Florida A&M football is feeling rejuvenated this week.
And not just because it’s homecoming week on The Highest of Seven Hills.
Last Saturday, the Rattlers handed the Southern Jaguars their first Southwestern Athletic Conference loss, prevailing 24-6 on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
FAMU’s win helped it rebound from its previous 35-21 loss at Jackson State the week before.
The Rattlers (4-3, 2-1 in SWAC) host Texas Southern (3-4, 2-2 in SWAC) for a Week 10 SWAC game this Saturday. The sold-out game starts at 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN Plus and audio broadcasted on the Rattlers mobile application.
“Feels a hell of a lot better this Monday than last Monday after coming off a big win against a team that was undefeated in the conference in Southern University,” FAMU head James Colzie III said at his game week press conference.
“Excited to get back on the right track and get ready for Texas Southern this upcoming homecoming weekend.”
Of course, FAMU football will enjoy this week’s homecoming festivities.
But the Rattlers still have business to handle.
FAMU is third in the SWAC East standings behind frontrunners Jackson State and second place Alabama State. The Rattlers are in a must-win situation every week to keep their hopes alive to emerge in the standings and represent the SWAC East in the league’s championship game on Dec. 7.
FAMU has to bank on winning out its last five games and Jackson State losing twice.
“I can’t sugarcoat it,” Colzie said. “They understand what’s at stake. We’re still trying to maintain where we are in the conference and the opportunity to represent the East. So, we can’t have any slip-ups that will negate our opportunity to continue moving up in the standings.”
Homecoming won’t be a cakewalk for the Rattlers.
Last season, Texas Southern had FAMU on the ropes, leading 14-7 at halftime before the Rattlers erupted to capture the 31-21 victory.
This Saturday, FAMU will defend its 22-game home winning streak, the second-longest active streak in the Football Championship Subdivision.
FAMU hasn’t lost at Bragg since 2018, nor a homecoming since 2017.
“We don’t sit up there and pick out teams for homecoming. I don’t see it as back in high school when you’d pick the lesser opponent as your homecoming opponent,” Colzie said.
“I respect everything [Texas Southern head coach Cris Dishman] is doing there. Hell, they were beating us at halftime last year. We’ll have to be playing at a high level for us to succeed this upcoming Saturday.”
Colzie is preparing his defense for two Texas Southern quarterbacks, Jordon Davis and Jace Wilson.
Both Davis and Wilson have played significant snaps for the Tigers this season. Wilson got most of Texas Southern’s quarterback reps in its 24-17 win over Grambling State last Saturday, completing 11 of 18 passes for 128 yards and an interception. Wilson also added 78 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts.
“What I’ve seen in the beginning, especially with whoever their quarterback may be, they have a system in place,” Colzie said. “They want to be a balanced offense, and every once in a while, they want to check it deep and use their athletes to win the one-on-one situations.”
Defensively, Colzie gave props to Texas Southern linebacker Alex Bouldin, calling the redshirt junior “one of the best defensive players” in the SWAC. Bouldin, credited by Colzie for directing traffic for the Texas Southern defense, has 15 tackles in three games this season.
“They’re opportunistic and get turnovers. All 11 of those guys on defense are getting to the football,” Colzie said of Texas Southern’s defense
FAMU football is still a work in progress.
But the Rattlers are constantly improving.
FAMU’s defense has forced all eight turnovers (four interceptions and fumble recoveries apiece) in its last three games. Colzie says one of the most significant changes the team has made is moving star cornerback Kendall Bohler from the fieldside to the boundary.
“Guys are continuing to get comfortable with what we’re doing. The execution is getting better because the guys understand it better,” Colzie said.
The Rattlers’ offense is steady but hasn’t had a 30-point output yet. The most points FAMU scored was in its 28-13 victory at Alabama State on Week 6.
“As a staff, continuing to understand what we need from our guys. We’re excited about what we’re seeing,” Colzie said. “I still feel we haven’t played a complete game yet, and I think we’ll be really, really scary once we do.”
When: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m.
Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium; Tallahassee, Florida
Broadcast: ESPN Plus, Rattlers mobile application
Tickets: Purchase Here
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
