Celebration Bowl 2018: North Carolina A&T survives Alcorn State

2. The Aggies defense shut down Noah Johnson through the air in Atlanta

Noah Johnson was the most efficient quarterback in the SWAC this season, as he threw for more than 2000 yards and 15 touchdowns while completing more than 64 percent of his passes. Alcorn State did not rely heavily on the pass, as Johnson attempted fewer than 30 throws per game. But Johnson was also one of the most effective runners in the conference, offering a dual-threat skill set that kept the Braves at the top of the league.

North Carolina A&T neutralized Johnson as a threat in the Celebration Bowl. Of his 27 passing attempts, Johnson managed to complete just 11 of them for 128 yards. The Braves quarterback threw no touchdown passes, but there was an interception among his 14 incompletions.

Johnson did manage to contribute 120 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, as he gashed the Aggies defense for an average of 8.6 yards per carry. But with more than 10 minutes left in the contest, Johnson was forced to go to the locker room after coming up with a balky right hamstring on the failed two-point attempt.

Johnson came back into the game, though he was unable to do as much with his legs. North Carolina A&T did a great job of turning the Alcorn State quarterback into a relatively one-dimensional threat, first as a runner and then only as a passer.