Black Eye!

Rattlers fall to Bulldogs 27-20 in OT

In a game that was billed as a black out, the Rattlers were dealt a black eye by the SC State Bulldogs as they lost a crucial conference football game 27-20 before 11,106 fans in  Bragg Memorial Stadium.  The loss dropped the Rattlers to 3-5 on the season (3-2 MEAC), while the Bulldogs improved to 3-5 (2-3 MEAC).

The best the Rattlers can do now is win the remaining three games left in the season to finish with a 6-5 record, which would be the worst in Head Coach Joe Taylor's tenure.   Even that would prove a daunting task as the Rattlers must face NCCU and Bethune-Cookman both of whom are undefeated in MEAC play.

The Rattlers were led on offense by James Owens, who gained 174 total yards, with 88 of those coming through the air. FAMU quarterback Damien Fleming threw for 154 yards on 19-for-29 passing. Fleming left the game with an unspecified injury and was relieved by Tyler Bass. Bass rallied the Rattlers to a come-from-behind touchdown, connecting with Owens on a 42-yard pass to tie the game with 2:37 remaining in the game.

Defensively, Devan Roberts led the Rattlers with 11 tackles, including nine solo tackles. Brandon Hepburn collected nine total tackles with seven solos. Michael Ducree chipped in with six solo tackles.