Rattlers fall short against Bison in 31-23 loss

Florida A&M (6-3, 5-1 MEAC) came up short on its goal of sealing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title on Saturday, taking a tough 31-23 loss against Howard (4-4, 4-2 MEAC). The Rattlers only needed one more win to nab the conference crown.

But despite the disappointing finish in Greene Stadium, the Rattlers still control their destiny. A win in the Florida Classic against arch-rival Bethune-Cookman University will give FAMU its first undisputed MEAC title since 2001.

QB Ryan Stanley passed for 281 yards and a pair of scores, completing 23 of 41 passes, with two interceptions. The running back tandem of Deshawn Smith (82 yards on 11 carries) and Bishop Bonnett (80 yards on 10 carries) powered the Rattler ground game which netted 159 yards Saturday.

Freshman Xavier Smith led the FAMU receivers with six catches for 94 yards and one score, while Azende Rey had five grabs for 71 yards and a TD. Chad Hunter also had five catches for 58 yards. Dedrick Parson led the Bison ground attack with 140 yards and one score on 26 carries, while Caylin Newton accounted for 222 total yards (172 passing, 50 rushing) and three (3) scores in Saturday’s showdown.