute left in the game.

Dean finished with three catches for 87 yards and two scores, while Sheread snared five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Terrell Jennings led the Rattler rushing attack with 19 carries for 68 yards and one score. The Rattlers also got a second period 41-yard field goal from Cameron Gillis.

Howard, which took an early 14-0 lead and was ahead 16-10 at the half, was led by graduate signal-caller Williams, who was true on 14-17 attempts for 106 yards, however, he suffered three picks. Nah’Shawn Hezekiah had three catches for 46 yards, and Kasey Hawthorne added three catches for 31 yards for the Bison.. Eden James led the Howard rushing with 55 yards on 12 attempts.

Howard touchdowns came on runs of eight yards and three yards by Jarrett Hunter and Hawthorne, respectively, and the interception return by Hinton. The Bison also got a safety when Moussa was sacked in the end zone by Darren Brokenburr and Aaron Bickerton’s 40-yard field goal in the fourth.

Howard, the underdog in the contest, got off to a fast start to take a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes to contest. The Bison first touchdown came on four-play, 27-yard drive which was culminated by a Hunter’s four-yard run. Dylan West’s conversation gave Coach Larry Scott’s team a 7-0 lead with 13:29 left in the opening quarter. The score was set up by a 66-yard kickoff return by Ian Wheeler to the Rattler 27.

The lead swelled to 14, when Hawthrone got his score from three yards out following a Moussa fumble, which was caused by Christian White and recovered by Hinton. The Rattlers began than comeback in the final period, following a scoreless third quarter.

The Rattlers’ Dean was named the Offensive MVP of the game, while his teammate Isaiah Major garnered Defensive MVP honors.

The Eagles took a 10-0 lead in the first seven minutes of the contest before Jackson fought back to go ahead 14-10 early in the second period in the contest that featured six lead changes, three in each half. Jackson State led 21-17 at the half. NC Central owned a 26-21 lead after three periods and there were two lead changes and one tie in the final stanza before the game was decided in overtime.

NCCU took a 34-27 lead on Davius Richard’s one-yard run and a successful two-point conversion pass with 4:31 left in the fourth period, but Sanders directed a 15-play, 81-yard scoring drive in the final four minutes of regulation, connecting with Travis Hunter on a 19-yard scoring pass with no time left on the fourth-period clock to get the Tigers to within 34-33. Alejandro Mata’s extra point deadlocked the contest at 34-all, forcing the extra period in a contest that featured six lead changes.

Jackson State won the toss in overtime and elected to go on defense from the 25-yard line. It took the underdog Eagles just four plays to get into the end zone, with Richard getting the score from one yard away. Adrian Olivio added the PAT to put Coach Trei Oliver’s team ahead 41-34 the game.

Jackson State got its turn, also from the 25-yard line, and in five plays reached the one-yard line on a second-down, two-yard run by Sy’veon Wilkerson. However, two straight passes by Sanders were off the mark, giving NC Central the win, their first Celebration Bowl triumph in two appearances. The Eagles lost 10-9 to Grambling in 2016, the only win for the SWAC in the rivalry which began in 2016.

Saturday’s loss was the second in as many years for Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders suffered a defeat in the postseason Classic between the two conferences. Sanders, after three seasons as Tiger head coach, is headed to a similar position at Colorado. Jackson State fell to South Carolina State 31-10 in 2021.

The underdog Eagles, who finished the season 10-2 and won the MEAC with a 4-1 worksheet, rolled up 482 yards of total offense in the contest, with 276 coming on the ground. Running back Latrell Collier led the Eagle ground attack with 98 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts and also had five catches for 40 yards.

Richard was close behind in the rushing department with 97 yards and two scores on 22 tries. The NCCU signal caller also completed 15 of 20 passes for 175 yards and a score in the victory. The junior of Belle Glade, FL had scoring runs of four and one yard and completed a 12-yard scoring pass to Quention McCall. Collier added a seven-yard scoring run and Adrian Olivo field goals of 32 and 21 yards in the win.

