Writer - Brian Pohl
Atlanta, Ga- The third annual Celebration Bowl will kick-off from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia as the 12th ranked Grambling State Tigers and seventh-ranked North Carolina A&T Aggies face off for the Historically Black College University National Championship.
First announced at the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015, the Celebration Bowl features the two best HBCU programs in the country from the Mid-East Atlantic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference. Grambling State, last year’s Celebration Bowl winner and HBCU National Champion, are back to defend their title against the Bowl’s first ever champion in North Carolina A&T.
The Tigers have won 11 straight games since an opening week loss to Tulane and capped off a second straight SWAC championship by defeating Alcorn State 40-32. Senior quarterback Devante Kincade was crucial in the victory, throwing for two touchdowns, as well as adding two scores from the ground. Kincade was awarded as the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, leading the conference in seven major statistical categories. The leader of the Tiger offense, he will look to finish his career at Grambling State as a two-time national champion.
Kincade is flanked offensively by talented running back Martez Carter, who finished the season third in the SWAC in rushing yards, as well as fourth in all-purpose yards. Grambling State’s top receiver is Darrell Clark, who has scored five of Kincade’s 23 touchdown passes on the season. Averaging just over 32 points per game on the season, the GSU offense will face a tough test in a North Carolina A&T defense that is giving up just over 12 points per game.
The biggest strength for Grambling State is their defense and their ability to create turnovers. The Tigers have 23 total interceptions and 28 forced fumbles on the season, and always seem to make a big play in a big moment. Senior defensive back De’Aumante Johnson leads the SWAC in interceptions per game, and Junior Defensive lineman La’Allan Clark leads the conference in forced fumbles. The Tigers ability to flip turnovers into points will be key to them repeating as champions.
The North Carolina A&T Aggies are coming off a 24-10 victory over rival N.C. Central, where they captured their first outright MEAC Championship in 14 years. The victory moved the Aggies to 11-0 and remain undefeated on the season, and they will try to become the first MEAC team to finish their season undefeated with a Celebration Bowl win.
MEAC Player of the Year Lamar Raynard leads the Aggie offense for North Carolina A&T. Throwing for over 2,700-yards and 26 touchdown passes, with just five interceptions on the season, the redshirt Junior quarterback must protect the ball against this ball-hawking Tiger defense. Raynard’s top wide receiver target Elijah Bell has reeled in 54 catches for 858-yards and 11 touchdowns in just his sophomore season for North Carolina A&T. Bell’s role continues to grow in this Aggies offense, and his matchup with this talented Grambling State secondary will be fun to watch. If North Carolina A&T is going to have success, they will need to protect the ball against the Tiger defense that is allowing just over 20 points per game on the season.
The 2017 Celebration Bowl is setting up to be an HBCU classic as two talented teams with long histories face off for the HBCU National Championship. Both teams can score through the air, but this game will come down to whichever defense can come up with a turnover in a key moment of the game to decide the championship.
The HBCU National Championship between Grambling State and North Carolina A&T will kick off the Celebration Bowl on Saturday, December 16th, at 12 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga on ABC.
First announced at the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015, the Celebration Bowl features the two best HBCU programs in the country from the Mid-East Atlantic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference. Grambling State, last year’s Celebration Bowl winner and HBCU National Champion, are back to defend their title against the Bowl’s first ever champion in North Carolina A&T.
The Tigers have won 11 straight games since an opening week loss to Tulane and capped off a second straight SWAC championship by defeating Alcorn State 40-32. Senior quarterback Devante Kincade was crucial in the victory, throwing for two touchdowns, as well as adding two scores from the ground. Kincade was awarded as the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, leading the conference in seven major statistical categories. The leader of the Tiger offense, he will look to finish his career at Grambling State as a two-time national champion.
Kincade is flanked offensively by talented running back Martez Carter, who finished the season third in the SWAC in rushing yards, as well as fourth in all-purpose yards. Grambling State’s top receiver is Darrell Clark, who has scored five of Kincade’s 23 touchdown passes on the season. Averaging just over 32 points per game on the season, the GSU offense will face a tough test in a North Carolina A&T defense that is giving up just over 12 points per game.
The biggest strength for Grambling State is their defense and their ability to create turnovers. The Tigers have 23 total interceptions and 28 forced fumbles on the season, and always seem to make a big play in a big moment. Senior defensive back De’Aumante Johnson leads the SWAC in interceptions per game, and Junior Defensive lineman La’Allan Clark leads the conference in forced fumbles. The Tigers ability to flip turnovers into points will be key to them repeating as champions.
The North Carolina A&T Aggies are coming off a 24-10 victory over rival N.C. Central, where they captured their first outright MEAC Championship in 14 years. The victory moved the Aggies to 11-0 and remain undefeated on the season, and they will try to become the first MEAC team to finish their season undefeated with a Celebration Bowl win.
MEAC Player of the Year Lamar Raynard leads the Aggie offense for North Carolina A&T. Throwing for over 2,700-yards and 26 touchdown passes, with just five interceptions on the season, the redshirt Junior quarterback must protect the ball against this ball-hawking Tiger defense. Raynard’s top wide receiver target Elijah Bell has reeled in 54 catches for 858-yards and 11 touchdowns in just his sophomore season for North Carolina A&T. Bell’s role continues to grow in this Aggies offense, and his matchup with this talented Grambling State secondary will be fun to watch. If North Carolina A&T is going to have success, they will need to protect the ball against the Tiger defense that is allowing just over 20 points per game on the season.
The 2017 Celebration Bowl is setting up to be an HBCU classic as two talented teams with long histories face off for the HBCU National Championship. Both teams can score through the air, but this game will come down to whichever defense can come up with a turnover in a key moment of the game to decide the championship.
The HBCU National Championship between Grambling State and North Carolina A&T will kick off the Celebration Bowl on Saturday, December 16th, at 12 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga on ABC.