2023 Celebration Bowl
{{short description|Postseason college football bowl game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
| game_name = Celebration Bowl
| subheader = 8th Celebration Bowl
| title_sponsor = Cricket
| image =
| caption =
| date_game_played = December 16
| year_game_played = 2023
| football_season = 2023
| stadium = Mercedes-Benz Stadium
| city = Atlanta, Georgia
| visitor_school = Howard University
| visitor_name_short = Howard
| visitor_nickname = Bison
| visitor_record = 6–5
| visitor_conference = MEAC
| visitor_rank_STATS =
| visitor_rank_coaches =
| visitor_coach = Larry Scott
| visitor_1q = 14
| visitor_2q = 2
| visitor_3q = 0
| visitor_4q = 10
| home_school = Florida A&M University
| home_name_short = Florida A&M
| home_nickname = Rattlers
| home_record = 11–1
| home_conference = SWAC
| home_rank_STATS = 10
| home_rank_coaches = 5
| home_coach = Willie Simmons
| home_1q = 0
| home_2q = 10
| home_3q = 0
| home_4q = 20
| MVP = Kelvin Dean (RB, Florida A&M) & Isaiah Major (LB, Florida A&M){{cite tweet |user=AlisonPosey14 |number=1736131988686307556 |title=No surprise that @Rhsathletics1 product Kelvin Dean is your Offensive MVP of the 2023 Celebration Bowl. Isaiah Major is your defensive MVP. |date=December 16, 2023 |accessdate=December 16, 2023}}
| odds = Florida A&M by 6.5
| anthem =
| halftime = Howard "Showtime" Marching Band and Florida A&M Marching 100{{cite news |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/celebration-bowl-halftime-marching-bands-videos |title=The Howard and Florida A&M marching bands wowed during Celebration Bowl halftime performances |first=Cory |last=Woodroof |website=usatoday.com |date=December 16, 2023 |accessdate=December 16, 2023}}
| referee = Christian Watson (Mountain West){{cite news|url=https://www.footballzebras.com/2023/12/2023-24-bowl-officiating-assignments/|title=2023-24 bowl officiating assignments|website=footballzebras.com|first=Ben|last=Austro|date=December 3, 2023|accessdate=December 5, 2023}}
| attendance = 41,108
| payout =
| us_network = ABC
| us_announcers = Tiffany Greene (play-by-play), Jay Walker (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline)
| ratings =
| intl_network = Canada: TSN2
Brazil: ESPN Brazil
| intl_announcers = Matheus Pinheiro (play-by-play) and Rafael Belattini (analyst)
| different_previous =
}}
The 2023 Celebration Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 16, 2023, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The eighth annual Celebration Bowl featured the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the Howard Bison, and the champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the Florida A&M Rattlers. The game began at approximately 12:00 p.m. EST and was aired on ABC.{{cite web |last1=Straka |first1=Dean |title=2023-24 college football bowl schedule, games, dates, locations, kickoff times, TV channels |date=May 31, 2023|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2023-24-college-football-bowl-schedule-games-dates-locations-kickoff-times-tv-channels/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=1 July 2023}}{{cite magazine |last1=Lewis |first1=Barry |title=2023-24 College Football Bowl Schedule, Dates, Times Announced |url=https://www.si.com/college/tcu/football/2023-24-college-football-bowl-schedule-dates-times-announced |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=1 July 2023}} Sponsored by Cricket Wireless, the game was officially known as the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
The SWAC and MEAC are the two NCAA Division I conferences of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The Celebration Bowl thus serves as a de facto black college football national championship.
The Celebration Bowl was the only one of the 2023–24 bowl games involving teams from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The NCAA structured a 24-team bracket tournament to determine a champion for the 2023 FCS football season. The 2023 Celebration Bowl was the first time the SWAC champions defeated the MEAC champions since the 2016.
Teams
The game featured teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
=Howard Bison=
{{main|2023 Howard Bison football team}}
Howard entered the game with a 6–5 record, 4–1 in conference play and tied with North Carolina Central atop MEAC standings. Howard qualified for the Celebration Bowl due to their regular-season win over North Carolina Central.{{cite press release |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2023/11/howard-university-qualifies-for-the-cricket-celebration-bowl-for-the-first-time/ |title=Howard University Qualifies for the Cricket Celebration Bowl for the First Time |first=Bill |last=Hofheimer |website=espnpressroom.com |date=November 2023 |accessdate=November 26, 2023}}{{cite web|last=Stevens|first=Chris|url=https://hbcusports.com/2023/11/12/the-meac-is-up-for-grabs-after-howard-blows-out-nc-central-what-happens-now/|title=The MEAC is up for grabs after Howard blows out NC Central. What happens now?|publisher=HBCU Sports|website=hbcusports.com|date=November 12, 2023|accessdate=December 17, 2023}}
=Florida A&M Rattlers=
{{main|2023 Florida A&M Rattlers football team}}
Florida A&M completed their regular season with a 10–1 record, 8–0 in conference play; their only loss was to South Florida of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The Rattlers then defeated Prairie View A&M in the 2023 SWAC Football Championship Game, contested on December 2, qualifying them for the Celebration Bowl.{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=December 2, 2023 |url=https://www.wtxl.com/media/v/content/f200d21d4d4aeb1a8b4d0ca76c3a9056 |title=Florida A&M Wins Its First SWAC Championship, Advances to Celebration Bowl |work=WTXL |access-date=December 19, 2023}}
Game summary
Howard held a 14–0 lead after the first quarter, and a 16–10 lead at halftime. After no scoring in the third quarter, Florida A&M scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, while Howard was limited to a field goal and one touchdown, coming on a pick-six. Florida A&M's 30–26 victory marked only the second win by a SWAC team in the Celebration Bowl, the first having been by Grambling State in the 2016 edition.
