ATLANTA — TC Taylor stood on the stage and threw both of his arms straight up in the air. Then, the Jackson State football coach looked to his right and grabbed the silver Celebration Bowl trophy. He hoisted it over his head as blue, orange and white confetti rained down from above.
A chant from the Jackson State crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium began and it grew louder and louder. They were chanting for JSU’s second-year coach.
“TC, TC, TC,” they said.
The Tigers (12-2) had just beaten South Carolina State (9-3) in a dominant 28-7 win anchored by the defense on Saturday. It’s the program’s first Celebration Bowl win, claiming the HBCU national championship. A 17-game postseason losing streak was also snapped.
“It feels great,” Taylor said. “There was some great moments out there today. I think the one that kind of blew me away when I had heard the crowd hollering my name. Good gracious. That was unbelievable. That’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Deion Sanders took Jackson State to the Celebration Bowl twice, losing in 2021 and 2022, then left for Colorado with his star players, including Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.
It only took two seasons for Taylor to match and top what Sanders accomplished with the Celebration Bowl win.
How TC Taylor led Jackson State to Celebration Bowl win
Taylor said he realized the team could be special when the roster came together in the offseason. It was after one of the Tigers’ two losses though that he saw the making of a national championship team.
Jackson State was thumped 41-20 at Grambling State on Sept. 21. The Tigers never lost again.
“When we were done with that game, I was so ready to get to that first next practice to see how they would respond,” Taylor said. “They came out ready to work, and I knew then we had an opportunity to be really good this year.”
Jacobian Morgan, the offensive MVP of the Celebration Bowl, retook the starting quarterback job that week. A few games later, the defense developed into a unit that never allowed more than 21 points in the final eight games.
Jackson State’s defense was dominant vs South Carolina State
There came a point in Saturday’s game when South Carolina State coach Chennis Berry had to resort to Plan B. He benched All-MEAC first-team quarterback Eric Phoenix late in the first half. That’s how great Jackson State’s defense was playing.
It was on par with what had been a trend for the Tigers defense in the second half of the season. Teams rarely scored on them. The defense allowed just 20 combined points in the second halves for the final eight games.
MORE:Celebration Bowl referee salutes military veterans before penalty wiping out Jackson State TD
When Jackson State needed it most against South Carolina State, the defense delivered.
Morgan threw an interception on the second play of the third quarter, setting up the Bulldogs on a short field only trailing 14-0. An 11-yard sack on third down by Ashton Taylor booted them out of field goal range. Three times the Bulldogs gained possession in Tigers territory but came away with zero points.
Even after Jackson State missed a field goal with five and a half minutes to play that would’ve pushed the lead to three possessions, the defense came through again with an interception. Morgan threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Joanes Fortilien on the next play to seal the win.
The seven points allowed were the fewest in the nine-game Celebration Bowl history. The 21-point margin of victory also tied the most in Celebration Bowl history. That was last achieved when South Carolina State beat Sanders’ Jackson State 31-10 in 2021.
“Coach TC, knew what it looked like,” said defensive lineman Jeremiah Williams, the game’s defensive MVP. “It’s why he won (SWAC) Coach of the Year. We’ve been here three times, and he knew he was going to get it done eventually. It was the small things. He put the pieces together.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
