Cricket Celebration Bowl: Jackson State Tigers (11-2) vs South Carolina State Bulldogs (9-2)
Key Facts: The MEAC has historically owned this game, 6-2 overall. Both coaches are relatively new on the scene and haven’t coached in a Celebration Bowl before. T.C. Taylor is in his 2nd year at Jackson State after replacing Deion Sanders. Chennis Berry has already built a wagon in his first year at South Carolina State after replacing the legendary Buddy Pough.
Previous Meetings: Finding historical information on HBCUs can prove to be challenging, but from what I can find this is only the 3rd meeting between the programs. They met previously in the 2021 Celebration Bowl when Buddy Pough’s SC State squad upset Deion Sanders and Jackson State 31-10 and in the 2023 MEAC/SWAC Kickoff in week 0 when Jackson State beat SC State 37-7.
Motivation Edge: This was the mission both programs set out on when the season kicked off. Expect both teams to be very motivated to win this one.
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl: South Alabama Jaguars (6-6) vs Western Michigan Broncos (6-6)
Key Facts: Bowl games historically aren’t kind to either program. Western Michigan is 2-9 in bowl games, while South Alabama is 1-3, but both teams each won their most recent bowl game. South Alabama winning last season, while Western Michigan is making their first appearance since a 52-24 Idaho Potato Bowl win in 2021. What might be most important is that coaching bowls are not South Alabama HC Major Applewhite’s strong suit, he is 0-3 in bowl games. The results were rough to say the least, his last bowl appearance was a 70-14 destruction at the hands of Army, and before that his Houston team was beaten by Fresno State who entered the game with a 6 game bowl losing streak. IS4S is a technology company, very strange sponsor.
Previous Meetings: This is a FIRST TIME MATCHUP! The Jaguars and Broncos have never played before. This game will allow South Alabama to complete the directional Michigan trifecta, all in the last couple years! They played Central Michigan in 2022/2023 and Eastern Michigan in last year’s bowl game.
Motivation Edge: Western Michigan will be more motivated for this one. The Broncos will be excited to be bowling again seeing that they haven’t reached a bowl since 2021, and I’m also not sure how excited South Alabama’s players will be to only go a couple hours up the road. That being said there will almost certainly be more South Alabama fans in the crowd. Watch the weather for this one, if it is cold in Alabama again, Western Michigan will be ready to embrace it.
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