The third time was the charm for Jackson State University in Atlanta. 

Chants of “T.C.” for Jackson State alum and coach T.C. Taylor echoed through Mercedes-Benz Stadium after the Tigers ended their Celebration Bowl drought, defeating South Carolina State University 28-7 in a rematch of the 2021 bowl game to earn Jackson State’s first title.

Jackson State started fast, jumping out to a 14-0 lead before halftime, and South Carolina State didn’t have an answer until the fourth quarter. The Tigers dominated all four quarters of the game, outgaining the Bulldogs 385 to 178. 

“It was some great moments out there today. I think the one that kind of blew me away was when I heard the crowd hollering my name, like, good gracious,” Taylor said. “That was unbelievable. That’s a moment I’ll never forget. … I’ve been waiting a long time to get on that stage and hoist that trophy up.”

Tigers quarterback Jacobian Morgan earned Celebration Bowl offensive MVP honors after completing 15 out of 21 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Defensive lineman Jeremiah Williams won defensive MVP after tallying two critical tackles for loss for the Tigers.

Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Irv Mulligan finished the night rushing for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s one thing to talk it, but we really are a humble team, so it’s like you got to be able to perform and walk it as well,” Mulligan said. “We already knew we had what it took. We just had to find the small pieces to put it together. Initially, Coach T did a great job, and I just give my hats off to him and the rest of my teammates.”

In Jackson State’s previous two Celebration Bowl appearances, the Tigers fell to South Carolina State 31-10 in 2021 and North Carolina Central University 41-34 (overtime) in 2022.

The Tigers are the third Southwestern Athletic Conference team to win the Celebration Bowl, joining Florida A&M University (2023) and Grambling State University (2016). The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference leads the series all-time 6-3.

Postgame quotes

Jackson State’s Taylor: “It’s been a great, incredible run for this football team and these coaches, everybody involved with JSU football. The fans – I can’t say enough — they really showed up here in the city of Atlanta for this game. These guys, they worked their butts off all year for this moment, and they went out there today and dominated.”

South Carolina State coach Chennis Berry: “First and foremost, we didn’t get it done. We don’t make excuses or explanations. We had 60 minutes. I say it all the time, and then we didn’t get it done in 60 minutes.

“As the head football coach, I take ownership for all losses [and] I celebrate the players in the wins. … I’m super-proud of this football team. We didn’t play the way we were capable of playing. … These are lessons that they’ll learn for the rest of their lives. I congratulated each and every one of them, although the outcome didn’t happen the way we wanted it to happen. I’m very, very proud of the season we had.”

Records

– Jackson State’s 19-play drive lasting 9 minutes and 39 seconds was the longest in plays and time of possession in Celebration Bowl history.

– South Carolina State quarterback Eric Phoenix, the 2024 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, broke the university’s single-season passing yard record in the first quarter. He finished the season with 2,628 yards, surpassing Malcolm Long’s record of 2,507 set in 2009.

– Jackson State’s 21-point margin of victory ties the record for the largest in Celebration Bowl history. South Carolina State defeated Jackson State by 21 points in the 2021 Celebration Bowl.

– South Carolina State’s seven points mark the fewest points scored in the bowl game, surpassing the previous record of nine points scored by North Carolina Central University in 2016. 

– South Carolina State’s 178 total yards are the fewest yards earned in Celebration Bowl history, surpassing the 194 total yards Jackson State earned in the 2021 game.

– South Carolina State linebacker Aaron Smith’s 17 tackles set the record for most tackles in the Celebration Bowl, surpassing the previous record of 11. 

Memorable moments

– Jackson State freshman running back Travis Terrell Jr. returned the first punt of the game for a touchdown and celebrated with a front flip into the end zone. However, the touchdown was called back due to an unnecessary roughness call on the Tigers.

– South Carolina State defensive back Diego Addison intercepted Morgan on the opening drive of the second half.

– In the second quarter, South Carolina State blocked Jackson State’s 53-yard field goal attempt.

– Jackson State wide receiver Joanes Fortilien scored the first touchdown of the game on a corner fade in the end zone in the second quarter. Fortilien wasn’t done, though – he also scored the final touchdown of the game for Jackson State. He finished the game with six catches for 43 yards.

– Jackson State’s Morgan found wide receiver Isaiah Spencer for a 67-yard strike in the second quarter, and running back Irv Mulligan capped off the play with a one-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead before halftime.

– In the fourth quarter, South Carolina State committed an offsides penalty on fourth down, and Mulligan rushed up the middle for two yards to score his second touchdown, giving Jackson State a commanding 21-0 lead. 

– Phoenix found wide receiver Nigel Johnson for a 64-yard completion in the fourth quarter. Later in the drive, with 11:13 remaining in the game, Phoenix ran the ball into the end zone to avoid a Bulldogs shutout.

Attendance

The official attendance for the game was 36,823, nearly 12,000 fewer people than those who attended the 2021 matchup between Jackson State and South Carolina State, which was a record 48,653.