The FAMU Rattler football team will kickoff its 2023 season in a nationally televised contest this afternoon against two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Champions Jackson State (1-0) at 3:00 pm in the Denny’s Orange Blossom Classic on live on ESPN from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.
FAMU head coach Willie Simmons is entering his sixth-year at the helm. Simmons is 54-23 overall and 33-12 with the Rattlers.
JSU is led by first-year head coach T.C. Taylor.
Taylor, a former JSU player and coach under Deion Sanders, replaced Sanders, who departed for Colorado. Taylor was elevated from the Tigers' wide receivers coach and is 1-0 after the Tigers won their opener last weekend over South Carolina State, 37-7.
This is the 21st meeting between FAMU and JSU, dating back to 1961. The Tigers have the all-time record advantage over the Rattlers, leading 12-7-1.
Last season, JSU handed FAMU its worst loss to another HBCU, beating the Rattlers 59-3 at the 2022 Orange Blossom Classic.
JSU is on a four-game winning streak against FAMU ― 2014, 2018, 2021, 2022. The Rattlers last defeated the Tigers at the 2003 Circle City Classic under head coach Billy Joe.