Three keys for Jackson State football vs. North Carolina Central in Celebration Bowl
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Posted By: S. Moore on December 16, 2022 Jackson State football (12-0, 8-0) is one win away from a perfect season and the ideal sendoff for former coach Deion Sanders. The Tigers face North Carolina Central (9-2, 4-1 MEAC) in the Celebration Bowl on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Celebration Bowl comes less than two weeks after Sanders was announced as Colorado's new head coach following the SWAC Championship. JSU announced T.C Taylor – a wide receivers coach during the Sanders regime – as the new face of the program on Tuesday. Here are three keys to victory for Jackson State to win its first Celebration Bowl in program history: Shedeur Sanders shines in final JSU start The departure of Deion Sanders will likely be followed by his son, Shedeur Sanders, bolting with him to Colorado. The Tigers need another stellar performance from the two-time SWAC Offensive Player in the Year in order to knock off the Eagles. Shedeur Sanders was sacked three times and went 16-of-36 for 175 yards and two interceptions in last year's Celebration Bowl loss to South Carolina State. Jackson State's conference-leading defense will need some help containing North Carolina Central. The Eagles led the MEAC with 56 TDs and had a conference-best 38.4 points per game. The sophomore quarterback needs to build upon his four-TD performance against Southern in the SWAC Championship on Dec. 3. Jackson State must stay motivated There were rumors swirling hours before the SWAC Championship kickoff that Deion Sanders was leaving. The third-season coach confirmed he received an offer from Nov. 28 before the Tigers defended their conference championship. Jackson State jumped out to a 26-0 lead over Southern, one of the team's best starts this season, despite reports from Sports Illustrated and ESPN that Sanders was gearing up to leave for the Buffaloes. Will the Tigers be as locked for the Celebration Bowl? Not only will Deion Sanders leave, Colorado's new coach will likely bring Shedeur Sanders and former five-star recruit Travis Hunter among others. There is a last dance feel to Saturday's matchup against the Eagles. However, the first few drives of the game will show if Deion Sanders and his former players already have their minds on other programs. The Tigers must contain Davius Richard Davius Richard was a major problem for MEAC defenses all season. The junior quarterback had a conference-best 2,486 passing yards and 24 TDs along with 691 rushing yards and 13 TDs on the ground. Richard was second in the MEAC in rushing, behind North Carolina Central's Latrell Collier. Richard was held to 143 passing yards, 130 rushing yards and one TD as the Eagles escaped with a 22-20 victory over Tennessee Tech on Nov. 19. The Tigers will be the toughest defense North Carolina Central has faced this season after allowing a conference-best 11.3 points per game. Jackson State only allowed 16 TDs in 12 games. SOURCE Clarion Ledger If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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