The FAMU football team defeated in-state rival Bethune-Cookman 24-7 before a crowd of 56, 227 in the 44th Florida Blue Florida Classic on Saturday at Camping World Stadium.
The Rattlers improved to 10-1 overall (8-0 SWAC) and achieved its first 10-win season since 1999. FAMU also extended its win streak to nine and has won three straight against the Wildcats (3-8, 2-6 SWAC). The Rattlers lead the all-time series 46-24-1 and are 25-19 in the Florida Classic, which originated in 1978.
How it happened
The Rattlers were opportunistic in the first half, scoring 10 points off turnovers. After senior linebacker Isaiah Major recovered a fumble at the Wildcats’ 22-yard line, redshirt junior running back Jaquez Yantpunched into the end zone three plays later for a 3-yard touchdown to give FAMU a 7-0 lead with 9:40 left in the first quarter.
Major led FAMU with 10 tackles, including one for a loss. Junior linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr. had six tackles and a sack plus a tackle for loss.
“The best in the SWAC,” Major said of the Rattlers’ defense.
An interception by senior defensive back Eric Smith was punctuated with a 44-yard field goal from senior kicker Cameron Gillis to give FAMU a 17-0 lead with 3:39 left in the first half. Smith finished the game with two interceptions.
Bethune-Cookman redshirt sophomore quarterback Walter Simmons III scored the Wildcats’ only touchdown on a 7-yard run on 3rd-and-goal to trim FAMU’s lead to 17-7 with 1:53 left in the third quarter. Simmons completed 9 of 23 passes for 79 yards with an interception and also ran for 45 yards and a touchdown.
The Rattlers pulled away for good with a 9-play drive covering 98 yards that was capped with a 35-yard rushing touchdown from senior running back Terrell Jennings that extended the lead to 17 points with 8:09 left in the fourth quarter. Selected as the game’s MVP, Jennings finished the game with 8 carries for 62 yards and two rushing touchdowns just two days after his aunt died.
“My heart has been heavy this whole weekend,” Jennings said. “Just playing for her and my family being here, it gave me an extra boost to go even harder.”
Senior quarterback Jeremy Moussa completed 14 of 21 passes for 150 yards. Senior receiver Jah’Marae Sheread led FAMU with 5 catches for 38 yards.
The Rattlers now set their sights on the SWAC championship game, which we host on Dec. 2 at Bragg Memorial Stadium at 4 p.m. The game will be rematch against the Prairie View Panthers (6-5, 6-2 SWAC), who won the SWAC West with a 21-14 win over Alabama State (6-4, 5-3 SWAC) on Saturday. FAMU beat Prairie View on October 28, 45-7 in Tallahassee.
FAMU Coach Willie Simmons coached the Panthers from 2014 to 2017.
“It’s hard to beat a team twice,” Simmons said. “The message is: ‘Can we be mature enough to for a team that we beat by 38 points? We’re on a mission, so for us, they’re the next stop on our journey and we’ve got to make sure we prepare the way we need to prepare.”
Volleyball in SWAC Champion game
The FAMu volleyball team has punched its ticket to its third consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship yesterday with 3-2 victory over Prairie View (25-19, 25-21, 13-25, 23-25, 15-13). The two-time defending champions will now meet Jackson State Sunday at 4 p.m. ET in a repeat of the 2021 title match.