Sanders exits JSU with an OT defeat
Quarterback Davius Richard ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard scoring plunge in overtime, and North Carolina Central beat Jackson State 41-34 in Saturday’s Celebration Bowl to spoil coach Deion Sanders’ bid for an undefeated season in his final game with the Tigers.
The Eagles’ defense made a goal-line stand on Jackson State’s first overtime possession to preserve the win. Tight end Hayden Hagler’s drop on third down from the 1 set up an incompletion by Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders to end the game regarded as the championship of teams from historically Black college and universities.
Sanders’ 19-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hunter as time expired in regulation set up Alejandro Mata’s tying extra point to send the game to overtime. It was the fourth scoring pass of the game for Sanders, who also ran for a score.
Jackson State (12-1) was denied its bid for the first undefeated season in school history.
Coach Deion Sanders is taking over the football program at Colorado, but wanted to finish the season with his Tigers first. Shedeur Sanders will accompany his father to Boulder.
The win by N.C. Central (10-2) gave the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference a 6-1 edge over teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the Celebration Bowl.
Latrell Collier’s 7-yard scoring run with 4:31 remaining gave NCCU the lead. The Tigers answered with a 15-play drive that included Sanders’ 10-yard, fourth-down pass to T.J. Martin.
Richard passed for 177 yards with a touchdown and ran for 97 yards and two scores. Richard showed his versatility on a three-yard drive for game’s first touchdown. Richard had a 21-yard run, a 30-yard catch on a trick play and a 5-yard scoring run that gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead.
Sanders quickly showed he also boasts dual-threat skills as Jackson State outscored North Carolina Central 21-7 the remainder of the half. Sanders completed 13 of 14 passes for 178 yards and two touchdown and had four carries for 34 yards with another score in the half, the Tigers a 21-17 lead.
A fake punt early in the second half helped the Eagles reclaim the lead. Tight end Kyle Morgan took the snap on the fake punt and ran 43 yards to the Jackson State 24. Richard’s 12-yard scoring pass to Quentin Mcall gave North Carolina Central a 23-21 lead following Adrian Olivo’s missed extra point.
Olivo’s 21-yard field goal late in the third quarter pushed the lead to five points.
Louisville beats Cincy for Keg of Nails and Fenway Bowl:
Running back Jawhar Jordan earned a silver baseball bat as the offensive player of the game. Interim coach Deion Branch lifted the Fenway Bowl trophy. Defensive back Jarvis Browlee danced around the baseball field with the Keg of Nails.
The Cardinals are heading back to Louisville with all the prizes.
Except their coach.
Jordan ran for 115 yards, breaking free for two long touchdowns, and Scott Satterfield’s former team beat his new one 24-7 on Saturday in the twice-delayed inaugural edition of the first bowl game at Fenway Park.
“It was all about closing the chapter. Closing the coach Satterfield chapter,” said Branch, the Patriots Super Bowl MVP who temporarily took over the Cardinals (8-5) when Satterfield left Louisville for Cincinnati (9-4).
“I’m enjoying it. I’m relishing it,” said Branch, who will return to his job as director of player development and hand the team over to Jeff Brohm. “As of now, I’m retiring.”
With a gridiron laid out over the diamond and “Fenway Park” painted in the end zones using the traditional Red Sox font, Jordan scored from 49 yards out at the end of the first quarter and 40 at the end of the second.
Brock Domann hit Marshon Ford for another score on a 40-degree day when both teams struggled to pass — or even hold onto the ball. The Bearcats fumbled three times, losing two; Louisville fumbled twice and had two interceptions.
Brock Domann hit Marshon Ford for another score on a 40-degree day when both teams struggled to pass — or even hold onto the ball. The Bearcats fumbled three times, losing two; Louisville fumbled twice and had two interceptions.
But Jordan and Maurice Turner, who ran 31 times for 160 yards, gave Louisville a 287-55 edge in rushing yards and bragging rights in the Ohio River rivalry that was first played in 1929 but went dormant after the Cardinals moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014.
“I’m disappointed today. I wish I had been able to do more for these kids,” said Cincinnati interim coach Kerry Coombs, who will be turning things over to Satterfield. “But I promise you this: These two weeks, I will count these two weeks as two of the greatest weeks of my life.”
Evan Prater, who was sacked seven times, connected with Wyatt Fischer for the Bearcats’ only score, barely getting off the pass before he was brought down. Fischer cut back across the field from the 20 and outraced his defender to the end zone to make it 7-7 early in the second quarter.
But the Cardinals shut them out from there.