The FAMU Rattlers held off a pesky Grambling Tigers football team 20-16, Saturday to leave Louisiana with their fifth straight win. The Rattlers improved to 5-2 on the season (3-1 SWAC), while Grambling fell to 1-6 (0-4 SWAC).
It was a wild afternoon which saw the Rattlers penalized 14 times for 172 yards.
It was a wild afternoon which saw the Rattlers penalized 14 times for 172 yards.
"It was another close one. We didn't play our best ball. I'm going to have to start calling us the cardiac kids, I guess," said Head Coach Willie Simmons. "For the second week in a row, we found a way. The defense stood when they needed to. "
"I'm proud of the guys, there's something to be said about a team that finds a way to win," Simmons added.
After a scoreless first quarter, FAMU broke the tie as Jose Romo-Martinez booted a 29-yard field goal, capping a 14-play, 68-yard drive with 12:33 remaining in the second quarter.
Grambling tied the game at 3 with just over one minute left in the half on a 39-yard field goal.
Twenty seconds later on the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers special teams recovered their kick on the FAMU 16. Grambling was aided by an unsportsmanlike penalty on the drive and a few seconds later the Tigers scored again on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining before halftime to go up 10-3 on the Rattlers.
FAMU tied the game at 10 with 7:04 remaining in the third period on a Jeremy Moussa a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Pruitte, capping an 8-play, 68-yard drive.
Just before the end of the third quarter the Rattlers broke the tie on a Moussa 2-yard keeper to take a 17-10 advantage.
Then with 5:05 remaining in the game, the Rattlers allowed the Tigers to score off an 80-yard punt return to make the score 17-16. The Tigers missed the extra point.
The Rattlers used nine plays in three minutes and twenty seconds to march 58 yards down the field to score a field goal to increase their advantage to 20-16. But the Tigers weren’t done yet, the received the ball their 10 yd line and used 14 plays to advance the ball 44-yards as time ran out.
"I'm proud of the guys, there's something to be said about a team that finds a way to win," Simmons added.
After a scoreless first quarter, FAMU broke the tie as Jose Romo-Martinez booted a 29-yard field goal, capping a 14-play, 68-yard drive with 12:33 remaining in the second quarter.
Twenty seconds later on the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers special teams recovered their kick on the FAMU 16. Grambling was aided by an unsportsmanlike penalty on the drive and a few seconds later the Tigers scored again on a 7-yard touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining before halftime to go up 10-3 on the Rattlers.
FAMU tied the game at 10 with 7:04 remaining in the third period on a Jeremy Moussa a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Pruitte, capping an 8-play, 68-yard drive.
Then with 5:05 remaining in the game, the Rattlers allowed the Tigers to score off an 80-yard punt return to make the score 17-16. The Tigers missed the extra point.
The Rattlers used nine plays in three minutes and twenty seconds to march 58 yards down the field to score a field goal to increase their advantage to 20-16. But the Tigers weren’t done yet, the received the ball their 10 yd line and used 14 plays to advance the ball 44-yards as time ran out.