ATLANTA — As confetti laid sprinkled across the 40 and 50-yard lines on the field inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, it was an unfamiliar territory for Jackson State. Coming into the 2021 Celebration Bowl, the Tigers had found themselves in the winners circle of nine consecutive games over 84 days, dating back to the Tigers’ 24–17 win against Delta State on Sept. 25.
In those wins—that include a combined average margin of victory of nearly 19 points—each one brought with it a greater display of national spotlight, recognition and renewed interest in JSU football and the HBCU football landscape.