Jackson State’s Deion Sanders ends in defeat, and the Tigers fall to straight Celebration Bowl in an OT thriller

Legendary NFL player Deion Sanders accepted a head coach position at a historic black college in 2020. During his three seasons as head coach of Prime, he brought unprecedented interest to sports at the HBCU.

On Saturday in Atlanta, Sanders wore the Jackson State football call from the sidelines for the last time as the program’s coach.

Sanders is set to leave the SWAC for an FBS level program, having opted to take the job in Colorado.

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The North Carolina Central Eagles defeated the Sanders-led Tigers 41-34 in a thrilling overtime game inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Quarterback Davius ​​Richard helped lift the Eagles to victory with a 1-yard touchdown run in overtime. Richard ran for 97 yards and had two touchdowns on the day. Then it was up to the Eagles defense who took a goal line stance to secure the win.

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Sanders’ return was somewhat of a homecoming. Atlanta is the city where he made his NFL debut with the Atlanta Falcons. The place where the sensation became known as “Climax”.

“We’re only here in Atlanta for one thing and not to go to Magic City,” Sanders joked on Friday, “Winning a football game.”

Jackson State entered the contest with a 12-0 record, but Saturday’s loss marked their second consecutive defeat in the Celebration Bowl a game dubbed the “HBCU National Football League Championship”.

“I feel like we won, but we didn’t win that game,” Sanders said after the loss. He will now turn his attention to leading the Colorado Buffaloes football program.

Sanders was visibly emotional as he addressed his team for the last time before the game. His feelings still ran high after the game as Sanders said, “I really miss those guys. I love them.”

The game went into overtime after Tigers quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hunter as time expired in regulation.

Jackson State’s extra point kicker, Alejandro Mata, tied the game at 34 points. Sanders had an impressive day, with four touchdowns in the air and one on the ground.

The MEAC has dominated the SWAC in the Celebration Bowl since its inception in 2015. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams are 6-1 against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents.

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Eagles coach Trey Oliver said he hoped the win would give more respect to his team and their conference after the pre-game spotlight was focused solely on “Coach Prime”.

“They had a chip on their shoulders,” Oliver said of his players. “The disrespect has been real since we’ve been here.”

Latrell Collier’s 7-yard score with 4:31 remaining gave NCCU the lead. The Tigers answered with a 15-play drive that included a 10-yard Sanders touchdown pass and TJ Martin’s fourth.

Richard passed for 177 yards with a touchdown and ran for 97 yards and two scores. Richard showed his versatility driving three yards for the game’s first touchdown. He had a 21-yard, 30-yard catch on a trick play and a 5-yard scoring run that gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead.

A fake kick early in the second half helped the Eagles regain the lead. Tight end Kyle Morgan took the snap on a fake punt and ran 43 yards to the Jackson State 24. Richard’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Quentin McCall gave North Carolina Central a 23-21 lead after Adrian Olivo missed the extra point.

Olivo’s 21-yard field goal late in the third quarter moved the lead to five points.

Sanders completed 30 of 40 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns. The highlight was an 85-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman. The touchdown pass to Hunter at the end of regulation was perhaps his highlight.

“When I throw the ball,” Sanders said of Hunter, “all I have to do is put air under it, and he’ll do the rest.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is seen at the Celebration Bowl. He was there to watch and support his nephew, Charlton “Charlie” Goodell, a defensive lineman who plays for Sanders. Charlie is the adopted son of Roger Goodell’s brother.

After the game, Jackson State linebacker Aubrey Miller shared his thoughts on HBCUs.

North Carolina Central begins its 2023 campaign against North Carolina A&T on Sept. 3. Wide receivers coach TC Taylor was named head coach of Jackson State. Jackson State will return to Atlanta in 2023 to begin its season against South Carolina State in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge.

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For Sanders, his influence at Jackson State has shone a spotlight on college football outside of FBS programs. But his legacy could ultimately be determined by what happens in the HBCU as a whole after he leaves.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.