No. 1 Vs. No. 2 Finale in the ATL CELEBRATION BOWL III YARDSTICK by LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor 2017 Showdown at Celebration Bowl to Again Determine N
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A I R F O R C E R E S E R V E C E L E B R A T I O N B O W L I I I FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 12 - 18, 2017 NORTH CAROLINA A&T GRAMBLING STATE AGGIES (11-0) TIGERS (11-1) vs. CHAMPION CHAMPION MID EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TEAM RECORD 2017 RESULTS 2017 RESULTS TEAM RECORD ™ 2017 Overall: 11-0 N. CAROLINA A&T 11-0 GRAMBLING STATE 11-1 2017 Overall: 11-1 MEAC Record: 8-0 45..@ Gardner-Webb ... 3 W 23.........NW State ........10 W SWAC Record: 9-0 2017 BCSP Ranking: 1st 56......... Mars Hill .......... 0 W 14.........@ Tulane ......... 43 L 2017 BCSP Ranking: 2nd All-Time vs. Grambling: 3-4 35......@ Charlotte. ..... 31 W 36..... Jackson State ....21 W All-Time vs. NC A&T: 4-3 Last Time vs. GSU: 37-35, W, '97 49...@ Morgan State .. 17 W 38.... Miss. Valley State .6 W Last Time vs. NC A&T: 35-37, L '97 MEAC Titles: 9 SWAC Titles: 25 21..... @ S. C. State ...... 7 W 31..... vs. Clark Atlanta....20 W Last Title 2015 Last Title 2016 44....Delaware State ..... 3 W 34.....@ Prairie View A&M ..21 W 41.......Alcorn State ......14 W 31....@ Florida A&M ... 20 W COACH'S RECORD 50.... Texas Southern ...24 W COACH'S RECORD Celebration Bowl Logo Alma Mater: North Carolina ('77) 24...Bethune-Cookman . 20 W 31...@ Ark.-Pine Bluff ..26 W Alma Mater: Grambling ('97) Head Coach Record vs. Grambling: 0-0 35... @ Norfolk State .... 7 W Head Coach CLASH SWAC vs. MEAC: Top 24...@ Alabama State ...7 W Record vs. NC A&T: 0-0 ROD Record at A&T: 58-22, .725 (7th year) 36... Savannah State .. 17 W BRODERICK two teams in Atlanta to 30......... Southern ........21 W Record at GSU: 38-10, .791 (4th year) OF THE Career Record: 126-45, .737 (15th year) 24......N. C. Central ..... 10 W FOBBS settle HBCU football BROADWAY 40.......Alcorn State ......32 W Career Record: Same TITANS national championship. S A T U R D A Y , D E C E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 - A T L A N T A , G A - M E R C E D E S B E N Z S T A D I U M - 1 2 N O O N O N A B C MACK LEAVES NC CENTRAL, SIMMONS TO FAMU, PRUNTY TO HAMPTON; HILL-ELEY IN AT BAMA STATE No. 1 vs. No. 2 finale in the ATL CELEBRATION BOWL III YARDSTICK by LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor 2017 showdown at Celebration Bowl to again determine N. C. A&T TEAM GRAMBLING STATE The organizers of the Celebration Bowl HBCU football national champion 36.4 ppg. (1st in MEAC) SCORING OFFENSE 32.7 ppg (2nd in SWAC) could not be happier. 12.3 ppg. (1st) SCORING DEFENSE 18.0 ppg. (2nd) For the third straight year since the Mid 429.5 ypg. (1st) TOTAL OFFENSE 369.9 ypg. (4th) Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwest- vaulted the Aggies to the top spot. It was a perch 251.4 ypg. (1st) TOTAL DEFENSE 332.3 ypg. (3rd) ern Athletic Conference decided to match their they never relinquished as they ran off an un- 172.0 ypg. (2nd) RUSHING OFFENSE 142.7 ypg. (5th) football champions in a nationally televised precedented 11 straight wins to take the outright 79.5 ypg. (1st) RUSHING DEFENSE 102.4 ypg. (1st) bowl event, the game Saturday that kicks off the MEAC title. En route to winning that crown the 257.5 ypg. (1st) PASSING OFFENSE 227.2 ypg. (3rd) 2017 bowl season and ends the HBCU football Aggies subdued rival NCCU, who had stymied season will determine the black college national the Aggies quest for the outright title in the final 171.9 ypg. (2nd) PASSING DEFENSE 229.9 ypg. (8th) RUSHING STUDS: Grambling running back INDIVIDUAL champion. game in each of the past three seasons. Martez Carter (4) and N. C. A&T's Marquell Cart- Marquell Cartwright (1st) RUSHING Martez Carter (3rd) Grambling meanwhile was putting togeth- wright lead ground attacks for their teams as they 1,080 yds., 4.8 ypc., 13 TDs 842 yds., 5.2 ypc., 10 TDs HOW WE GOT HERE er an 11-game win streak of its own, rolling face off in Celebration Bowl III in Atlanta on Sat- Lamar Raynard (1st) PASSING Devante Kincade (1st) The 12 noon showdown between head through the SWAC, defeating Southern in the urday. 