The 2023 edition of the Celebration Bowl featured a matchup of two prominent historically black colleges and universities — Florida A&M and Howard University.
This year marked the ninth year of the game that has been billed as the HBCU College Football National Championship. It also marked the first time either football had advanced to the championship.
The Florida A&M Rattlers ultimately prevailed, defeating the Howard Bison by four points in a back-and-forth thriller inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Florida A&M does have a history of winning championships. Exactly 45 years ago, the Rattlers defeated the UMass Minutemen football team to claim the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.
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Florida A&M entered Saturday’s game with a 10-game win streak after defeating Prairie View A&M 35-14 on Dec. 2 to earn their first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title. Howard, meanwhile, was in the midst of a two-game winning streak heading into the Celebration Bowl. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) holds a 6-1 edge over opponents from the SWAC in the bowl.
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The Bison got off to a strong start with an impressive 63-yard kick return. Howard’s offense capitalized on the strong field position, as running back Jarett Hunter scored a touchdown on an 8-yard run to give the Bison an early 7-0 lead.
Florida A&M quarterback Jeremy Moussa fumbled on the following drive. Howard recovered the ball at the 29-yard line. The Bison took advantage of another short field, and increased their lead to a commanding 14-0 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Howard quarterback Quinton Williams appeared to struggle to find any type of rhythm. He finished the game with three interceptions, throwing for just 106 yards.
Florida A&M did manage to produce a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter to cut the deficit. Howard entered the locker room at halftime with a 16-10 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Howard kicker Aaron Bickerton made a 40-yard field goal to bring the Bison within five points with 7:55 left in the game.
Howard took the lead on the next drive when defensive back Dylan White intercepted Moussa’s pass and sprinted into the end zone. The Bison briefly held a 26-24 lead following the 27-yard pick-six and the successful point after touchdown (PAT) kick.
Moussa quickly bounced back and found wide receiver Jah’Marae Sheread for a go-ahead touchdown. The Rattlers two-point conversion was unsuccessful, which kept the score at 30-26 with 5:46 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Florida A&M would not relinquish its lead for the remainder of the game and were crowded HBCU College Football National Champions.
Last year’s Celebration Bowl proved to be an instant classic. The Deion Sanders-led Jackson State football team fell to the North Carolina Central Eagles 41-34 in overtime.
