FAMU falls to Alabama A&M as losing streak reaches four

Three Key Takeaways

• Four straight losses: FAMU fell to Alabama A&M, 40-21, in its SWAC opener Saturday at Bragg Memorial Stadium, dropping to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
• A lopsided offensive day: Alabama A&M outgained FAMU 543-173, a 370-yard difference.
• Freshman debut: Armond Parker threw three touchdown passes in his first start but also had two interceptions and a lost fumble.

FAMU's first Southwestern Athletic Conference game of the season quickly became a reminder of how much work remains in Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.’s first season as coach.

Alabama A&M defeated the Rattlers, 40-21, on Saturday before 11,382 fans at Bragg Memorial Stadium, handing FAMU its fourth consecutive loss.

The Bulldogs controlled the game from the line of scrimmage, piling up 543 yards of offense to FAMU’s 173. The 370-yard disparity left the Rattlers struggling to keep pace and extended a difficult start to the season.

The victory was also a first for Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs had not beaten FAMU since the Rattlers joined the SWAC in 2021.

FAMU turned to Armond Parker, a true freshman, for his first collegiate start. Parker completed 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards and threw three touchdowns. But he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.

The performance offered both promise and the growing pains expected from a young quarterback making his first start.

Alabama A&M, meanwhile, improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the SWAC.

For FAMU, the loss dropped the Rattlers to 1-4 and left them searching for answers as conference play begins. The team is also ineligible for NCAA postseason competition because of its postseason ban, making the SWAC schedule the central measure of progress during Gray’s first season.

Five games into the regular season, and FAMU has yet to find the consistency it showed in its season-opening victory.

The rebuilding process, it appears, will be measured one conference game at a time.