An costly penalty resulted in the MEAC champs losing to the SWAC champs.
In it’s second year of existence, the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl was created to crown HBCU’s National Football champion. Organized by ESPN Events, this game serves as the “big daddy of them all” for all HBCU Division One football programs. The North Carolina Central Eagles with a record of 9-3 (8-0 in MEAC play) represented the MEAC and the Grambling State University Tigers who have dominated their entire season with a record of 12-1 represented the SWAC. After an hard fought game, the Tigers outlasted the Eagles 10-9 in front of a packed house at the Georgia Dome.
This game was filled with talented athletes who have made some acrobatic plays. One of them came from Grambling State’s wide receiver Verlin Hunter as he made an “Odell Beckham” like one handed catch that was definitely Sportscenter Top 10 worthy. Check it out below.
As the game was a high octane nail biting suspense, controversy began to set in as N.C. Central did something in which many fans believed have caused them the game. After NC Central’s Quentin Atkinson pulled down a 39-yard TD pass from Malcolm Bell to cut the deficit to 10-9 with just over two minutes remaining, Atkinson was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he removed his helmet while galloping around the end zone. That 15-yard penalty was enforced on the extra-point attempt, which predictably was blocked. In return result in a 10-9 lost. The internet went into a frenzy about the series of events that occurred. Grambling State’s tight end Martez Carter was named offensive MVP while his teammate defensive back Jameel Jackson was named defensive MVP. The win put the icing on the cake to an amazing season for the Tigers as they finished their season ranked in the top 25 nationally in the FCS polls.
(photos by: Phil Ellsworth, ESPN Images)
