10th anniversary Celebrate cricket takes place on Saturday.
The game that determines the HBCU Football National Champion started out as a risky alternative to the FCS Playoff, but has become the official kickoff to college football’s bowl season.
To celebrate one note, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best moments from the game.
10. A Broadway Fining Ends Grambling’s Repeat Hopes
Gramling won the 2016 Celebration Bowl and faced North Carolina A&T looking to win its second HBCU national championship in three years. With 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter, a tight game with quarterback lamar raynard’s quarterback about quarterback Raynard’s quarterback.
A&T won 21-14 and rode off into the sunset with another trophy as head coach Rod Groadway retired after the 2017 season.
9. Mr. Washington goes to Atlanta
Broadway’s replacement, SAM Washington, continued in A&T’s celebration, A&T’s celebration, A&T’s celebration, AGGIES lost 24-22 in one in which a two-point conversion was ruled to have stalled.
Washington and Broadway each won two holiday bowls as grand masters.
8. “Dynamic Duo” debuts
There are some broadcasts of the NFL, Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on CBS, Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith of the NBA and Kenny Smith on certain …
For the 2022 Celebration Bowl, ABC/ESPN debuted the tandem of play-by-play announcer Tiffany Greene (a proud fam hook) and legendary Howard Quarterback Jay “Sky” jay “Sky” Walker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grayeuncuk8
Greene and Walker have become the undisputed voices of black college athletics, and their good-natured banter and enthusiasm at the plate make the game fun to watch or listen to.
7. Alcorn State and NC A & T broke the scoreboard
The fifth edition of the Bowl, believe it or not, saw Alcorn State take a 3-0 lead over North Carolina A&T.
As it turned out, both teams needed to warm up for the first 15 minutes, from which point a combined 105 points were put forward, a true video game numbers experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0dcbfrcwpq
A & T won the fourth and at this point, the final – the final – recorded a 64-44 over the braves.
AGGIES Quarterback Kyle Carter set a single-game record with 364 passing yards and six touchdowns, both records of six touchdowns and receptions.
6. Buddy Ball takes Prime time
The 2021 celebration bowl looks like a mismatch on paper as South Carolina State, led by longtime coach Buddy Poeng, posted a 5-0 mark but posted a 7-5 overall record.
Swac champion Jackson State, “Coach Prime” Dion Sanders and current Cleveland Browns starting Quarterback Shedeur Sanders entered the game with an 11-1 record and were undefeated in the conference.
A funny thing that happened on the road predicted by this explosion; It was South Carolina State that dominated to the tune of 31-10, winning its first celebratory bowl and leading to its third HBCU national championship.
5. North Carolina Central is 1 at 12-1
Jackson State returns to the party bowl in 2022 with a perfect 12-0 record and an even more dominant team. Shadeur Sanders is in his second year at quarterback and freshman receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter Jr. became the first five-star recruit out of high school at an HBCU.
North Carolina Central had a great team of its own, led by Davius Richard and running back Latrell Collier. The quarterbacks and tigers bought a sandist for a hunter connection, including a 19-yarder as the fourth quarter ended. It tied the game at 34 and led to the first shutout game in the franchise’s history.
Richard distinguished himself on a one-yard touchdown run, which earned all the central players needed as a defensive stand on the goal line, earning his first celebration bowls.
4. It’s TC time
TC Taylor is one of the most beloved athletes in Jackson State History and the entire Tiger community was excited when he was named Deion Sanders’ replacement as Football Coach.
In the 2024 Celebration Bowl, Taylor defeated South Carolina State 28-7 in JSU’s first celebration.
The game was not based on a doubt that led to a long celebration for one of Jackson State’s most beloved sons.
3. North Carolina Central loses a helmet and record bowl
On the second day, the celebration pot was a subpar affair that ended with one of the most unsuccessful plants in recent memory.
SWAC champion Gramling was in position to tie it, 10-3, thanks to a 39-yard touchdown pass from North Carolina Central’s Malcolm Bell to Quentin Atkinson in the 39th.
Ugly Atkinson, still playing technically, scored his helmet while receiving an automatic foul play.
That 15-yard penalty was magnified as the tying kick was blocked, and the Tigers set up to become the first SWAC team to record one.
2. The bouncers return to the top
Florida A&M, before the pandemic and after a 9-win 2021 season (one FCS playoff appearance), was headed for a national championship in 2023 in a buzzer-beating championship.
In the end, they were able to beat Jackson State for the SWAC East crown and went to Atlanta with a 35-14 win over Swac West Champ Prairie.
Standing on the other side was an old Meac rival, the Howard University Bison, who won their first outdoor conference title since 1993.
The game was punged and noisy by FAMU and Howard finally hit the knockout blow with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jah’mae Sheread in the fourth quarter.
Finally, Florida A&M is back to black college football after a long wait.
1. The Tarik Cohen game
Everything that worked at North Carolina A&T put the spotlight on the NFL heavy for the first time with a memorable performance in the celebration bowl.
Cohen rushed for 295 yards (yet another record) on 22 carries and three touchdowns; Aggies went 74, 83 and 73 yards, scoring 73 yards in a 41-34 loss to State State.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2qd6izhqs
Cohen’s virtuoso performance and subsequent NFL career served as a prime example of the tradition and talent that make up HBCU football. When given the chance, black college players have shown they can compete at the highest level.
This is what makes the celebration bowl so important and a follow-up and support event for the HBCU community.
