For the FAMU Rattlers, Saturday’s primetime home opener against Albany State isn’t just a game—it’s a litmus test for a season already teetering on the brink. After an 0-2 start marked by a gut-punch loss to Howard and a blowout defeat at FBS bottom feeder Florida Atlantic, the Rattlers return to Bragg Memorial Stadium desperate to rediscover their swagger.
“Excited to get back home and play our home opener,” head coach James Colzie III said Monday, his tone equal parts defiance and urgency. “Expecting a hostile crowd that we normally get and making it extremely uncomfortable for a hungry Albany State football team coming in.”
The matchup pits FAMU, a preseason SWAC contender now reeling, against a Golden Rams squad (2-0) coached by former Rattlers star quarterback Quinn Gray. Albany State, an NCAA Division II program, has cruised through its first two games, outscoring opponents 100-28. But Colzie, a former NFL defensive back, made clear that Bragg’s roaring stands—FAMU ranked ninth in FCS attendance last year, drawing over 17,000 fans per game—could be the antidote to his team’s early woes.
Offensive struggles, defensive duestions
All eyes will be on quarterback RJ Johnson III, whose offense has mustered just 23 total points through two games. The unit’s Week 1 collapse against Howard—a 10-9 loss where FAMU squandered six red-zone trips—still lingers. Equally concerning is a defense that stifled Howard but unraveled against FAU, surrendering 56 points. The Rattlers early season miscues have made Colzie's seat a little warmer.
“We’ve got to get confidence, get a rhythm on the offensive side, and play with reckless abandon on the defensive side,” Colzie said. “Why not do that in front of our home crowd?”
Gray’s homecoming adds spice
The game carries personal stakes for Albany State’s Gray, a FAMU legend who led the Rattlers to a 2001 Black College National Championship. Now in his third season helming the Golden Rams, Gray has revitalized ASU's offense, which hung 51 points on Shaw University in Week 1.
But FAMU’s Bragg Stadium has long been a fortress. The Rattlers haven’t lost a home opener since 2019.
“If we win all our home games, you put yourself in a great situation to play for a SWAC Championship,” Colzie said, underscoring the high-wire act ahead.
Game details & context
When: Saturday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium (Tallahassee, Fla.)
TV/Radio: SWAC TV (streaming), 96.1 JAMZ
For FAMU, the stakes transcend Saturday. In Tallahassee, where football is both escape and identity, Bragg’s lights will shine brightest this weekend. The Rattlers aren’t just playing for a win—they’re fighting to reclaim their soul.