LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
MEAC champion South Carolina State(9-3) and second-year head coach Chennis Berry are back in the Cricket Celebration Bowl for the second straight season this Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. But the Bulldogs are coming in with a new cast of star players.
They will face the SWAC champion Prairie View A&M Panthers under first-year head coach Tremaine Jackson who will, with their coach, be makingt heir inaugural appearance in the season-ending spectacle.
The match-up (12 noon on ABC), the tenth in the meeting of MEAC and SWAC champions, promises to be intriguing in several ways.
CELEBRATION BOWL X
In the previous two times S. C. State has made it to the Celebration Bowl,stunning things have happened.
In the Bulldogs’ first appearance in Celebration Bowl VII vs. SWAC champion Jackson State, then head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough’s 6-5 troops pulled off a 31-10 stunner over Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’11-1 JSU squad. It may have been the most stunning end to a black college season seen in years.
Last year in Celebration Bowl IX, the tables were turned on the 9-2 Bull-dogs, then playing under first-year head coach Berry. JSU, at 11-2, and now ledby second-year head coach T. C. Taylor, stifled the Bulldogs to come away witha dominating 28-7 win.
Jackson’s Panthers now enter the fray trying to give the SWAC its third straight win in the series after Florida A&M defeated Howard 30-26 in Celebration Bowl VIII. The MEAC has won six of the nine meetings so far.
All the big names associated with S. C. State’s 2024 MEAC title and Celebration Bowl run are gone. The new cast of standouts is led by 6-1, 215-pound grad (James Madison) transfer QB William Atkins IV. In going 5-0 vs. MEAC competition to close the regular season, Atkins averaged 322 passing yards per game with 13 TDs and only four interceptions while leading the Bulldogs to 38.2 points per game.
Prairie View counters with a unit, led by grad safety Travor Randle that topped the SWAC in scoring defense (16.1 points per game), third-best in theFCS, and gave up only 128.7 passing yards per game, tops in the SWAC.
In many ways this year’s game could mirror last year’s contest that saw JSU control the line of scrimmage, rush for 164 yards and two TDs, and limit SC State to just 23 rushing yards on 19 carries and 148 passing yards, while picking off two passes. Whoever controls the line of scrimmage wins this game.