FAMU QBs take turns shredding SU defense

Rotating quarterbacks every series can sometimes stall a team’s momentum or cripple its confidence.

That certainly wasn’t the case Saturday in Florida A&M’s visit to A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Starter Eddie Battle and Curtis Pulley, a transfer from Kentucky, combined to form a potent duo as the Rattlers left Baton Rouge with a 52-49 win.

“Overall, I’m proud of the whole team, they showed a lot of character,” first-year Florida A&M coach Joe Taylor said. “The big guys (Pulley and Battle) came up big, this was a solid victory for us.”

Battle completed 5-of-12 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown and Pulley was 13-of-17 for 172 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Pulley also rushed for a career-high 118 yards on 15 carries and had one reception for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Pulley’s biggest plays came on a fourth-and-one with 30 seconds remaining before halftime as he rushed for a first down, extending a Rattlers drive. Two plays later, Pulley hit redshirt freshman Kevin Elliott on a 34-yard touchdown strike that gave the Rattlers a 31-21 halftime lead.

The second came on a third-and-1 on which Pulley broke past an SU defender and dashed for a first down. Two plays later, on a second-and-9, Pulley tossed the ball to Elliott and darted out of the backfield. Then Elliott found him in the end zone to complete a 41-yard flea-flicker.

The Rattlers also rolled up 472 yards total offense as Leroy Vann got in on the action following a Bryan Parker sack of Bryant Lee on third-and-6, returning a Josh Duran punt 66 yards for a touchdown with 1:47 left in the third. The return was Vann’s second punt returned for a touchdown and fourth kick returned of the season.