The 2025 Cricket Celebration Bowl features the 9-3 South Carolina State Bulldogs and the 10-3 Prairie View A&M Panthers. Here is the 2025 Cricket Celebration Bowl Preview.
South Carolina State won nine games and won the MEAC to qualify for the Celebration Bowl. The Bulldogs defeated four teams that were at least .500: Wofford, Bethune-Cookman, NC Central and Delaware Staet. Two of their losses were to FBS teams, USF and South Carolina, while their only FCS loss was to 5-7 Charleston Southern.
The Bulldogs score 31.8 points per game, ranking 28th in the FCS. They pass for 286.0 yards (ranked seventh) and rush for 134.8 yards (ranked 81st) per game.
William Atkins IV has been playing quarterback down the stretch for the Bulldogs. He has passed for 2,274 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions on 62.3 percent completion. Three pass-catchers have over 400 receiving yards on the season. Jordan Smith leads the way with 50 catches for 748 yards and six touchdowns.
Four running backs have over 200 rushing yards for the Bulldogs and have been productive. Tyler Smith leads the team with 490 yards and five touchdowns. Mason Pickett-Hicks, John Shaw and KZ Adams have 258, 251 and 242 yards, respectively.
Defensively, the Bulldogs give up 26.3 points per game, which ranks 63rd in the FCS. They allow 134.8 rushing yards ( ranked 81st) and 185.7 passing yards (ranked 23rd) per game. Jordan Franklin and Malik Harp are tied for the team lead with 55 total tackles. Mike Lunz is the leading pass rusher with 8.5 sacks this season. Jarod Washington has made some plays in the secondary with 12 passes defended and two interceptions.
The Panthers won 10 games and the SWAC to qualify for this bowl. They defeated three teams that were at least .500 this season: Texas Southern, Grambling and Jackson State. They lost one game to FBS-level Rice, but their other two losses were to FCS teams that were above .500: UT Rio Grande and Alabama State.
Prairie View A&M scores 31.1 points per game, ranking them 31st in the FCS. The Panthers pass for 233.7 yards (ranked 40th) and rush for 196.7 yards (ranked 16th) per game.
Cameron Peters has been playing quarterback for the Panthers. He has passed for 2,367 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 63.2 percent completion. Six players have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. The leading receiver is Jyzaiah Rockwell, who has 66 catches for 1,055 yards and six touchdowns.
Five players have at least 200 rushing yards for the Panthers. Chase Bingmon has rushed for 847 yards and eight touchdowns this season to lead the way. Peters has 465 yards from the quarterback position, while Lamagea McDowell has also been a good running back with 432 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
The Panthers allow 16.2 points per game, ranking third in the FCS. They concede 196.7 rushing yards (ranked 16th) and 128.5 passing yards (ranked 1st) per game. Safety Travor Randle leads the team with 89 total tackles. Kennedy Parker has the team-high with 3.5 sacks. Eric Zachery has made plays on the ball with eight passes defended and two interceptions.
South Carolina State has gone through a tougher schedule so far this season. Their passing offense will be tested against Prairie View, but they should be able have enough production to win the game.
South Carolina State Bulldogs 24 Prairie View A&M Panthers 20
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