E.J. Hicks had four catches for 84 yards and set up the Eagles’ first touchdown with a 31-yard option pass to Richard, and added a successful two-point conversion completion to Richard in the final period, which staked his team to a 34-27 lead with 4:31 left in regulation.

The Eagle defense was paced by MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, junior linebacker Khalil Baker with 10 tackles, five solos, and freshman cornerback Jason Chambers who had nine stops, including five unassisted.

Richard was named the game’s Offensive MVP and Baker the Defensive MVP  in the contest.

Jackson State quarterback Sanders, despite being on the losing end of consecutive Celebration Bowls, had an impressive outing for the Tigers. The Canton, TX sophomore completed 30 of 40 attempts for 349 yards and four scores. He found 10 Jackson State teammates for completions, including Kevin Coleman, Jr., who gathered eight passes for 137 yards and a score. Shane Hooks had seven catches for 70 yards and Hunter five for 47 and two touchdowns. The Tigers were limited to just 68 net yards rushing with Wilkerson leading the way with 52 yards on 15 attempts.

Graduate linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles, five unassisted, along with a forced fumble, while redshirt freshman Jeremiah Williams added 10 stops, including five solos and a sack.

In a stunning turn of events in the 2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl, the favorite Jackson State Tigers went down to the South Carolina State Bulldogs, 31-10 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium before a bowl record 48,653 fans. Traditionally known for their great defensive units, South Carolina State held Jackson to Celebration Bowl lows in team rushing yards (19) and total yards (194), and their defensive effort resulted in the largest victory margin (21 points). The Tigers bolted out to a 7-0 first quarter lead on Shedeur Sanders’ seven-yard strike to Keith Corbin III, with 7:24 left. S.C. State would then catch fi re, outscoring the Tigers, 31-3 over the final three periods, seizing control of the game for good in the second quarter with a 10-point flurry in the final minutes, on a Corey Fields six-yard strike to Shaquan Davis with 2:08 left, followed by a 26-yard fi eld goal by Gayvn Zimmerman with eight seconds left in the half. SCSU’s Fields tossed four scoring passes, fi nishing with 164 yards (12 of 31, one INT), while JSU’s Sanders passed for 175 yards (16 of 36, two INTs). SCSU’s Shaquan Davis was the Bowl’s Offensive MVP with five catches for 95 yards and three scores — a Celebration Bowl record. Decobie Durant earned Defensive MVP honors. RECORDS FELL SATURDAY as Celebration Bowl history was rewritten…. SCSU’s punter Dyson Roberts set four Bowl records: Longest Punt (74 yards), Most Punts (8), Most Punt Yardage (392) and Best Average (49.0).

North Carolina A&T and Alcorn State combined to set several records at the 2019 Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which the Aggies won 64-44. N.C. A&T captured its second straight win and its fourth overall championship title. N.C. A&T and Alcorn were meeting for the second consecutive year and the third time in the five-year history of the event. Celebration Bowl records established, among others, were most points combined (108), most points in a quarter (49), most touchdown passes in a quarter (4 by NC A&T’s Kylil Carter), most TDs in a game (6 by Carter), and most combined total yards (1,034). A&T quarterback Kylil Carter, the Celebration Bowl off ensive MVP, had six touchdown passes — three in the third period — to tie an Aggie program record in leading his squad to the victory. He fi nished 18-30 for 364 yards, hitting four diff erent receivers for touchdowns. Jacob Roberts, with six tackles including one for a loss, and an interception, was the game’s defensive MVP. Alcorn scored fi rst in this contest and led 10-7 with 10:16 left in the half. After the Aggies took at 24-10 lead into halftime, both teams exploded for a combined 49 points (seven TDs) in the third quarter. The Aggies, who scored on eight straight possessions, including seven touchdowns, needed only 13 seconds in the second half to add to their lead, when running back Jah-Maine Martin raced 75 yards on the first play of the third quarter for a score and a 31-17 lead. From there, each team would score three touchdowns apiece to end the quarter at 52-31.

