It has been a terrific season and what a game between two great champions. This was the first time that the game went into overtime. The SWAC Champion Jackson State Tigers battled hard against the MEAC Champion the North Carolina Central Eagles all the way down to the wire.
The win by the North Carolina Central Eagles marks the first win for the MEAC Champions bringing the overall record to 6-1 against the SWAC and avenging their loss in 2016. This was the last game that Head Coach Deion Sanders was at the helm for the Jackson State Tigers and there was a lot of emotion during pregame in the JSU Tigers lockeroom. The North Carolina Central Eagles and Head Coach Trei Oliver had his guys focused from the start and pulled out the championship. The new head coach for the Jackson State Tigers is T.C. Taylor who will look to continue the success for the Tigers in the years to come but if you missed this one, let’s get right to it.
CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
The NCCU Eagles opened the scoring with a field goal by K Adrian Olivo from 32 yards away. The NCCU defense held the JSU Tigers offense to a three and out. On the ensuing possession the NCCU Eagles offense drove down the field and capped off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run by QB Davius Richard to take an early lead 10-0. The JSU offense answered with a touchdown drive of their own with a 24-yard pass from QB Shedeur Sanders to TE DJ Stevens to bring the score to 10-7. The JSU defense came up big with a three and out and the first play on offense for JSU was a fumble by ATH Travis Hunter. The NCCU Eagles offense were not able to capitalize on the good field position.
The Jackson State offense showed up with a big 85-yard touchdown pass from QB Shedeur Sanders to WR Kevin Coleman Jr to give the JSU Tigers the lead for the first time in the game 14-10. The NCCU Eagles responded with a touchdown drive of their own capped off with a 10-yard run by RB J’mari Taylor to give the Eagles the lead at 17-14. To end the first half QB Shedeur Sanders ran it in from seven yards away to make the score 21-17 with 30 seconds left in the first half.
In a field position battle to begin the second half the play that grabbed momentum for the NCCU Eagles was a fake punt run for 43 yards by TE Kyle Morgan to keep the drive alive. QB Davius Richard found WR Quentin McCall from 12 yards away but missed the extra point to make the score 23-21 in favor of the Eagles. The JSU offense stalled on a three and out. The JSU defense held the NCCU Eagles to a 21-yard field goal by K Adrian Olivo with 23 seconds left in the third quarter to make the score 26-21.
The fourth quarter began with the JSU Tigers driving down and getting a touchdown pass from QB Shedeur Sanders to ATH Travis Hunter from 18 yards away but missed the two-point conversion attempt to make the score 27-26. The NCCU Eagles drove 11 plays and 73 yards to cap the drive with a seven-yard run by RB Latrell Collier with a successful two-point conversion at 4:31 left in the game to give the Eagles the lead at 34-27. With seven seconds left in the game and the JSU offense on the Eagle 19-yard line and on 4th down QB Shedeur Sanders found ATH Travis Hunter in the endzone to force overtime with the score tied at 34.
The JSU Tigers won the coin toss and decided to go on defense first. The NCCU offense scored from one yard out with a touchdown run from QB Davius Richard to take the lead at 41-34. The JSU offense faced another fourth down at the Eagle one yard line and QB Shedeur Sanders passed sailed through the back of the endzone.
The North Carolina Central Eagles had close to 500 yards in total offense, and they held the explosive Jackson State Tigers offense to only 64 yards rushing when they averaged close to 150 yards a game during the regular season. Offensive MVP QB Davius Richard went 15-20 for 175 yards for one touchdown. He rushed 22 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns and caught a pass for 31 yards.
Defensive MVP DB Khalil Baker lead the Eagles with a total of 10 tackles but the player that stepped out of seemingly nowhere was TE Kyle Morgan who only had one catch prior to the 43-yard scamper on a fake punt that kept the drive alive to ultimately take the lead in the third quarter.
JACKSON STATE TIGERS DEFENSIVE STARS
Although the Jackson State Tigers fell short, they still had a few defensive stars. LB Aubrey Miller Jr. had 11 tackles and a forced fumble to lead the team. DL Jeremiah Williams had 10 tackles and one sack.LB Jurriente Davis had six tackles.
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL DEFENSIVE STARS
To help their team win the championship a few players stood out on the defensive side of the ball .DB Jason Chambers had nine tackles. LB Max U’Ren had seven tackles. DB Manny Smith had six tackles as well. DB JaJuan Hudson had four tackles one and forced fumble. DL Deontrae Brown tacked on two tackles and one sack.
Although champions have been crowned in the CIAA conference with the Fayetteville State Broncos the SIAC conference with Benedict Tigers the MEAC conference with the North Carolina Central Eagles and the SWAC conference with the Jackson State Tigers, the season is not quite over yet.
The HBCU Legacy Bowl is returning in February 2023
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