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FAMU football's James Colzie on criticism amidst bleak season, 'Comes with the territory.'
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- FAMU football's James Colzie on criticism amidst bleak season, 'Comes with the territory.'
The lows have significantly outweighed the highs for Florida A&M football and its second-year head coach, James Colzie III, this season.
With the majority of the season in the rearview, the Rattlers have a 3-5 overall record with a 2-2 mark in Southwestern Athletic Conference games.
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FAMU most recently lost a key SWAC matchup to Jackson State, 41-16 , in its home finale on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium. It ended the Rattlers' two-game winning streak after defeating Alcorn State and Southern .
The Week 10 shortfall to Jackson State likely blew FAMU's opportunity to be in the SWAC Championship picture. A win would have put the Rattlers in the East division's top spot.
FAMU is ranked fourth out of six teams in the SWAC East.
Colzie, 10-10 during his tenure as FAMU's head coach, has been subject to criticism for the Rattlers' shortcomings from fans, alums, and HBCU football watchers.
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"Those are things that come with the territory," the FAMU coach told local media in his weekly press conference on Monday, Nov. 3.
Florida A&M Rattlers head coach James Colzie III looks onto the field during the Rattlers' NCAA Southwestern Athletic Conference Week 8 football homecoming game versus the Alcorn State Braves on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
Things just haven't gone FAMU's way this season.
The Rattlers have shrunk in big games , which have primarily been at home. FAMU was on the receiving end of blowouts when it hosted top HBCU teams Alabama State (42-14), North Carolina Central (45-7), and then Jackson State last Saturday.
Altogether, FAMU went 2-3 at home after boasting a 23-game winning streak at Bragg that spanned across five seasons, from 2019 before being snapped towards the end of the 2024 season. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Florida A&M Rattlers running back Jr. Thad Franklin (0) gets tackled from behind by Jackson State Tigers defensive lineman Tymon Wells (50). The Florida A&M Rattlers hosted the Jackson State Tigers at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025.
FAMU is near the bottom of SWAC's total offensive and defensive statistics, ranking eighth out of the league's 12 teams in both categories .
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"You're the CEO, right? No matter what, whether it's good or bad, you're the one seen at the forefront of what it is ― taking the responsibility of every single thing that happens within the program," said Colzie, also FAMU's defensive playcaller.
"You don't play well, that means you didn't coach well. When you play well, that means you coached well."
There will be 'no slacking off' despite FAMU football's improbable SWAC title contention
FAMU is still statistically in the running for the SWAC East Division title.
It must win out its final four regular-season games while teams ahead in the standings have shakeup losses.
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But that's far-fetched.
Colzie knows that.
However, as his Rattlers make their longest road trip of the season to the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (4-5, 2-3 in SWAC), Colzie is emphasizing the importance of finishing the season strong.
"There's no layoff, no slacking off," he said. "We want to make sure everyone's still approaching this as the most important week in the season. Because it is."
Arkansas-Pine Bluff hosted and beat Southern 40-21. It was the Golden Lions' highest scoring output in a SWAC game this season.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions' head coach Alonzo Hampton walks along the sideline during the game against the Jackson State Tigers in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff also had a scoreboard-shattering 79-point showing in October's homecoming game versus Westgate Christian, a non-NCAA, independent college football program.
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"There's a strong possibility that if we don't play well, we can get beat. [Arkansas-Pine Bluff is] going to try to do everything they can to knock off FAMU," Colzie said.
"So, we can't go in there lackluster. We can't lose this week. So, we're going to go in there trying to do everything we can to win."
The Florida A&M Rattlers hosted the Jackson State Tigers at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025.
FAMU at Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Week 11 SWAC game kicks off on Simmons Bank Field at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
HBCU GO will televise the game, and additional commentary will be available on Tallahassee's radio airwaves via 96.1 JAMZ.
Florida A&M (3-5, 2-2 in SWAC) at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-5, 2-3 in SWAC)
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When: Saturday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time
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Where: Simmons Bank Field in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
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TV/Radio: HBCU GO, 96.1 JAMZ
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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 .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: James Colzie subject to criticism during FAMU football's lowly season
