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Jackson State earned its first Celebration Bowl victory in program history, defeating South Carolina State 28-7. The win marked a rematch of the 2021 bowl game, in which Jackson State lost to the Bulldogs 31-10.
Head coach T.C. Taylor’s team completed what former head coach Deion Sanders failed to achieve during his tenure at Jackson State a Celebration Bowl title. Both teams entered Mercedes-Benz Stadium riding winning streaks, eager to prove themselves on a global stage.
The game remained scoreless through the first quarter, with Jackson State having a touchdown negated by an unnecessary roughness penalty on a punt return. The Tigers, however, began to assert control in the second quarter.
With 11:26 left in the first half, Jackson State capitalized on a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacobian Morgan to Joanes Fortilien. The Tigers quickly followed that up with a 68-yard drive in just two plays, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Irv Mulligan.
Morgan and Mulligan contributed to the Tigers' final two scores. Morgan connected with Fortilien again, who finished with 43 receiving yards, while Isiah Spencer added 123 receiving yards. Morgan threw for 233 yards, completing 15 of 21 passes, while Mulligan rushed for 71 yards on 25 carries. Jackson State amassed 385 total yards and dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 37 minutes compared to South Carolina State’s 23:49.
Defensively, Jackson State was stifling. The Tigers held South Carolina State to just 178 total yards, including only 30 rushing yards. They intercepted two passes and limited the Bulldogs to just two third-down conversions on 13 attempts. Jackson State also had a 90-yard interception return by Anthony Petty, which was called back on the final play of the first half.
South Carolina State’s lone score came from quarterback Eric Phoenix, the HBCU+ National Player of the Year, who threw for 143 yards and ran for a 3-yard touchdown. Despite the loss, Phoenix’s performance capped a strong season for the Bulldogs, who won the MEAC Championship. Phoenix was selected for the Player of the Year honor by an eight-member panel from 21 HBCU programs in FCS football.
Head coach Chennis Berry, who led South Carolina State to its first MEAC title, earned Coach of the Year accolades in his first season as a Division I head coach. Berry previously coached at Benedict College, where he posted a 27-7 record and led the team to postseason appearances in the Division II playoffs.
With the win, Jackson State now looks ahead to the offseason, as coach Taylor aims to build on this success and prepare for a repeat performance next year.
