Deion Sanders' Former College Football Program Won a National Title on Saturday

On Saturday, Deion Sanders was hoping one of the players on his current roster, Travis Hunter, would take home hardware in the form of the Heisman Trophy. 

On the same day, Sanders' former program in the FCS won a national title.

Sanders took over the head coaching job at Jackson State before the 2020 season. He stayed with the Tigers through 2022, going 27-6 in his three seasons in Jackson, Mississippi. 

Sanders took Jackson State to two Celebration Bowl appearances in 2021 and 2022--the Tigers lost both games. Deion's son, Shedeur Sanders, was a two-year starter at quarterback for JSU. Hunter played for the Tigers in 2022. 

T.C. Taylor took over as head coach of the JSU program when Sanders accepted the Colorado Buffaloes' gig before the 2023 season. 

Taylor helped the Tigers' program get over the hump at the Celebration Bowl on Saturday with a 28-7 win over the South Carolina State Bulldogs. The victory was Jackson State's first Celebration Bowl win and and the program's fourth claimed national title and the first since 1996.

The Celebration Bowl is a championship game between the MEAC and SWAC, two HBCU conferences in NCAA Division I football.

Jackson State dominated the game, taking a 14-0 lead into halftime. JSU would take a 21-0 lead via a Irv Mulligan touchdown run before the Bulldogs would score their first points of the game on a three-yard touchdown run by Eric Phoenix.

Jackson State outgained SCST 385-178 in total yards. JSU quarterback Jacobian Morgan went 15-of-21 passing for 233 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Mulligan rushed 25 times for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tigers outgained South Carolina State 152-30 on the ground.