The 2025 Celebration Bowl didn't just crown an HBCU football champion — it delivered an instant classic. On December 13, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, South Carolina State outlasted Prairie View A&M 40-38 in the first four-overtime game in the event's history.
A Historic Comeback
Prairie View A&M looked to be in command early, racing to a 21-0 halftime lead. But South Carolina State roared back in the second half, even after losing starting quarterback William Atkins IV to a shoulder injury in the second quarter.
Backup Ryan Stubblefield entered in relief and changed the game. A third-quarter fumble — forced by Ka'Von Chisolm and recovered by Jordan Dollard — flipped the momentum and sparked 21 unanswered Bulldogs points.
Overtime Drama
Regulation ended tied at 35-35. The teams traded field goals in the first overtime, and after Prairie View missed a field goal in the second, the game pushed into a fourth overtime, where teams must attempt two-point conversions. South Carolina State sealed it on a Stubblefield-to-Tyler Smith two-point conversion, a play upheld after an extended video review despite suggestions the ball may have been short.
Star Performers
Stubblefield was named Celebration Bowl MVP after generating 245 total yards and three touchdowns in relief. Receiver Jordan Smith turned in a championship performance with nine catches for 152 yards, two receiving touchdowns, and a rushing score. For Prairie View, quarterback Cameron Peters set a Celebration Bowl record with 412 passing yards and four touchdowns in defeat.
A Storied Title
The win marked South Carolina State's second Celebration Bowl title — the first came in 2021 — and its seventh Black College Football National Championship overall. It also set the stage for a 2026 season in which the Bulldogs, Prairie View, and the SWAC's contenders will all be chasing a return trip to Atlanta.
*Reported by the Urban City Podcast Sports newsroom — urbancitypodcastsports.com. Game details verified for the 2025 Celebration Bowl.*