Alcorn State faces North Carolina A&T in Atlanta's Celebration Bowl
Alcorn State will face North Carolina A&T in the inaugural Celebration Bowl in Atlanta.
The Celebration Bowl pits the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion against the Southwestern Athletic Conference winner. The game takes place at noon Dec. 19 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Alcorn State clinched its invite by winning the SWAC championship Saturday, 49-21 over Grambling State. The Braves are the first team since 2002 to repeat as SWAC champions.
This is the Braves' second trip to Atlanta this season. They faced Georgia Tech in the season opener, losing 69-6.
North Carolina A&T shared the MEAC title with Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central. North Carolina A&T got the bowl spot because of a higher Sagarin rating.
Notable playes
Alcorn State: RB Darryan Ragsdale. He went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season by rushing for 191 yards Saturday as Alcorn State beat Grambling State 49-21 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game.
North Carolina A&T: RB Tarik Cohen. He has rushed for 1,248 yards this season and has a school-record 3,735 yards rushing in his career. He's been named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference offensive player of the year two straight seasons.
Last meeting
Alcorn State 16, North Carolina A&T 13 (Sept. 11, 2004).
