By Morgan Culler
FAMU Sports Information Intern
The Florida A&M Rattler football team (1-9, 1-6 MEAC)
fell to the Bears of Morgan State University (4-5, 4-3 MEAC), 21-7 at Earl C.
Banks Field in Hughes Stadium.
After a scoreless first quarter, it took the Rattlers 2:17,
seven plays, and 80-yards to score the first touchdown of the game. With 13:20
left in the second, a 12-yard touchdown pass from starting quarterback Kenny
Coleman to sophomore wide receiver Brandon Norwood after he went up in the air,
put the Rattlers on the board first.
Placekicker Colby Blanton added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Shortly after the Rattlers scored, MSU wide receiver Orlando Johnson, ran 8-yards into the end zone for a Bears touchdown. After a successful Chris Moller PAT, the Bears tied the game at seven with six minutes left in the half.
With 177 total yards to the Rattlers’ 133, the Bears ended
the first half after a 30-yard missed field goal attempt by Moller – his second
of the game. The first missed field goal attempt came in the first quarter from
just 28-yards away.
A four-yard touchdown run by quarterback, Moses Skillon with
4:40 left in the third quarter would put the Bears ahead 14-7 after the Mioller
PAT.
In the fourth quarter, redshirt senior wide receiver
capitalized on a short pass from Skillon and raced 83-yards to the Bears’ end
zone, putting them up 21-7 after a successful Moller kick.
Moller would go on to miss his third and final field goal
attempt from 47-yards away with six minutes left in the game.
The Rattlers would finish the game with 196 total yards,
only adding 63 yards post-halftime compared the Bears’ 540 yards.
Junior defensive back Jules Dornevil and senior linebacker
Kashawn Butler led the Rattler defense with seven tackles apiece.
Norwood led the offense with 66 receiving yards and the
FAMU’s lone touchdown. Coleman would finish the game with 136 yards going
15-of-34 on pass attempts.
Morgan State’s sophomore running back Orlando Johnson led on
the ground with 96 total yards on 20 touches, while senior wide receiver Andrew
King paced the team in the air with 168 yards with one touchdown.