LORMAN, Miss. – Sometimes, looking back at memorable games doesn't always mean seeing a "win" on the scoreboard, per say. Rather, it deserves a reflection on the game itself, the team and staff, as well as the opponent. And in this case, looking back at the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl requires all these things and more.
When you reflect upon the game that would set the tone for the future of the postseason in both the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), respectively, you have to sit back and admire the fact it was a battle of two programs about to turn down different paths – as well as laying a foundation for what was to come – in their respective leagues and beyond.
For Alcorn, it would be the swan song for Head Coach Jay Hopson, as the well-respected and beloved "Jay Hop" would coach his final game on the sidelines for the Braves, though this was unknown at the time. "The old ball coach" would soon take his talents to in-state Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member Southern Mississippi – "to the top." For Hopson, a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the decision was a difficult one, as his reign was finally seeing the culmination of a fully assembled staff and a team of talent pouring into Lorman, Mississippi in droves.
Hopson had finally assembled his "dream team," but he would not be there to carry it forward.
However, the foundation had been laid. And the future head coach was already on staff in the form of the "quarterback whisperer," and carried a last name that reverberates around the hallowed grounds of "The Reservation" to this day. That name – none other than Fred McNair.
As for North Carolina A&T, a veteran coach known throughout the state of North Carolina on the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) level and beyond in the form of Rod Broadway was working his own magic with the assembly of his version of a "dream team" in Greensboro, North Carolina. Broadway had already turned North Carolina Central University into a Division II power just over a decade before, and was now back in the "Tar Heel State." And he wasted little time guiding a storied program with a history of winning back into the public eye.
Broadway, a graduate of the University of North Carolina and a true Tar Heel in every sense of the term, had coached around the state at East Carolina, Duke, UNC and the aforementioned NCCU before venturing to the SWAC and Grambling State. But his desire to return to his home state was one he could not pass up. And N.C. A&T represented the perfect opportunity, as the Aggies have always been the largest HBCU in the state of North Carolina, as well as one of the largest and most rabid fan bases in the entire HBCU community.
It was a no-brainer for Broadway. And he went right to work.
Alcorn was riding a four-game winning streak into the bowl game, while N.C. A&T had fallen to in-state rival N.C. Central at Aggie Stadium – thus ending the Aggies' eight-game winning run in the process.
Nevertheless, the two teams were conference champions.
For the Braves, it was all about the offensive prowess of quarterback Lenorris Footman and the defensive effort of Warren Gatewood. As for the Aggies, the story was centered around the breakout season of star running back Tarik Cohen, and of course the return of the "Blue Death" defense.
When reminiscing on the action of the game, the first quarter alone showcased what each team possessed in the skills department.
For the Braves, a punt return for score by Anthony Williams Jr. was the highlight.
But N.C. A&T quickly proved why Cohen was soon to be not only an NFL talent, but one of the best in the history of both the MEAC and HBCU. It was his time to shine on the biggest stage, as he raced for a pair of 70-plus yard touchdowns to give the Aggies a sizeable halftime lead, 24-13.
The second half was Footman's time – and a Braves comeback.
He dazzled with runs and throws that kept Alcorn in it until the end. Literally.
The Braves had one last drive with 1:28 left on the clock in the fourth quarter, and the ball at midfield.
Tollette "Tonka" George was set to be a big piece of the Braves offense on the drive, with Footman targeting the New Orleans, Louisiana native five times. George, who passed away unexpectedly in his hometown just months after the game, ended the contest with six receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.
The Braves got it down to the Aggies' nine-yard line, but could not punch it in. Thus, culminating in N.C. A&T winning the first-ever Celebration Bowl, 41-34, in a thriller.
The game was not just the first of what would become three classics between the two sides across the coming years.
It was the kickstart of a career with Cohen both collegiately at N.C. A&T and on the pro level; a coach ultimately saying "goodbye" with Hopson; another coach ready to take the reigns in Fred McNair; and the first of three dynamic quarterbacks at Alcorn in the form of Footman, Noah Johnson and Felix Harper – a trio that haunted the SWAC for years.
The game left a sour taste in the mouth of Hopson, Alcorn and its fans for a long time to come. But when looking at it more closely, who else could have played that well against the Aggies? It was the beginning of a Blue and Gold dynasty in Greensboro as "Aggie Pride" was about to sweep the HBCU landscape for the next four years – an entire recruiting class and cycle that seems almost impossible to replicate in the new age of the transfer portal.
North Carolina A&T would go on to post a 27-4 MEAC record from 2016-19, winning three Celebration Bowls and participating in the FCS Playoffs (2016). The Aggies were beginning a dynasty in 2015 – and Alcorn pushed them to the limit. The Aggies went on to defeat three FBS teams in the form of Kent State, Charlotte and East Carolina, respectfully.
As for Alcorn, the Braves would advance to the SWAC title game three consecutive years (2017-19), winning two at home to Southern University in 2018 and '19, respectfully. The Braves went on to enjoy their own domination of a league – this one being the SWAC, registering an 18-4 league mark during the aforementioned three-year span.
Yes, it was a great time to be a Brave in Lorman.
The two sides would meet again in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the Celebration Bowl – with the Aggies coming out victorious on both occasions. In 2018, a controversial two-point conversion played a key factor into the 24-22 decision in favor of the team from Greensboro.
Take a step back and really look at 2015, and see what it did for both programs, and what was to come for both universities.
Both schools benefitted from the exposure. Both programs benefitted from the changes and talent influx donning both the Purple and Gold and the Blue and Gold. And in the middle – coaching changes that saw wins continue to pile up, as McNair stepped to the helm in Lorman, and eventually Sam Washington to the forefront in Greensboro.
The game was more than a "game," in a sense. The ending was simply the "kicking off" for both programs and universities on their trajectories forward. And when looking back, Alcorn was playing against one of the best teams in the history of HBCU Football on three different occasions. And each time, the Braves never backed down and took the Aggies right down to the wire.
In the transfer portal era, these rivalries could be short-lived nowadays – if they ever spawn again.
Would a Cohen stay four years at N.C. A&T? Would a Harper sit behind the likes of Footman and Johnson, simply to wear the Purple and Gold? Would coaches stay in charge without being picked off immediately following instant success on both sides?
One never knows.
All we know is that the inaugural Celebration Bowl served more than a purpose of on-field success. It launched two programs forward from where they were already achieving success. The crowds grew. The enrollments grew. The exposure grew. And in the end, the game grew, and so did the desire for one school – who still has its eyes fixed on winning what seems to be an elusive crown in Atlanta, Georgia.
Alcorn didn't win the game against North Carolina A&T that day.
But the Braves did win in a way that the HBCU world and Alcornites around the world can see well beyond the final score on December 19, 2015. This proving, sometimes you look back and see the "greatest game" may not have necessarily been a victory on the scoreboard, but a win in another phase.
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