Who: Grambling vs. North Carolina A&T
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
When: Saturday, Dec. 16, 11:00 a.m. (CT), Noon (ET)
TV: ABC
Grambling vs. North Carolina A&T: It’s the matchup many had hoped to see in last year’s Celebration Bowl, but North Carolina Central had a different agenda when the Eagles thwarted the Tarik Cohen lead Aggies 42-12. The win secured NCCU’s chance to represent the MEAC in a game that eventually resulted in a 10-9 loss to SWAC representative Grambling.
This year, however, the Grambling-North Carolina A&T dream match is a reality.
Saturday’s game will feature the two highest ranked HBCU teams in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
North Carolina A&T (11-0, 8-0 MEAC) is ranked No. 7 in the FCS Coaches Poll, while Grambling State, (12-1, 7-0 SWAC) is currently ranked No. 12.
Both teams are currently on 11-game winning streaks. Both teams are statistical leaders in their respective conferences in just about every statistical category.
But how do both teams matchup statistically against each other?
We’ve gathered some official data from the NCAA website to create a statistical comparison between both teams. Line items in bold print indicate the team with the statistical advantage and even denotes where both teams rank nationally among other FCS teams.
Total Offense
| FCS Ranking | Yards | YPG | |
| 22 | N.C. A&T | 4725 | 429.5 |
| 55 | Grambling | 4487 | 373.9 |
Rushing Offense
| FCS Ranking | Yards | YPG | |
| 42 | N.C. A&T | 1892 | 172 |
| 69 | Grambling | 1703 | 141.9 |
Passing Offense
| FCS Ranking | Yards | YPG | |
| 23 | N.C. A&T | 2833 | 257.5 |
| 40 | Grambling | 2784 | 232 |
Passing Efficiency
| FCS Ranking | Efficiency | |
| 2 | N.C. A&T | 170.93 |
| 25 | Grambling | 139.96 |
Scoring Offense
| FCS Ranking | Points | PPG | |
| 8 | N.C. A&T | 473 | 36.4 |
| 22 | Grambling | 392 | 32.7 |
Total Defense
| FCS Ranking | Yards | YPG | |
| 4 | N.C. A&T | 2765 | 251.4 |
| 29 | Grambling | 3976 | 331.3 |
Rushing Defense
| FCS Ranking | Yards | YPG | |
| 5 | N.C. A&T | 874 | 79.5 |
| 12 | Grambling | 1217 | 101.4 |
Passing Yards Allowed
| FCS Ranking | Yards | YPG | |
| 17 | N.C. A&T | 1891 | 171.9 |
| 81 | Grambling | 2759 | 229.9 |
Scoring Defense
| FCS Ranking | Points | PPG | |
| 3 | N.C. A&T | 135 | 12.3 |
| 27 | Grambling | 245 | 20.4 |
Turnover Margin
| FCS Ranking | Gain | Lost | Margin | Per/G | |
| 1 | Grambling | 31 | 10 | 21 | 1.75 |
| 3 | N.C. A&T | 26 | 10 | 16 | 1.45 |
Penalties Per Game
| FCS Ranking | Penalties | Per/G | Penalty Yards | YPG | |
| 101 | N.C. A&T | 87 | 7.91 | 774 | 70.36 |
| 116 | Grambling | 115 | 9.58 | 946 | 78.83 |
Team Sacks
| FCS Ranking | Sacks | Sack Yards | Avg. | |
| 1 | Grambling | 47 | 319 | 3.92 |
| 8 | N.C. A&T | 35 | 226 | 3.16 |
Sacks Allowed
| FCS Ranking | Sacks | Sack Yards | Avg. | |
| 10 | N.C. A&T | 10 | 40 | 0.91 |
| 79 | Grambling | 29 | 204 | 2.42 |
