2021 Celebration Bowl

The 2021 Celebration Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 18, 2021, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. EST at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta,^[3] with television coverage on ABC.^[4] It was one of the highest attended and sixth edition of the Celebration Bowl, and was the only one of the 2021–22 bowl games to feature FCS teams. Sponsored by wireless service provider Cricket Wireless, the game was officially known as the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl
6th Celebration Bowl
South Carolina State Bulldogs Jackson State Tigers (6–5) (11–1) MEAC SWAC 31 10 Head coach:  Oliver Pough Head coach:  Deion Sanders Coaches STATS 14 15
1 2 3 4 Total South Carolina State 0 10 14 7 31 Jackson State 7 0 3 0 10
Date	December 18, 2021
Season	2021
Stadium	Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Location	Atlanta, Georgia
MVP	Off: Shaquan Davis (WR, SCSU) Def: Decobie Durant (DB, SCSU)[1]
Favorite	Jackson State by 11.5
Referee	Tim Rich (AAC)[2]
Attendance	48,653
United States TV coverage
Network	ABC
Announcers	Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Jay Walker (analyst), Quint Kessenich and Tiffany Greene (sidelines)
Celebration Bowl  < 2019 2022 >

Each year, the Celebration Bowl matches the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) against the champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). These are the two prominent NCAA Division I conferences of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Teams

The game was played between the South Carolina State Bulldogs, champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), and the Jackson State Tigers, champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

South Carolina State Bulldogs

Main article: 2021 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team

The Bulldogs of the MEAC clinched a berth in the Celebration Bowl on November 13;^[5] they completed their regular season with a 5–0 record in conference play, 6–5 overall. This was the first Celebration Bowl appearance by the Bulldogs.

Jackson State Tigers

Main article: 2021 Jackson State Tigers football team

The SWAC was represented by the winner of the SWAC Championship Game, the Jackson State Tigers, who defeated the Prairie View A&M Panthers by a score of 27–10 on December 4.

Game summary

2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
South Carolina State	0	10	14	7	31
Jackson State	7	0	3	0	10

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: Saturday, December 18, 2021
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: n/a (game played indoors)
• Game attendance: 48,653
• Referee: Tim Rich
• TV announcers (ABC): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Jay Walker (analyst), Tiffany Greene and Quint Kessenich (sidelines)
• Box score

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP SCSU JSU 1 7:24 9 66 4:58 Jackson State Keith Corbin 7-yard touchdown reception from Shedeur Sanders, Bailey Raborn kick good 0 7 2 2:06 3 5 1:19 South Carolina State Shaquan Davis 6-yard touchdown reception from Corey Fields Jr., Gavyn Zimmerman kick good 7 7 2 0:08 10 36 0:57 South Carolina State 26-yard field goal by Gavyn Zimmerman 10 7 3 12:36 2 16 0:54 South Carolina State Shaquan Davis 16-yard touchdown reception from Corey Fields Jr., Gavyn Zimmerman kick good 17 7 3 8:43 6 19 2:47 South Carolina State Richard Bailey 15-yard touchdown reception from Corey Fields Jr., Gavyn Zimmerman kick good 24 7 3 0:15 7 43 3:02 Jackson State 36-yard field goal by Bailey Raborn 24 10 4 6:19 9 93 6:18 South Carolina State Shaquan Davis 16-yard touchdown reception from Corey Fields Jr., Gavyn Zimmerman kick good 31 10 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 31 10

Statistics

Statistics	SCSU	JSU
First downs	15	15
Plays–yards	68–268	65–194
Rushes–yards	37–102	29–19
Passing yards	166	175
Passing: comp–att–int	12–31–1	16–36–2
Time of possession	31:37	28:23

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Carolina State	Passing	Corey Fields Jr.	12/31, 166 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Donte Anthony	17 carries, 65 yards
	Receiving	Shaquan Davis	5 receptions, 95 yards, 3 TD
Jackson State	Passing	Shedeur Sanders	16/36, 175 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Santee Marshall	4 carries, 23 yards
	Receiving	Malachi Wideman	3 receptions, 42 yards