The Celebration Bowl features a de facto rematch with Jackson State and South Carolina State. 2021 HBCU national championship game– We planned to meet again in Atlanta.
Will Jackson State avenge its loss and win its first Black National Championship since 1996? Or will South Carolina State get its second HBCU title to fuel an unexpected run with a first-year head coach?
Here’s our first in-depth look at Mercedes Benz Stadium on December 14, including the key players and what each team needs to do to be in contention for the national title.
No. 1 Jackson State and No. 2 South Carolina State
Cricket Celebration Bowl
When: Saturday, December 14 at noon ET
Where: Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
How to watch: ABC and ESPN App
Jackson State has been #1 team in HBCU football Weeks en route to winning the SWAC East division and the program’s third conference championship in four years after losing to South 41-13 in the SWAC Championship Game.
The Tigers’ offense was led by the SWAC’s top rushing attack, led by SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Irv Mulligan. He threw for 1,174 yards and a league-high 11 touchdowns. Overall, Jackson State leads the conference in scoring at 37.1 points per game.
Jackson State, which has not allowed more than 3 second-half points in 6 of its last nine games, ranks No. 2 in total defense at 17.9 points per game.
South Carolina State went through the regular season injury-free and was able to coast in the back half of its schedule under first-year head coach Chennis Berry. But they’ll face their toughest challenge yet in Jackson State, as they cruised to a 24-21 victory over MEAC power North Carolina Central en route to the program’s second conference championship since 2021. Bulldogs brag. HBCU National Player of the Year Eric Phoenix and 16 additional players who earned All-MEAC honors.
Florida A&M (9-2)
Key player: QB Eric Phoenix
So much for the difficult transition from Division II to Division I. The Benedict College transfer threw for 2,460 yards and 20 TD passes, third among HBCU quarterbacks this season. When Phoenix is on, South Carolina State — already a strong team — is pretty tough to beat. It will be interesting to see how the former All-SIAC performer handles this next test in the biggest game of his collegiate career.
How South Carolina State wins: Stop Jackson State’s run
As noted, Jackson State has the best rushing attack in the nation, with Mulligan and SWAC Freshman of the Year Travis Terrell averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. Against South in the SWAC Championship Game, the Tigers rushed for 275 net yards and 5 TDs on 5.5 yards per attempt. As part of its offensive identity, JSU will look to establish the run early and often.
Conversely, South Carolina State enters the Celebration Bowl as the top defense in the MEAC, giving up 115.3 yards per play to 3.5 yards per play to opposing offenses.
Most importantly, All-MEAC defensive linemen Jayden Broughton and Asaad Hall won’t be able to create enough disruption and fill rushing lanes along the line of scrimmage to limit big gains and success in short yardage and Red Zone situations.
In a late-season matchup against Jackson State, Alabama did just that, holding the Tigers to 1.7 yards per carry and Mulligan totaling 66 yards on 2.2 rushes, nearly eliminating the rush.
If the Bulldogs can put together a similar effort, they’ll have a chance to slow down the best offense in HBCU football.
Jackson State (11-2)
Key player: RB Irv Mulligan
Irv Mulligan, a sixth-year graduate, missed two games this season due to injury. But that didn’t stop the running back from posting one of the best rushing seasons in JSU history.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound Mulligan has 1,174 rushing yards with 11 TDs. The graduate has recorded 100-plus yards seven times this season. Considered one of the team’s unquestioned leaders by JSU head coach TC Taylor, Mulligan’s success on the ground has been instrumental in the Tigers’ No. 1 overall offense in the SWAC and favorites to win the Celebration Bowl.
How Jackson State wins: Keep using the same formula
Jackson State has continued its current 9-game winning streak by being able to punish opponents in the run game while making it difficult for opponents to move the ball and score.
The fact that the Tigers lead the SWAC in points per game shows how successful their scheme is. Jackson State used the running game with Mulligan, Terrell and others to blow leads early and wear teams down late, putting a lot of pressure on dual-threat linebacker Jacobian Morgan to carry the offense alone. However, he has shown he can stretch, as evidenced by being named to the all-SWAC Second Team.
While the Tigers’ defense lacks one transcendent player, the sum of its parts has been more than enough to form one of the best units in the FCS. Reid Pulliam, Josh Nobles and Robert McDaniel combined for 21.5 sacks and 172 tackles on the season. The JSU assistant had 13 interceptions, led by All-SWAC linebacker Ke’Vric Wiggins Jr., who had three and 12 passes defended.
It may sound boring, but if Jackson State can continue to do what has made it the best team in the SWAC, the Tigers could leave Atlanta with the hardware.
