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FAMU football lassos early deficit, tames Texas Southern in return to Lone Star State | Takeaways
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- FAMU football lassos early deficit, tames Texas Southern in return to Lone Star State | Takeaways
The Florida A&M football team had a triumphant return to Texas .
The Rattlers, ranked No. 18 in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll , defeated the Texas Southern Tigers 31-21 in a Week 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional crossover game before a crowd of 8,956 at Houston's Shell Energy Stadium .
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FAMU (6-1, 5-0 SWAC) outgained TSU (2-5, 1-3 SWAC) 435-309. The Rattlers trailed 14-7 at halftime, then outscored the Tigers 24-7 in the second half.
FAMU quarterback Jeremy Moussa completed 17 of 32 passes for 180 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
"Great win, but started slow," FAMU head coach Willie Simmons said after the game. "The guys were able to fight back and started playing team football. Once we did that, we showed that we're a really good football team.
"I'm happy to get out of Houston with a Big W."
The win moved FAMU's streak to five while remaining unbeaten in the SWAC and atop the league's standings. It was also Simmons' 60th victory as a head coach.
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On Saturday, the Rattlers' played in Texas for the first time since winning the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) Championship in 1978 .
FAMU hosts Prairie View A&M next week for its homecoming game at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium . PVAMU (3-4, 3-1 SWAC) had a bye for Week 8.
FAMU offense can't finish early, but catches fire to run away from Texas Southern
Florida A&M Rattlers wide receiver Jamari Gassett (2) outruns Texas Southern Tigers defensive back Perry Wells for a touchdown in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, Saturday, October 21, 2023.
The Rattlers struggled to finish drives early, stalling out on their first two while in Tigers territory.
Dropped passes hurt FAMU on its first drive, and then Moussa got intercepted on the second drive by TSU defensive back Xavier Player .
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The Rattlers got held deep in their territory on the following two drives and were forced to punt.
"We were able to move the ball," Simmons reflected. "We just didn't finish."
FAMU scored its first points shortly before halftime on a 58-yard pass from Moussa to wide receiver Jamari Gassett .
That was the beginning of four consecutive scoring drives.
FAMU's rushing attack was also valuable, tallying 255 yards (the most this season) and two touchdowns.
Rickards alum running back Kelvin Dean Jr. had the biggest rush on a 49-yarder that went for a touchdown. The redshirt senior led the backfield with nine attempts for 83 yards and a touchdown.
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Saturday is the second time the Rattlers rushed for over 200 yards this season alongside their Week 1 win against Jackson State .
"We committed ourselves to run the ball better," Simmons said. "Schematically, we did some things a little different to get the ball on the perimeter and get our dynamic guys out in space.
"We challenged the guys this week to be able to run the football to get back to our true identity of being a true dual-threat team."
FAMU's Dark Cloud Defense captures Texas Southern's thriving attack
Florida A&M Rattlers safety Lovie Jenkins (1) attempts to tackle a Texas Southern Tigers ball carrier in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, Saturday, October 21, 2023.
TSU gave FAMU's Dark Cloud Defense issues with its ability to run the ball and rapid-fire offense.
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The Tigers ran for 101 first-half yards, led by star running back LaDarius Owens . But, TSU's ground attack was slowed by FAMU in the second half as it held TSU to 30 rushing yards.
Owens finished the game with 128 rushing yards and was the first player to hit 100-plus yards on the ground against FAMU this season.
"We knew LaDarius Owens was a dangerous running back and he was able to break free on a couple of runs," said. "Second half, we were able to play more gap-sound football to limit his opportunities in the run game.
"If we can stop the run and make them one-dimensional, that's where our defense really flourishes."
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TSU crossed FAMU's territory in just one of its final eight drives.
Additionally, the Rattlers had seven tackles for loss for 25 yards.
FAMU nose guard Gentle Hunt troubled TSU quarterback Jace Wilson with two sacks. Rattlers safety Lovie Jenkins also intercepted Wilson to become the first FAMU defensive back to notch a pick since nickelback Kym'Mani King's in the Week 3 win over West Florida .
"[Hunt] is a dominant defensive lineman and playing at an extremely high level," Simmons said of the senior.
"It starts upfront with the defensive line play. And when we have a guy like Gentle setting the tone, it really picks up the defense."
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FAMU does well absorbing Texas Southern's best shot
Florida A&M Rattlers running back Lelan Wilhoite (with ball) attempts to break free of Texas Southern Tigers defenders in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, Saturday, October 21, 2023.
The Rattlers don't trail games very often.
Saturday was the one of three times FAMU has been behind in a game this season.
Additionally, FAMU's 14-point deficit was the biggest point differential against the Rattlers since Week 2 at South Florida , which they lost 38-24.
"Our football team understands that teams are going to play very hard against us ― it's no surprise," Simmons said.
"I embrace it and I love the challenge. It'll be the same next week when Prairie View comes into town."
The Rattlers remained dedicated to storming back to reign victorious over TSU.
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So far, FAMU has completed two comeback victories against Southern in Week 6 and TSU Saturday.
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee .
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: Rattlers win five straight in win over Texas Southern
