The 2022 Celebration Bowl concluded with yet another victory for the MEAC, as conference champion North Carolina Central took home a 41-34 overtime win over SWAC champion Jackson State.
As a result, the MEAC improves to 6-1 all-time in the Celebration Bowl, including wins in each of the last five games (Grambling State defeated North Carolina Central in 2016).
As we venture into the offseason, here are our five takeaways from the overtime thriller that became an instant classic.
It was the best Celebration Bowl ever
An argument could be made that this year’s Celebration Bowl was not only the greatest iteration in the game’s brief history, but it was the best HBCU football game this year.
This was an ultra-competitive game, with the lead being exchanged six times, including three times in the second half.
This game was packed with almost everything a football fan could want when watching a football game.
There were highlight reel caliber plays such as Kevin Coleman’s 85-yard touchdown catch, Latrell Collier’s stiff arm on Cam’Rom Silmon Craig, or Travis Hunter’s aforementioned game-tying touchdown catch to end regulation.
There was maximum excitement in an entertaining fourth quarter, with all three drives culminating in touchdowns, including the game-tying touchdown to end regulation by Jackson State.
There was physicality and grit with North Carolina Central’s offensive and defensive line putting on a performance for the ages, using size and strength to make big plays against the Tigers. Meanwhile, Jackson State converted on two fourth downs on its final offensive possession to tie the game up.
It was a classic underdog story with North Carolina Central playing David to Jackson State’s Goliath slaying the giant and coming out victorious.
A new attendance record was set
With all the hype surrounding this year’s Celebration Bowl, it’s no surprise that the game set a new attendance record.
Officials announced that 49,670 packed Mercedez-Benz stadium for the 2022 Celebration Bowl, beating the previous high set last year of 48,653.
One of the more notable people in attendance was NFL commissioner Roger Goddell who was in the building supporting his nephew, sophomore defensive lineman Charlton Goddell who plays for Jackson State.
North Carolina Central secured its 10th win of the season
With North Carolina Central’s win over Jackson State, the Eagles not only claimed their first-ever Celebration Bowl victory but also their 10th win of the season.
It’s the Eagles’ first 10-win season since re-joining the MEAC in 2010 and their first 10-win-season overall since 2006.
The last time a MEAC team won 10 games in a season was North Carolina A&T in 2018, which secured its 10th win in a Celebration Bowl win over Alcorn State.
There was a familiar face on NC Central’s sideline
Most fans were pleasantly surprised when they saw a familiar face roaming the sideline for North Carolina Central, former North Carolina A&T coach Sam Washington.
It was announced earlier this week that the Aggies had parted ways with their head coach after four seasons with the team.
Most may be shocked, considering the history between A&T and NC Central’s past as rivals, but not when you consider the history of coach Washington.
When Eagles head coach Trei Oliver played for the team as a defensive back in the mid to late 1990s, Washington served as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
Fast forward to 2011, both Oliver and Washington were hired to join the North Carolina A&T coaching staff under Rod Broadway guiding the team to two MEAC titles in five seasons before the former was hired to join Southern’s coaching staff.
Safe to say coach Washington was just there in support of his former pupil giving hugs and congratulations to the Eagles’ players following their victory on the field.
Jackson State dropped to 0-2 in Celebration Bowl
This game was bittersweet for Jackson State, not just for the loss to NCCU, but because it was the final game in the two-year tenure of Coach Deion Sanders.
Sanders made history in his brief stint with Jackson State. He finished with an overall record of 27-6, leading the team to back-to-back SWAC championships.
He helped recruit Travis Hunter to the Tigers flipping him from Florida State to become the highest-rated recruit to commit to an HBCU.
The one dark cloud on his JSU resume will be his inability to culminate a tremendous season with a win in the biggest game of the year.
Last year, Jackson State also came up short in the Celebration Bowl, losing 31-10 to the South Carolina State Bulldogs.
As Coach Prime exits to Boulder, Colorado, there will always be questions about whether this team could have won the big one if he were to stay one more year.
