The Celebration Bowl is set, with FAMU (11-1), ranked No. 5 nationally among FCS schools, and Howard (6-5)— a pair of old MEAC rivals — scheduled to meet in Atlanta, Saturday, for the HBCU national championship.
Will the MEAC take the title again? Or will the SWAC break its conference losing streak? FAMU moved up to the No. 1 spot in the HBCU rankings thanks to Howard knocking off NCCU, the defending HBCU national champions on Nov. 11 in a dramatic 50-20 win, and the Rattlers winning an FCS-leading 10-straight games to win its first-ever SWAC championship.
Defense is key for FAMU
The Rattlers’ “Dark Cloud” defense, ranked No. 1 in the FCS has allowed a SWAC-best 14.5 points per game, has been the catalyst for the team led by SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Isaiah Major. The FAMU offense, also boasts the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, Jeremy Moussa, has battled inconsistency throughout the season but still averaged 30 points per game and features the top wide receiving corps in all of HBCU football.
Moussa threw for 188 yards and accounted for a pair of touchdowns in the SWAC championship game. He sits atop the conference in passing yards (2,604) and touchdowns (19). When Moussa is on, FAMU is nearly impossible to beat. But there have been games during the regular season where Moussa has struggled to the point where head coach Willie Simmons challenged him to be better.
FAMU made it through the regular season unscathed and was able to coast during the back half of its schedule. But they will face their most formidable challenge since the Orange Blossom Classic to earn the program’s first Black national championship since 2001.
The Rattlers will have to rely on its the top ranked defense to contain Howard’s running game. The FAMU defense has been reliable even when the offense needed to be carried in a tough stretch in the middle of the season. The Rattlers rank in the top 25 in several defensive categories, including passing yards, sacks, rushing defense, and third-down defense. Save for a period when it allowed 20 or more points against Texas Southern and Alabama A&M, the Dark Cloud Defense has shined.
Howard’s rushing game.
Despite only playing nine games and splitting carries Edgerrin James rushed for 575 yards on 99 attempts during the regular season, which was good for All-MEAC Second-Team honors.
The 5-10, 200-pound sophomore had his best game of the season in Week 3 against Power Five Northwestern when he rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts. He followed that up with an 84-yard, 1-TD game performance versus North Carolina Central. James, son of former NFL star Edgerrin James, is a solid runner between the tackles and has displayed a knack for getting those tough yards in short-yardage situations.
No. 1 Florida A&M vs. No. 2 Howard
Cricket Celebration Bowl
When: Saturday, Dec. 16, noon ET
Where: Mercedez Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
How to watch: ABC and ESPN App