Similar journeys headline Celebration Bowl

Grambling State and North Carolina Central have followed a similar path for a long time.

Both teams have third-year head coaches who have turned around a program from its lowest point. Each team has two dynamic quarterbacks who led their respective conferences statistically.

For Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs, the road hasn’t been easy. He had to earn the trust of players after a 2013 boycott of practice left the program spiraling.

“Our program had been knocked down, and it was a lot of lack of confidence and trust, and we had to build that first,” Fobbs said. “Secondly we had to learn how to compete and learn how to win football games.”

The boycott happened before Fobbs arrived, and since then he has guided Grambling to a 26-9 record in his three seasons. This year, he won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award and the program’s 25th SWAC championship.

“I am a type of person that believes in diving into these guys and getting them to trust me,” Fobbs said. “The first thing I do is I talk to them about love. “That is our program and everything we have done is centered around that.”

For Mack, the same type of trust had to be disseminated at North Carolina Central. He took over a 2-9 team that had struggled in many areas. Mack brought in a philosophy that focused on making sure each detail was addressed in all aspects of the game.

“My vision was to see how far we could push the envelope and how high we could take North Carolina Central as a program and university,” Mack said. “We aren’t finished yet and we are very close to being in the top 10.”

Mack has led North Carolina Central to a 24-10 record and the three consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships. However, this is the first time that North Carolina Central has won an outright conference title and punched a ticket to the Celebration Bowl on Saturday in the Georgia Dome.

On Saturday, both teams look to take the next step in establishing themselves as the top program in the FCS.

North Carolina Central looks to use a perceived “underdog” role to its advantage and prove that it belongs among the best teams. The Eagles average 30.8 points per game on offense and feature a strong running game led by senior quarterback Malcolm Bell and sophomore running back Ramone Simpson.

Bell accounted for 25 touchdowns, including for nine on the ground. He also became the second quarterback in school history with at least 6,100 passing yards. Mack hopes to employ Bell to control the fast-paced tempo of Grambling State.

“We are going to use Malcolm the same way we used him the entire year,” Mack said. “The biggest thing about him is the ability to pass the ball, but also do things with his legs. It is not just off scrambles, but designed runs as well.”

On defense, Grambling looks to counter with a strong front that led the FCS in red-zone defense. The Tigers want to be fast-pace and use their speed to force turnovers. The hope this will help the offense and quarterback Devante Kincade score more touchdowns.

“Our motto is that when we step into the room — we set the temperature,” Fobbs said. “We want to be sure we take the fight to them.”

While both teams want to win, each understands the importance of the Celebration Bowl for both conferences. The teams want to put on the best show possible in the national spotlight for their fans.

“I never could’ve dreamed of this,” North Carolina Central center Carl Jones said. “Coming to college four-and-half years ago, you just wanted to play ball, win a couple of games and graduate. This is all extra and all blessings.”

Fobbs agreed and said his team is ready for the Celebration Bowl showdown.

“They (NCCU) are a good team and are the complete package. We look forward to the competition,” he said.