In a rematch of the 2015 Inaugural Celebration Bowl, North Carolina A&T captured their second straight title and third overall, with a 24-22 win over Alcorn State, this time under fi rst-year head coach Sam Washington. The Aggies win gave the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) a 3-1 advantage in the bowl. The Aggies jumped out to a 17-6 lead through the first half of play, but Alcorn state scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter to pull within one at 17-16. But just as the Braves appeared to have momentum, the Aggies’ Malik Wilson took the kickoff at his 12, got to the outside and raced untouched for an 88-yard touchdown that put his team ahead 24-16. Alcorn State QB Noah Johnson led his team on a nine-play, 92-yard touchdown drive to move to 24-22 and put the Braves in a position to tie with a successful two-point conversion. On a run-pass option, Johnson rolled out and found Chris Blair for what appeared to be the tying 2-point conversion; however, it was called no good as he juggled the ball while going out of bounds. The Braves, despite the loss, rolled up 451 yards total off ense, including 328 yards on the ground. Johnson completed 12-21 passes for 123 yards and ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 14 rushing attempts. De’Shawn Waller led the Alcorn running attack with 167 yards. A&T’s Raynard was named Off ensive MVP, while Aggies free safety Richie Kittles picked up Defensive MVP honors.

North Carolina A&T State capped off an historic season with a 21-14 win over Grambling State in 2017 Celebration Bowl. It was one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the year. The Aggies were undefeated (11-0) heading into the Celebration Bowl, with staple wins on the road over non-conference opponents Gardner-Webb and UNC-Charlotte. Grambling, riding an 11-game win streak after dropping their first game of the season, was returning to the Celebration Bowl for a second straight season, defeating North Carolina Central in 2016. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams were able to put seven points on the board in the final five minutes of the half. But it was the Aggies who would strike first and last in the second half. Marquell Cartwright, who earned Offensive MVP honors, raced 29-yards for his second touchdown of the game, to give North Carolina A&T a 14-7 lead in the third. They would seal the victory in the fi nal 1:42 with a seven-play, 56-yard drive, capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Lamar Raynard. Franklin McClain III was the defensive MVP. With the win, the Aggies completed a perfect 12-0 season, while the loss dropped Grambling’s final 2017 record to 11-2. The Aggies became the first MEAC team to compile a 12-0 campaign, including the postseason.

Defense was the name of the game in this 2016 Celebration Bowl showdown between two teams riding nine game win streaks. Grambling State’s Joseph McWilliams blocked a potential game-tying extra point by North Carolina Central’s Brandon McLaren with 2:14 remaining and the Tigers held on for a 10-9 win over North Carolina Central in a wild finish at the Georgia Dome. The Eagles, hindered by poor field position most of the second half, drove 59 yards in fi ve plays, with quarterback Malcolm Bell linking up with a wide-open Quentin Atkinson from 39 yards out to pull NCCU within 10-9 with 2:14 on the fourth-period clock. But a costly penalty by Atkinson for removing his helmet in celebration drew a 15-yard penalty assessed on the extra point try. Grambling State’s Martez Carter and Jameer Jackson were named the Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable Players. Carter led the GSU ground game with 12 carries for 109 yards, including a 32-yard scoring run that put Grambling ahead 7-3 midway the third. Jackson recorded five unassisted tackles and a key interception.

There couldn’t have been a better beginning to the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, which kicked-off the 2015 college football post season. Alcorn State (SWAC Champion) erased a 24-6 deficit in the second half but fell short to North Carolina A&T (MEAC Champion) 41-34 in a thrilling victory by the Aggies. The game started with a bang and never looked back, as both teams scored early in the first quarter on special teams plays – a 74-yard punt return for A&T and an 83-yard kick-off return for Alcorn State. When North Carolina A&T finally put their offense on the field it was clear why Tarik Cohen was the topic of discussion heading into this game. Cohen had five carries for 166 yards in the first quarter, scoring on back-to-back touchdown runs of 74-yards and 83-yards. Cohen earned offensive Most Valuable Player honors as he rushed for a game-high 295 yards and three touchdowns, including the game winner. Denzel Jones was selected as defensive Most Valuable Player. He led the Aggies with seven tackles and one interception.