Florida A&M defeats Howard in thriller to claim HBCU national championship

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The 2023 edition of the Celebration Bowl featured a matchup of two prominent historically Black colleges and universities — Florida A&M and Howard University.

This year marked the ninth year of the HBCU college football national championship. It also marked the first time either team advanced to the championship. 

The Florida A&M Rattlers defeated the Howard Bison by four points in a back-and-forth thriller at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

Florida A&M does have a history of winning championships. Exactly 45 years ago, the Rattlers defeated the UMass Minutemen to claim the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA championship.

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Florida A&M celebrates after a play during the Cricket Celebration Bowl against Howard University at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Dec. 16, 2023. (Katie Goodale/USA Today Network)

Florida A&M entered Saturday's game with a 10-game win streak after defeating Prairie View A&M 35-14 Dec. 2 to earn its first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title. Howard had a two-game winning streak heading into the Celebration Bowl. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) holds a 6-1 edge over opponents from the SWAC in the bowl.

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The Bison got off to a strong start with an impressive 63-yard kick return. Howard's offense capitalized on the strong field position. Running back Jarett Hunter scored a touchdown on an 8-yard run to give the Bison an early 7-0 lead.

Kamari Young (81) of the Florida A&M Rattlers runs the ball past Jamel Stewart (96) of the Howard Bison during the first quarter of the Cricket