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle= background:#001DB8; color:white; {{box-shadow border|a|#FF2E00|2px}}; text-align:center;
|state=uncollapsed
|bg=#fff
|bg2=#eee
|title=2023 Cricket Celebration Bowl
|date=Saturday, December 16, 2023
|time=12:00 p.m. EST
|road=Howard
|R1=14|R2=2|R3=0|R4=10
|home=No. 10 Florida A&M
|H1=0|H2=10|H3=0|H4=20
|stadium= Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia
|attendance=41,108
|weather=N/A (indoor stadium)
|referee=Christian Watson
|TV=ABC
|TVAnnouncers=Tiffany Greene (play-by-play), Jay Walker (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline)
|reference= [https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401551470 Box score]
|scoring=
;First Quarter
- (13:29) HOW – Jarett Hunter 8-yard run (Dylan West kick). Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:31. Howard 7–0
- (10:04) HOW – Kasey Hawthorne 3-yard run (Dylan West kick). Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 1:48. Howard 14–0
;Second Quarter
- (13:30) FAMU – Terrell Jennings 3-yard run (Cameron Gillis kick). Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 5:13. Howard 14–7
- (9:37) HOW – DL Darrian Brokenburr tackled QB Jeremy Moussa in end zone for a safety. Howard 16–7
- (0:11) FAMU – Cameron Gillis 41-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 39 yards, 1:57. Howard 16–10
;Third Quarter
No scoring
;Fourth Quarter
- (13:45) FAMU – Kelvin Dean 21-yard pass from Jeremy Moussa (Cameron Gillis kick). Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 7:38. Florida A&M 17–16
- (10:58) FAMU – Kelvin Dean 53-yard pass from Jeremy Moussa (Cameron Gillis kick). Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:35. Florida A&M 24–16
- (7:55) HOW – Aaron Bickerton 40-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:03. Florida A&M 24–19
- (7:14) HOW – Carson Hinton 27-yard pick-six interception return (Dylan West kick). Howard 26–24
- (5:46) FAMU – Jah'Marae Sheread 38-yard pass from Jeremy Moussa (two-point conversion run failed). Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:28. Florida A&M 30–26
}}
=Statistics=
{{AmFootballGameStatistics
| Float = left
| Visitor = Howard Bison
| VisitorDisplay = HOW
| Home = Florida A&M Rattlers
| HomeDisplay = FAMU
| VisFirsts = 11
| VisPlaysYds = 55–187
| VisRushing = 28–81
| VisPassYds = 106
| VisPassing = 14–27–3
| VisTOP = 27:12
| HomeFirsts = 19
| HomePlaysYds = 67–357
| HomeRushing = 35–68
| HomePassYds = 289
| HomePassing = 19–32–2
| HomeTOP = 32:48
}}
{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers
| Float = right
| Visitor = Howard Bison
| VisitorDisplay = Howard
| Home = Florida A&M Rattlers
| HomeDisplay = Florida A&M
| VisPasser = Quinton Williams
| VisPassStats = 14–27, 106 yards, 3 INT
| VisRusher = Eden James
| VisRushStats = 12 carries, 55 yards
| VisReceiver = Nah'shawn Hezekiah
| VisReceivingStats = 3 receptions, 46 yards
| HomePasser = Jeremy Moussa
| HomePassStats = 19–32, 289 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
| HomeRusher = Terrell Jennings
| HomeRushStats = 19 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD
| HomeReceiver = Kelvin Dean
| HomeReceivingStats = 3 receptions, 87 yards, 2 TD
}}
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/index.html?id=496999 Game statistics] at statbroadcast.com
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg5n8TODb0E Celebration Bowl 2023 FAMU VS HU Halftime - Howard University. PT 1] via YouTube
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwfh696igD8 Celebration Bowl 2023 FAMU VS HU Halftime - Florida A&M University. PT 2] via YouTube
{{2023 bowl game navbox}}
{{Celebration Bowl navbox}}
{{Florida A&M Rattlers football navbox}}
{{Howard Bison football navbox}}
Category:Howard Bison football bowl games