The Celebration Bowl is set, with Florida A&M and Howard — a pair of old MEAC rivals — scheduled to meet in Atlanta for the HBCU national championship.
Will the MEAC take the title again? Or will the SWAC break its conference losing streak?
Here’s our first look at the game, including key players and what each team has to do to claim the national championship on Dec. 16 at Mercedez Benz Stadium.
No. 1 Florida A&M vs. No. 2 Howard
Cricket Celebration Bowl
When: Saturday, Dec. 16, noon ET
Where: Mercedez Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
How to watch: ABC and ESPN App
Florida A&M moved up to the No. 1 spot in the rankings thanks to Howard knocking off defending HBCU national champion North Carolina Central and the Rattlers winning an FCS-leading 10-straight games to win its first-ever SWAC championship.
The Rattlers’ “Dark Cloud” defense, ranked No. 1 in the FCS and allowed a SWAC-best 14.5 points per game, has been the catalyst for the team led by SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Isaiah Major. The FAMU offense, which boasts SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, Jeremy Moussa, has battled inconsistency throughout the season but still averaged 30 points per game and features the top wide receiving corps in all of HBCU football.
Florida A&M made it through the regular season unscathed and was able to coast during the back half of its schedule. But they will face their most formidable challenge since the Orange Blossom Classic to earn the program’s first Black national championship since 2001.
Florida A&M (11-1)
Key player: QB Jeremy Moussa
Moussa threw for 188 yards and accounted for a pair of touchdowns in the SWAC championship game. He sits atop the conference in passing yards (2,604) and touchdowns (19). When Moussa is on, Florida A&M — already a strong team — is nearly impossible to beat. But there have been games during the regular season where Moussa has struggled to the point where head coach Willie Simmons challenged him to be better.
That was the case against Prairie View after the Rattlers jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead, and the offense didn’t score until the third quarter due mainly to inaccuracy, which stunted drives. If Moussa and the offense can avoid slow starts, Florida A&M could be able to win the Celebration Bowl.
How Florida A&M wins: Lean on its defense
As mentioned, the Rattlers have the top defense in the country, and the unit has been reliable even when the offense needed to be carried in a tough stretch in the middle of the season. The Rattlers rank in the top 25 in several defensive categories, including passing yards, sacks, rushing defense, and third-down defense. Save for a period when it allowed 20 or more points against Texas Southern and Alabama A&M, the Dark Cloud Defense has shined.
Howard (6-5)
Key player: RB Eden James
Despite only playing nine games and splitting carries with Jarrett Hunter, James rushed for 575 yards on 99 attempts during the regular season, which was good for All-MEAC Second-Team honors.
The 5-10, 200-pound sophomore had his best game of the season in Week 3 against Power Five Northwestern when he rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts. He followed that up with an 84-yard, 1-TD game performance versus North Carolina Central in a dominating 50-20 win on Nov. 11 that propelled the Bison to the top of the MEAC standings. James, son of former NFL star Edgerrin James, is a solid runner between the tackles and has displayed a knack for getting those tough yards in short-yardage situations.
How Howard wins: Use the North Carolina Central formula
In the Bison’s 30-point win over North Carolina Central, Howard hit big plays early and often against what was then the top team in the MEAC. Howard jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back, thanks to an offense that hit on nine plays of 20 or more yards and tallied 521 yards. On defense, the Bison limited likely Black College Football Player of the Year Davius Richard to 77 yards passing and running backs Latrell Collier and J’Mari Taylor to a combined 30 yards on the ground.
If Howard can hit big plays, sustain drives against a tough Florida A&M defense, and control the line of scrimmage, the Bison — which has already proven it can hang with the best HBCUs and even a Big Ten team — can knock off the favored Rattlers.
