Courtesy of Florida A&M University
The HBCU football season is set to culminate on Saturday when FAMU and Howard University square off and make their first appearances in the Celebration Bowl.
Saturday afternoon’s contest between Florida A&M and Howard is the latest chance for each side to show what they can do and represent their respective conferences.
Here are some of the numbers that stand out.
Florida A&M (11-1 Overall, 9-0 in SWAC)
The Rattlers went through the entire SWAC season without a loss. Their offense has been dynamic all year. Florida A&M scores an average of 30.7 points per contest, including reaching the end zone an average of 4.0 times per game. The Rattlers’ defense has been formidable. They only concede an average of 14.3 points a game. Terrell Jennings gears up after an impressive performance in Florida A&M’s last game. Jennings rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s win.
Florida A&M has a committee rushing offense. No one player accounts for more than 27% of its rush attempts.
The Rattlers’ record sits at 3-0 for their last three games, scoring over 20 points in each of those matchups. They’ve had good luck at neutral sites this season, as their current neutral site record sits at 2-0. Florida A&M is looking to remain undefeated in FCS HBCU games this year, as they’re currently 9-0 in DI HBCU match ups.
Howard (6-5 Overall, 4-1 in MEAC)
The Bison come into the game representing the MEAC, which leads the Celebration Bowl 6-1 over the SWAC since the game’s inception in 2015. So far this year, their offense has been formidable. Howard averages 28.7 points per contest and reaches the end zone an average of 3.8 times per game. Their defense has allowed an average of 23.2 points per game this season.
Quarterback Quinton Williams will be leading Howard in this one. Williams has averaged 196.2 pass yards per game with season totals of 16 touchdowns and four interceptions thus far this season.
Howard’s offense places a significant focus on the ground game. On the season it has a 56-44 rush-pass play selection split.
The Bison’s record sits at 2-1 for their last three games, averaging 29.3 points per game over that span. They are looking for their first neutral site win this season, as they are currently 0-1 at neutral sites. Howard is 4-2 in FCS HBCU games, averaging 27.7 points per game in those games.