ATLANTA, GA – NC A&T is coming off of an 8-3 season and ranked second in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference. The Braves come into this game 9-3 and ranked first place in the South-Western Athletic Conference. The Aggies hold an undefeated record of 3-0 in Celebration Bowl games. On the other side of the coin, Alcorn State has yet to win in their two appearances in Bowl games, taking both losses by way of the Aggies. Alcorn State comes in as a 2.5, point underdog in this matchup.
The Aggies running attack will be a major factor in this game, however, they will be playing without their back up quarterback Kylil Carter, known for his ability to carry the football from center. Carter will be the number one quarterback for A&T next season after starting Quarterback Lamar Raynard graduates. A recent car accident has prevented Carter from playing in this game, his counter-part Jah-Maine Martin will be expected to carry the load in moving the chains with a chip in his shoulder. Martin recorded 1136 yards with 8.4 yards per carry and 18 touchdowns this season. NC A&T will utilize their back up running back to assist in keeping Jah-Main rested.
The Aggies run offense will cause problems for Alcorn States 31st ranked run defense. The Braves consistently displayed their inability to stop the run.
Alcorn States offense is the opposite of that of the Aggies, as they have a pass-based offense. As a testament to this, are the stats of Quarterback Felix Harper. This year the quarterback recorded 2,613 yards passing and 30 touchdowns. However, the Braves offense will face problems against an Aggie pass defense that has recorded 11 interceptions this season. In order for Alcorn State to be successful, they will have to establish a run game in order to open play-action plays for the deep ball.
This game should be an exciting match up as NC A&T looks to continue their bowl streak and Alcorn States hopes to gain a bowl win for their record books. Kickoff is set for 12:00 pm EST from Mercedes Benz Stadium in the heart of Atlanta. Will the Aggies capture a third straight HBCU National Title? Or will the Braves, led by Fred McNair, get that all so elusive National Title?
Tune in on ABC Saturday, December 21st.
Written by Marcus Jones
