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FAMU football coach James Colzie III knows significance of SWAC showdown at Jackson State
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- FAMU football coach James Colzie III knows significance of SWAC showdown at Jackson State
(This story has been updated to add additional information.)
Florida A&M football's upcoming game at Jackson State holds major implications.
The Rattlers (3-2, 1-0 in SWAC) and Tigers (4-2, 2-0 in SWAC) meet on Saturday for a Week 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference showdown that may dictate the remainder of their 2024 season.
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ESPNU has picked up the FAMU-Jackson State game, which will be played at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The Rattler Sports Network will broadcast its audio presentation on the Rattlers mobile application .
Saturday's victor will remain unbeaten in SWAC play and give itself an advantage in the East division's race , which Jackson State is leading at first with FAMU trailing at second.
The winner of the SWAC East represents the division in Dec. 7's SWAC Championship game. The SWAC's title winner moves on to play against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's champion in the Celebration Bowl to determine the Black College Football National Champion.
FAMU and Jackson State are coming off bye weeks.
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FAMU, in its SWAC opener, last played and defeated Alabama State 28-13 in Montgomery on Oct. 5. On the same day, Jackson State beat SWAC foe Alabama A&M 45-38 in Mobile.
The Rattlers are ranked 18th in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll. The Tigers are seven spots down at No. 25.
"Before winning any Celebration Bowl, you have to win the SWAC East. Winning the SWAC East puts you in a position to win the SWAC and play and win the Celebration Bowl," FAMU head coach James Colzie III said at his press conference on Monday.
"You go on the road and beat Alabama State and Jackson State ― you put yourself at 2-0. Ultimately, that head-to-head battle you would gain from that doesn't just put you one game ahead ― it puts you two."
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The Rattlers returned to practice on Sunday.
Colzie said his team is "probably as healthy as we've been all season."
"Just looking at our guys running around yesterday, I thought we moved around very well," Colzie said.
The first-year coach also feels his Rattlers' discipline is improving. FAMU has had turnover issues, totaling 10 in five games. FAMU's penalty tally on pair with its opponents.
"The discipline on this football team continues to improve. Guys are acting like a championship football team," Colzie said.
FAMU football at Jackson State: Two of the SWAC's top teams square off
Jackson State may be the most complete SWAC team FAMU faces this season.
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The Tigers have the 30th-best offense amongst the 129 FCS teams. On defense, Jackson State ranks 17th in the FCS.
FAMU's offense is 80th, and defense is 88th in the FCS. Still, the Rattlers have pulled off gritty wins over fellow HBCU FCS teams Norfolk State, South Carolina State, and Alabama State.
"On Saturday, it's going to be up to the team to execute, tackle, and run the ball the best that will win the football game," Colzie said, prefacing FAMU's matchup versus Jackson State.
Jackson State is game two of the FAMU's three-game October gauntlet .
FAMU has had challenging roads to travel, facing predicted No. 1 SWAC East team Alabama State after an unplanned bye week due to Hurricane Helene . Now, off another bye week, this time planned, FAMU has a rolling Jackson State team ahead.
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"We knew what the road was, and eventually, we would have to get to this point," Colzie said. "Good football teams go on the road and win. That'll let us know where we are as a football team once the dust settles."
Florida A&M coach James Colzie III leads his team onto the field during the Cricket MEAC-SWAC Challenge NCAA college football game against Norfolk State in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024.
Previously, FAMU and Jackson State played each other in Miami's Orange Blossom Classic for the last three years.
FAMU versus Jackson State determined the eventual SWAC winner since the Rattlers joined the league in 2021.
Jackson State beat FAMU in 2021 and 2022 on the way to winning the SWAC Championship and appearing in the Celebration Bowl at the season's end.
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In 2023, FAMU defeated Jackson State 28-10 en route to capturing SWAC and Celebration Bowl title wins.
"The last couple of years, the winner of this football game has ultimately put themselves in that situation," Colzie said.
"We know what we got to do and what's at stake."
Florida A&M at Jackson State ― Week 8, SWAC
When: Saturday, Oct. 19 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium; Jackson, Mississippi
Broadcast: ESPNU, Rattlers mobile app
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.
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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: FAMU football coach James Colzie looks ahead to SWAC duel at Jackson State
