When Prairie View A&M and South Carolina State take the field in the 2025 Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, the spotlight will naturally swing to the quarterbacks. On one side you have South Carolina State’s William Atkins IV, a classic pocket passer who wants to beat you with timing and touch. On the other is Prairie View A&M’s Cameron Peters, a true dual-threat who stresses a defense with both his arm and his legs.
The numbers tell us their stories clearly, and they set up a fascinating contrast in styles.
William Atkins IV: South Carolina State’s steady pocket surgeon
William Atkins doesn’t need designed runs to impact the game. His job is to read coverage, get the ball out on time and let his playmakers go to work.
2025 passing stats (South Carolina State)
- Games: 11
- Rating: 155.43
- Completions/Attempts: 164 / 262
- Completion percentage: 62.6%
- Passing yards: 2,323
- Passing TDs: 17
- Interceptions: 4
- Long pass: 75 yards
- Passing yards per game: 211.2
Those four interceptions across 11 games jump off the page. Atkins protects the football. A 62.6 percent completion rate with over 2,300 yards shows a quarterback who is comfortable working through progressions and living from the pocket.
He’s not a major rushing threat, and South Carolina State doesn’t ask him to be. Instead, the offense is built around his ability to:
- Operate from clean pockets.
- Hit intermediate routes with rhythm.
- Stretch the field just enough to keep safeties honest.
When Atkins is in rhythm, the chains move and the Bulldogs stay ahead of schedule.
Cameron Peters: Prairie View A&M’s dual-threat problem for defenses
Prairie View A&M’s offense looks different because Cameron Peters plays the position differently. He can make all the throws, but he’s also a designed part of the run game.
2025 passing stats (Prairie View A&M)
- Games: 12
- Rating: 161.23
- Completions/Attempts: 162 / 255
- Completion percentage: 63.5%
- Passing yards: 2,386
- Passing TDs: 19
- Interceptions: 7
- Long pass: 70 yards
- Passing yards per game: 198.8
As a passer, Peters is right there with Atkins. His completion percentage is slightly higher, and he has more yards and touchdowns in one extra game. He also takes a few more risks, which is reflected in the seven interceptions.
Where Peters really separates himself is in the run game.
Peters’ rushing stats
- Rushing attempts: 95
- Net rushing yards: 490
- Yards per carry: 5.2
- Rushing TDs: 4
- Long run: 30 yards
- Rushing yards per game: 40.8
You’re basically adding a 40-yards-per-game running back at quarterback. That changes everything for a defense. On zone reads, scrambles and designed QB runs, Peters can turn a broken play into a first down.
And he’s not doing it alone. Prairie View A&M also leans on Chase Bingmon, who posted:
- 880 rushing yards on 154 carries
- 5.7 yards per carry
- 8 rushing touchdowns
- 73.3 rushing yards per game
With Bingmon and Peters together, PVAMU forces defenses to defend every gap and every blade of grass, or turf when the Celebration Bowl kicks off in Atlanta.
Pocket passer vs dual-threat: what it means for Celebration Bowl
So how do these styles actually play out once the ball is kicked?
For South Carolina State
With Atkins in the pocket, the Bulldogs want:
- Clean pass protection.
- Early success on first down to keep the playbook open.
- Receivers winning routes on time so Atkins can throw before pressure arrives.
If he’s kept upright, Atkins can carve up soft zones and punish blitzes with quick, accurate throws. Limiting negative plays and turnovers is the blueprint.
For Prairie View A&M
With Peters, Prairie View A&M leans into stress and chaos for the defense:
- Read-option looks that force the edge defender to “pick his poison.”
- Bootlegs and rollouts that move the pocket.
- Scrambles that turn third-and-long into manageable situations.
Defenses have to decide: do you keep a spy on the quarterback and risk light coverage, or drop everyone and hope your front four can keep him contained?
Stat-by-stat comparison
Here’s a quick side-by-side snapshot of the two starting quarterbacks.
| Stat | William Atkins IV (SCSU) | Cameron Peters (PVAMU) |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 11 | 12 |
| Completion % | 62.6% | 63.5% |
| Passing Yards | 2,323 | 2,386 |
| Passing TDs | 17 | 19 |
| Interceptions | 4 | 7 |
| Pass Yards/Game | 211.2 | 198.8 |
| Rush Yards/Game | .4 | 40.8 |
| Rushing TDs | 1 | 4 |
Atkins brings the efficient, low-turnover passing profile. Peters brings almost the same production through the air, plus nearly 500 rushing yards and three more scores on the ground.
Final thoughts
This matchup at quarterback comes down to what you value most.
- If you love classic, clean pocket passing with ball security, William Atkins is your guy.
- If you prefer a quarterback who can improvise, extend plays and be a designed runner, Cameron Peters is the problem that defensive coordinators lose sleep over.
Either way, Prairie View A&M and South Carolina State both have leaders under center who can change a game. The only real question is which style wins the day when they line up across from each other in this year’s Celebration Bowl.