Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl preview, predictions and live stream

The Celebration Bowl matches the champions of the MEAC and the SWAC, the preeminent conferences for historically black colleges and universities.

This year Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion North Carolina A&T helps kick off the bowl season against Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Grambling State in the third annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. The Aggies went undefeated through the regular season, including a 35-31 win over Charlotte. They capped the 2017 regular season with a 24-10 win over rival NC Central that sealed the conference crown.

In the SWAC, Grambling State ran the table through their league slate. The only blemish on their record was a season-opening loss at Tulane. Otherwise, the Tigers rolled through the SWAC, including taking down SWAC East champion both during regular-season play and in the SWAC championship game.

With 22 wins and just one defeat between the duo, the Aggies and Tigers feature two of the top offenses in the FCS. And be sure to stick around for halftime. Two great marching bands will open the season with their magic on the same turf where the season will end. Before UCF faces Auburn in the Peach Bowl and the semifinal winners will play for the College Football Playoff championship on January 8, get a preview of Atlanta’s new stadium with the Celebration Bowl.

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Celebration Bowl kickoff to the bowl season between Grambling State and North Carolina A&T:

Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

The key to victory is effectively going to come down to which team manages to play better defense. Grambling State and North Carolina A&T are bringing two of the top offenses in the FCS to Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl. Both teams average over 30 points per game, which has fueled a pair of 11-game winning streaks.

Grambling’s top-ranked defensive line gets into the backfield more than any other squad in the FCS this season. They will need to find a way to get pressure on Lamar Raynard. The MEAC offensive player of the year ranked third in the FCS in passing efficiency, but he is facing a defense that ranks first in team sacks and second in tackles for loss per game.

That means, for the Aggies, the key to victory is whether or not its offensive line is up to the test. Three-time MEAC offensive lineman of the year Brandon Parker anchors a unit that gave up less than a sack per game in the regular season. If they can keep Raynard upright and open holes for 1000-yard rusher Marquell Cartwright, North Carolina A&T could win its second Celebration Bowl in three years.

For Grambling State to repeat as Celebration Bowl champions, they will need more than just defensive dominance. The team would greatly benefit if one of the nation’s best teams at generating turnovers scratched out a few more. But ultimately SWAC offensive player of the year Devante Kincade will need to outgun Raynard in the duel of top-shelf quarterbacks for Grambling to keep pace.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review

Point Spread: North Carolina A&T -8
Over/Under: no line

Prediction

This is going to be a high-scoring affair in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. Both teams were decisively the class of their respective conferences. No other team in either the MEAC or the SWAC lost fewer than four games in 2017, allowing the Aggies and Tigers to rise easily to the top of their respective leagues.

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For North Carolina A&T, Grambling State is the toughest opponent it has faced all season. For Grambling State, only Tulane might have posed a tougher test. The Tigers, though, have the better shutdown defense. The game will be won and lost in the red zone, and ultimately North Carolina A&T is going to leave too many points on the field as it relies on field goals. Look for Grambling State to win its second straight HBCU national title as the Aggies lose their first game of the season.

Final Score: Grambling State 41, North Carolina A&T 37