A new champion will rise in Atlanta this week.
The 2023 Celebration Bowl, which is slated for Dec. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, features two first-timers in the bowl as Howard and Florida A&M square off, with kickoff set for noon.
The Celebration Bowl, first played in the 2015 season, features the champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) – two prominent conferences among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The game will be televised by ABC. It currently is the only active bowl game featuring two FCS teams and is considered by many to be the HBCU national championship game.
Florida A&M (11-1, 8-0 SWAC) is ranked No. 5 in the latest FCS coaches poll and is No. 1 in the HBCU football power rankings.
A former longtime MEAC member, Florida A&M joined the SWAC in 2021, and this year’s SWAC title is its first. Florida A&M won eight MEAC titles during its membership from 1986 to 2020 (the Rattlers were independent in 2004 before returning to the MEAC in 2005).
Howard (6-5, 4-1 MEAC) earned its fourth conference championship in program history and first title since 1993.
Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons is in his sixth year at the helm of the Rattlers, and he has a 33-12 (25-5 SWAC) record. Simmons was named SWAC Coach of the Year this season.
“I look forward to coming back (to Atlanta) in a week and having a great time in what we call FAMU north,” Simmons said. “Atlanta has been a city that FAMU has really benefitted from as far as recruitment and playing games here in the (former Atlanta Football Classic). Rattler Nation has been begging for a return of FAMU to Atlanta for a long time.”
Howard coach Larry Scott has coached the Bison since 2020 and has a 14-19 (9-6 MEAC) record. Scott led the Bison to back-to-back MEAC titles after Howard went 2-10 in 2019, 0-2 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and 3-8 in 2021.
“I tell our kids all the time, ‘Football is something that you’ve been doing since you were 4 or 5 years old,’” Scott said. “‘Stay in the moment and enjoy it just like you did when you first started playing.’ It’s no different. Are the stakes a little higher? Yes. At the end of the day, it’s still a child’s game. We’re just going to come down here, we’re going to put forth our best foot and we’re going to have fun.”
The schools have plenty of history between them as former MEAC rivals. The Celebration Bowl will be the 41st matchup between the Rattlers and Bison, and Florida A&M leads the series with a 29-11 record dating to 1993. Next week’s matchup will be the first between the teams since Florida A&M downed Howard 39-7 in 2019.
This season, Florida A&M led the SWAC with 13 all-conference players. Quarterback Jeremy Moussa was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, while linebacker Isaiah Major earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Howard tallied seven all-MEAC players. For the Bison, Kenny Gallop Jr. became the fourth Howard player in program history to earn MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.
It will be a high-powered Howard offense against a stingy Florida A&M defense.
The Bison, led by quarterback Quinton Williams, enter the contest with 2,231 total passing yards while running backs Jarrett Hunter (602 net yards) and Eden James (572 net yards) have helped the Bison to 1,990 total rushing yards. Howard averages 28.7 points per game.
“We always want to establish the run,” Scott said. “For me that’s a mindset of the brand and style of football that we want to play. It’s also the biggest way that you can dictate the tempo of the game. When you can establish that and do it with a high level of consistency, you usually can dictate the outcome of the game.”
Florida A&M led the SWAC in offense and defense this season as the Rattlers have gained 2,786 yards in the air and 1,727 yards rushing, good for 368 total points to lead the conference. The Rattlers allowed a SWAC-low 14.25 points per game.
“When you get to championship football, it’s about the physical and mental toughness of your team,” Simmons said. “When you’re playing football in November and December, it’s physical. Both teams have played 11- or 12-game seasons. Physically you’re beat down and mentally you’re tired. Mentally you have to be in a place where you keep the main thing, the main thing.”
Florida A&M is coming off a 35-14 win over Prairie View A&M, and the Rattlers’ only loss this season was a 38-24 setback against South Florida. Howard is coming off a 14-7 win over Morgan State.
