What: 2022 Cricket Celebration Bowl
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
Who: Jackson State vs North Carolina Central
When: Saturday, 12 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
North Carolina Central
Record: 9-2 overall, 4-1 MEAC
Best win: North Carolina Central’s 45-27 road win over then no. 25 New Hampshire of the Colonial Athletic Association, who went on to advance to the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Eagles were able to control the clock, dominating the football for more than 35 minutes in the wire-to-wife victory. Quarterback Davius Richard threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns and also lead the team in rushing with 140 yards while adding another score.
Worst loss: The Eagles were trounced 48-18 by Campbell on Oct.1. N.C. Central was in a 34-6 hole at halftime and was never able to solve the Fighting Camels’ offensive attack, giving up 563 yards of offense, with 316 coming on the ground.
Key Players:
Davius Richard: The recently named MEAC Offensive Player of the Year spearheaded the No.1-ranked offense in the MEAC that averaged 38.4 points per contest. This season, the junior signal-caller has thrown for 2,486 yards and 24 touchdowns, while adding another 691 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Khalil Baker: The junior who was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year recorded 51 tackles, including a season-high 10 against Campbell. Baker, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the best defensive player in FCS, also intercepted four passes, returning one for a touchdown against New Hampshire. He also had five pass breakups and nine passes defended on the year.
E.J Hicks: The senior wideout led the team in both receiving yards (529) and touchdowns (7).
Jackson State
Record: 12-0 overall, 8-0 SWAC
Best win: JSU’s 22-14 homecoming win over Campbell. In a hard-fought matchup where JSU was not firing on all cylinders offensively, the Tigers’ defense held a Campbell offense that averaged 435.5 yards in their previous 6 games to just 247 yards.
Key Players:
Shedeur Sanders: Sanders garnered SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, throwing for 3,403 yards and 36 touchdowns. The sophomore signal-caller topped 300 yards four times on the season and threw for at least three touchdowns in eight games.
Sy’veon Wilkerson: The Delaware State transfer established himself as the Tigers’ primary workhorse out of the backfield rushing for 1,100 yards and 9 touchdowns. He posted a season-high of 214 yards against Texas Southern on Nov. 5.
Aubrey Miller Jr: The SWAC Defensive Player of the Year recorded 106 tackles, with a season-high 19 against Texas Southern. For the season, he posted 11 tackles for loss, two sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Series history: Saturday will be the fourth meeting between Jackson State and North Carolina Central. JSU leads the series 3-0. The last meeting was a 10-9 JSU win on Oct. 3, 1987.
Prediction:
Jackson State 31, North Carolina Central 21
