The Cricket Celebration Bowl or de facto Black college football national championship game will take place in Atlanta on Saturday.
It will feature the Howard Bison, champions of the MEAC conference, versus the Florida A&M Rattlers, the champions of the SWAC conference.
The game, which began in 2015, has been dominated by the MEAC who own a 6-1 record in the game. The SWAC’s lone win came in a 2016, when the Grambling State Tigers defeated the North Carolina Central Eagles 10-9 in a defensive slugfest.
In 2021 and 2022 the belief was Deion Sanders, and the Jackson State Tigers would bring a couple home for the SWAC, but they lost both games. Now with Coach Prime at Colorado, the FAMU Rattlers under head coach Willie Simmons are poised to end the MEAC’s five-game winning streak in the annual affair.
Rattlers Are The Better Team
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, the Rattlers are the better team. Since joining the SWAC in 2021, they boast a 22-2 record versus conference opponents with their only two losses coming to Deion Sanders’ Tigers in the Orange Blossom Classic in 2021 and 2022. That means they’ve dominated the conference since leaving the MEAC, and that’s why they’re poised to end the SWAC’s Celebration Bowl title drought on Saturday.
Simmons, who’s been the coach at FAMU since 2017, understands what it means to be the conference representative in this game, and he elaborated on it at media day.
“We’re elated to represent the SWAC in the Celebration Bowl,” Simmons said.
“We know the history, the historical significance of the game, and the MEAC’s dominance over the SWAC since the game’s inception. So, we’re excited to turn the tide and bring the trophy back to the SWAC where it belongs,” he continued.
Simmons has won often at FAMU, boasting a 44-13 record overall, including 32-5 in the MEAC and SWAC combined.
While the Howard football team is a great story under head coach Larry Scott, it’s the Rattlers time, and Saturday will culminate in a first-ever SWAC title for the program and university.
What Makes FAMU Special?
Led by the aforementioned Simmons, who was named SWAC Coach of the Year, the Rattlers also boast quarterback Jeremy Moussa, who passed for over 2,600 yards, 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions this season.
He was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. For the second consecutive season the Rattlers have the conference Defensive Player of the Year on their roster, now in Isaiah Major, who joins Isaiah Land, winner of the award in 2022. Major, the leader of the Dark Cloud defense, has 94 total tackles (55 solo) and 11.5 tackles for loss.
That trio is a huge reason why the Rattlers are poised to get it done this weekend. Plus it’s time for the SWAC to win one again, isn’t it?
This is also a chance for football fans to see FAMU (11-1, 9-0) and Howard (6-5, 4-1) on a national stage.
While the game won’t feature Coach Prime this time around, it should still be some good football, with the Rattlers winning 31-17.
Fans can expect to see Vice President Kamala Harris in attendance, as the Howard alumna is expected to make the trip to Atlanta to support the Bison.
Kickoff is noon on ABC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
