A Perfect Storm: 2023 Celebration Bowl Preview
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Posted By: Brian Simpkins on December 04, 2023 At noon on December 16th, the Howard University Bison (6-5, 4-1 MEAC) football team will square off against the #5 Florida A&M Rattlers (11-1, 8-0 SWAC) in the 2023 Cricket Celebration Bowl hosted at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium on ABC. Unlike previous bowl editions, this season’s slate will feature two of the most popular and attended HBCUs nationally. The buzz behind the game may lead to attendance and streaming records being broken. FAMU leads the all-time series over Howard at 27-11 as the showdown originally began in the 1933 Orange Blossom Classic. Both bowl programs are led by young coaches who understand the institutional dynamics and athletic expectations. In his fourth season, Howard head coach, Larry Scott guided his team to its second consecutive MEAC crown. Since Howard’s first season in 1882, the program has never achieved back-to-back conference championships until this season. “We’re not just going to prepare, play, be physical, and going to line up and play ball,” Scott said. “The historical perspective with that is every season takes on a life of its own. Now all we have to do is prepare well and walk in the blessing.” After winning the SWAC Championship game at home over Prairie View A&M during downpour conditions, Florida A&M head coach, Willie Simmons spoke about his team’s unwavering determination to finish the job. “It was a wild, wild game,” Simmons said. “I’m so proud of these guys, and I can’t say enough about the journey. Culminating with the SWAC Championship is truly special.” The Celebration Bowl is an annual HBCU bowl game owned by ESPN Events (since 2015) pitting the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) champions for a de-facto HBCU national title game via automatic tie-ins. Since 1920, the Black Press has awarded the HBCU Football national championship via polls as selector outlets. Ironically in 1920, Howard was co-champion with the Talladega College Tornadoes who cut their football program in 1941. A Florida A&M win would help the Rattlers tie Tennessee State for the all-time HBCU national championship record at 16 titles. Also, FAMU earning the SWAC’s second all-time Celebration Bowl win would match the 2016 Grambling State Tigers. Since leaving the MEAC in 2021, the Rattlers have demolished SWAC opponents with a 22-2 league record. FAMU boasts the SWAC’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, Jeremy Moussa and Isiah Major. Moussa leads the conference with 2,604 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. The dominant “Dark Cloud” defense has anchored the Rattlers as FCS’s top team defense with 14.5 points allowed per game. Howard lacks MEAC POTY representation but placed seven all-conference talents. The Bison possess FCS’ 30th-best total team defense by allowing 23.18 points per game. An upset victory would help dispel academic over athletic narratives cast over the Hilltop for decades and spark quality recruiting results in later seasons. Massey Ratings projects a reasonable 28-21 Celebration Bowl win by FAMU (74% win chance). A Howard win can present a case for three separate Division I HBCU national champions with the #19 North Carolina Central (9-3) Eagles awarded by poll selectors. NCCU was awarded champions after dethroning Jackson State led by Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders in last year’s bowl game. In June, ESPN Events announced a contract extension with both leagues and title sponsor, Cricket Wireless until 2027. This perfect storm of a matchup can either make a striking conclusion or a monumental upset. Get your popcorn ready folks! If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Brian Simpkins
Contributing Writer, USA Lacrosse Magazine University of the District of Columbia class of 2025 Member Since October 2023 |
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