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The Howard University Bison have defeated the Morgan State University Bears 14-7 at Greene Stadium to clinch their second MEAC Conference Championship in a row, their first outright title since 1993.
With the win, the Bison have officially punched their ticket to the 2023 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on December 16th. The win came in a low-scoring defensive affair that showed the grit and resilience of the Bison to not only fight, but to also remain calm in clutch situations.
Runningback Jarrett Hunter and Quarterback Quinton Williams scored the only points of the game for the Bison with a touchdown each. Hunter rushed for 108 yards on 20 carries while Eden James rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries. Williams rushed for 67 yards on 10 carries.
The Bison were able to pound the ball on the ground especially within the late minutes of the game to maintain the lead in the time of possession portion. Running the ball helped the Bison late in the fourth quarter preserve the lead and end the game on the final drive.
Williams also threw for 143 yards and completed 12 of his 22 pass attempts. It was also his throw to Wide Receiver Richie Illarraza to get the first down to put them in position to run the ball, draining the clock out.
The strongest part of the Bison however was the defense. They consistently put pressure on Morgan State's quarterback Tahj Smith, who helped score the only points of the game for the Bears as he threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Treveyon Pratt, to add to his nine completions of 22 attempts for 144 yards.
The defense sacked him three times in the backfield. Bison such as Ian White (1.0), Jamel Stewart (0.5), Darian Brokenburr, Ian White (1.0) and Dyson Cam (0.5) all played a role in getting sacks on Smith. Kenny Gallop Jr. led the team in tackles with 8.
The Bison will go on to play for the Black College Football National Championship, their first since 1996 where they defeated Southern 27-24 to win the Heritage Bowl, and thirty years after the Bison went undefeated to win the Black College Football National Championship. A moment that means a lot to players and coaches alike. This will be the first Celebration Bowl that the Bison will play in.
The Bison will await their Dec. 16th opponent as the SWAC Championship Game takes place on Dec. 2nd. between FAMU and Prairie View A&M on December 2nd.
A matchup that many HBCU fans around the nation would like to see is Howard vs. Florida A&M. The matchup would be a rivalry renewed as Florida A&M were long-time members of the MEAC and constantly dualed with the Bison until their departure in 2020. Their last matchup was November 16, 2019 where the Rattlers decisively won the game 39-7.
The 2023 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl will take place in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia at Noon on December 16th with the game being broadcast on ABC.