186-285-5, 2,707 yds., 26 TDs 198-332-3, 2,632 yds., 21 TDs coach Rod Broadway's undefeated (11-0) regular season finale to take the West Division Elijah Bell (2nd) RECEIVING Darrell Clark (NA) MEAC champion North Carolina A&T Aggies title before knocking off East Division champ last year's game? 54 rec., 858 yds., 11 TDs 41 rec., 489 yds., 5 TDs and head coach Broderick Fobbs' 11-1 SWAC Alcorn State for the second time this season Nobody knows. Marquell Cartwright (1st) SCORING Mark Orozco (PK) (1st) champion Grambling State Tigers at the new and second consecutive year in the conference's Both teams average over 30 points per game 13 TDs, 78 pts., 7.1 ppg. 18 FGs, 45-46 PATs, 99 pts. 8.2 ppg. Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta pits two championship game. and hold the opposition below 20 (see CEL- LB Jeremy Taylor (21st) TACKLES LB D'Arius Christmas (7th) EBRatiON BOWL III YARDSTICK). They 46 solos, 19 assists, 65, 5.9 tpg. 42 solo, 37 assists, 79, 6.6 tpg. teams that have been at the top of the HBCU have dynamic rushers in powerful Marquell Sam Blue/Darryl Johnson SACKS La'Allan Clark (3rd) food chain all year long. The Aggies are No. 1 in WHAT KIND OF GAME TO EXPECT Cartwright 6.5 7.5, 0.68 spg. the BCSP ranking while the G-Men are No. 2. In Celebration Bowl I, N. C. A&T and Al- (5-10, 201) of A&T and cat quick Franklin McCain/Jeremy Taylor INTERCEPTIONS De'Aumante Johnson (1st) Grambling, who was voted and declared corn State put on a shootout for the ages with Martez Carter (5-9, 205) of Grambling. And 5, 0.45 pg. 5. 0.45 last year's national champion after a 10-9 win the Aggies prevailing 41-34. A&T's Tarik Co- both have their respective league's best defenses Khris Gardin PUNT RETURNS Joshua Mosley over MEAC champ North Carolina Central hen, now with the NFL's Chicago Bears, ran for against the run. 11, 353 yds., 13.6 ypr., 1 TD 15, 85 yds., 5.7 ypr, 0 TD in Celebration Bowl II, began this season as the 295 yards and TDs of 74, 83 and 73 yards. There A&T junior Lamar Raynard and Gram- Khris Gardin KICK RETURNS Lavontis Smith No. 1-ranked team in the BCSP Top Ten but fell were 74- and 84-yard punt returns for touch- bling senior Devante Kincade also led their 14, 376 yds., 26.9 ypr., 0 TD 13, 251 yds., 19.3 ypr., 0 TD out of that position after a early loss at FBS and downs and over 800 yards of total offense. leagues in passing yards with both throwing for James Mackey (9th) PUNTING Miguel Mendez (6th) American Athletic Conference member Tulane. Last year in Celebration Bowl II, Gram- over 2,600 yards. Raynard had 26 TDs and five 38.0 avg. 38.5 avg. North Carolina Central, second in the pre- bling and NCCU scored just one touchdown interceptions while Kincade had 21 and 3. Noel Ruiz (1st) PLACEKICKING Mark Orozco (1st) But remember, the game is won up front. 9-12 FGs, 45-51 PATs, 72 pts. 18-22 FGs, 45-46 PATs, 99 pts. 8.2 ppg. season ranking, lost its season opener on the each and the game was decided on a blocked road at FBS and ACC member Duke. PAT attempt. Grambling led the SWAC with 43 sacks while That paved the way for A&T, who began So the big question for this year's game is A&T led the MEAC with 35. But the Aggies the season as the third-ranked team and opened will it be a shootout like the 2015 affair or the gave up just 10 sacks while the G-Men surren- UNDER THE BANNER with a 45-3 road win over Gardner-Webb that kind of grind-it-out slugfest that characterized dered 29. Keep your eye on that. WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS JERRY MACK LEAVES NC CENTRAL: BCSP Notes Ultra-successful North Carolina Central head Florida A&M presents Willie Simmons programs. coach Jerry Mack, who won three as new head football coach "Coach Prunty's record speaks for itself," Mar- shall said. "He's from Virginia. He played for Hampton. Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Willie Simmons unexpectedly resigned after three successful seasons It was very refreshing to hear him say 'I want to come championships in his four years lead- as the Prairie View A&M head football coach to take back to Hampton.'" ing the Eagles, announced last week the same position at Florida A&M. Prunty served last season as East Carolina's as- he was resigning to become the new Simmons was formally presented as the Rat- sociate head coach, defensive coordinator and defen- offensive coordinator at Rice Univer- tlers new coach on Tuesday morning Dec.