The Celebration Bowl is set, with Jackson State and South Carolina State—a rematch of the de facto 2021 HBCU national championship game—scheduled to meet again in Atlanta.
Will Jackson State avenge its loss and win its first Black National Championship since 1996? Or will South Carolina State, with a first-year head coach — take its second HBCU title to cement an unexpected run?
Here’s our first deep dive into at, including key players and what each team has to do to claim the national championship on Dec. 14 at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
No. 1 Jackson State vs. No. 2 South Carolina State
Cricket Celebration Bowl
When: Saturday, Dec. 14, noon ET
Where: Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
How to watch: ABC and ESPN App
Jackson State has been the No. 1 team in HBCU football for weeks en route to winning the SWAC East division and capturing the program’s third conference championship four years after knocking off Southern 41-13 in the SWAC Championship Game.
The Tigers’ offense has been led by the SWAC’s Best rushing attack, which SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Irv Mulligan shouldered. He has tallied 1,174 yards and a league-high 11 touchdowns. Overall, Jackson State topped the conference in scoring with 37.1 points per game.
The Jackson State, which has not allowed more than three second-half points in six of the last nine games, ranks No. 2 overall in total defense, giving up 17.9 points per game.
South Carolina State made it through the regular season unscathed and was able to coast during the back half of its schedule under first-year head coach Chennis Berry. But they will face their most formidable challenge in Jackson State since it was able to pull out a 24-21 win over MEAC power North Carolina Central on Halloween night on its way to the program’s second conference championship since 2021. The Bulldogs boast HBCU National Player of the Year Eric Phoenix and 16 additional players who earn All-MEAC honors.
Florida A&M (9-2)
Key player: QB Eric Phoenix
So much for the bumpy transition from Division II to Division I. The Benedict College transfer threw for 2,460 yards and 20 TD passes, third among HBCU quarterbacks this season. When Phoenix is on, South Carolina State — already a strong team — is quite tough to beat. It will be interesting to see how the former All-SIAC performer will handle this next test in the biggest game of his collegiate career.
How South Carolina State wins: Stop the Jackson State run
As mentioned, Jackson State has arguably the best rushing attack in the country, with Mulligan and SWAC Freshman of the Year Travis Terrell combining to average 6.2 yards per attempt. In the SWAC Championship Game versus Southern, the Tigers rushed for 275 net yards and 5 TDs on 5.5 yards per attempt. As part of its offensive identity, JSU will look to establish the run early and often.
Conversely, South Carolina State comes into the Celebration Bowl as the top run defense in MEAC, giving up 115.3 yards per game on 3.5 yards per carry to opposing offenses.
The key will be whether All-MEAC defensive linemen Jayden Broughton and Asaad Hall can create enough disruption and fill rushing lanes along the line of scrimmage to limit chunk gains and success in short-yardage and Red Zone situations.
In a late-season matchup with Jackson State, Alabama State was able to do just that by holding the Tigers to a season-low 1.7 yards per carry and Mulligan to just 66 yards on 2.2 yards per rush to nearly pull off the upset.
If the Bulldogs can accomplish a similar effort, they will have a shot at slowing down the top offense in HBCU football.
Jackson State (11-2)
Key player: RB Irv Mulligan
Irv Mulligan, a sixth-year graduate senior, missed two games this season because of an injury. But that didn’t stop the running back from posting one of the best rushing seasons in JSU history.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound Mulligan has 1,174 rushing yards with 11 TDs. The graduate has recorded 100-plus yards seven times this season. Regarded by JSU head coach T.C. Taylor as one of the team’s unquestioned leaders, Mulligan’s success on the ground has played a significant role in the Tigers ranking No. 1 in total offense in the SWAC and favorites to win the Celebration Bowl.
How Jackson State wins: Keep using the same formula
Jackson State has rode its current 9-game winning streak on being able to punish opponents in the run game while making it difficult for opposing offenses to move the ball and score.
The Tigers’ leading the SWAC in points per game only indicates how successful their scheme has been. Jackson State has used its running game with Mulligan, Terrell, and others to jump out leads early and wear down teams late, which has taken a lot of pressure off dual-threat quarterback Jacobian Morgan to carry the offense on his own. However, he’s shown—as evidenced by being named to the All-SWAC Second Team—that he can for stretches.
While the Tigers defense doesn’t have that one transcendent player, the sum of its parts has been more than enough to form one of the top units in the FCS. Reid Pulliam, Josh Nobles, and Robert McDaniel have combined for 21.5 sacks and 172 tackles on the season. The JSU secondary has snagged 13 interceptions, led by All-SWAC defensive back Ke’Vric Wiggins Jr, who has three and 12 passes defended.
It might sound boring, but if Jackson State can continue to do what made it the top team in the SWAC, the Tigers could leave Atlanta with hardware.
