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The winner of the MEAC championship, South Carolina State, and the winner of the SWAC title, Jackson State led by Deion Sanders, face off in the Celebration Bowl. Here’s a quick primer to help familiarize yourself with these two HBCU FCS programs.
What: Celebration Bowl
Who: South Carolina State (6-5) vs. Jackson State (11-1)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
When: Saturday, December 18 (12 p.m. EST)
Opening line: Jackson State (-11.5) (O/U 41.5)
Current line: Jackson State (-11.5) (O/U 42.5)
Most recent bowl result: Jackson State last played in the 1971 Azalea Bowl where they beat Alabama A&M 40-21. South Carolina State beat Grambling 31-27 in the 1994 Heritage Bowl.
Jackson State at a glance:
In 2020 Jackson State AD Ashley Robinson hired former Florida State and NFL legend Deion Sanders to serve as the university’s head coach. Here we are just two season later and JSU just signed the number one overall recruit in the nation, DB Travis Hunter. It was an unprecedented coup for the FCS program and a testament to the impact Neon Deion has had on the school.
Sanders piloted JSU to a 4-3 showing during the pandemic shortened spring football campaign before winning the SWAC behind a dominant 11-1 record this year, with their only loss coming to FBS opponent Louisiana-Monroe on the road by just five points. In what has become a family affair, Deion’s son, Shedeur Sanders, was named SWAC Freshman of the Year while the elder Sanders took home Coach of the year honors. A Jerry Rice Award finalist, Shedeur threw for 3,056 yards with a 69 percent completion rate and a 29-to-6 TD/INT ratio en route to leading the Tigers to it’s first SWAC championship since 2007. It’s easy to see why Jackson State is a heavy favorite here, as they’ve won six of their last eight games by double-digit point totals. JSU has gone over the game total of 42 points in five of their 12 contests this season, with the last three going under the current number.
South Carolina State at a glance:
The Bulldogs had a slow 1-4 start to the season thanks to a tough out of conference schedule that featured FBS programs like Clemson and New Mexico State. However once their MEAC conference schedule hit, SCSU quickly rounded into form by going 5-0 in conference play to secure the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship. They are led by sophomore signal caller Corey Fields Jr. who completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,931 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Fields Jr. has had bouts of inconsistency, failing to record a touchdown throw in four of his last seven appearances while failing to complete more than half of his throws in five games over that span. Freshman RB Kendrell Flowers has provided a spark to the offense over the last four games, scoring a touchdown in each while rushing for 511 yards over that span. Sophomore wideout Shaquan Davis led the MEAC with 769 yards receiving, while on defense DB Decobie Durant was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year. SCSU’s game totals have gone over the 42 point mark in 8-of-11 games this season.
Key to the matchup:
Despite winning five of their last six games, South Carolina State has been dreadful against non-MEAC teams this year, allowing five off-conference teams to score 30 or more points against their defensive unit. They face a Jackson State team that looks like a juggernaut behind their Hall of Fame head coach and his star QB offspring who is one of the best players in FCS. If South Carolina State can’t slow down the Tigers’ offense, then it’s going to be a long day for the Bulldogs.
Best Bet:
These teams have two common opponents on their schedule this year, Alabama A&M and Florida A&M. South Carolina State lost to AAMU 42-41 in the season opener, and then got crushed by Florida A&M 30-7 on October 16. Jackson State, on the other hand, beat FAMU 7-6 on September 9 and eviscerated AAMU 61-15 in Week 5.
With the unofficial Black College National Championship on the line, all signs point to a consistently superior Jackson State riding Shedeur Sanders to a statement win over SCSU. South Carolina State’s defense has allowed at least 27 points in all six non-conference games this year. I think Jackson State scores 30+ and South Carolina State can hang around enough to make this a strong Over 42.5 points play. I also am backing Jackson State (-11.5).
