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FAMU football must 'regroup,' shift focus to SWAC rivalry game vs Southern Jaguars
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- FAMU football must 'regroup,' shift focus to SWAC rivalry game vs Southern Jaguars
Florida A&M football is dusting itself off and moving on to the next.
Last Saturday, the Rattlers faltered in a Southwestern Athletic Conference bout 35-21 at Jackson State. FAMU's loss snapped its 17-game SWAC winning streak and moved the Rattlers to third in the SWAC East standings behind first-place Jackson State and second-place Alabama State.
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For FAMU to appear in the Dec. 7's SWAC championship game, it'll have to win its remaining six games and hope that Jackson State loses two.
The Rattlers (3-3, 1-1 in SWAC) can begin that quest to run the table when they host the Southern Jaguars (4-3, 3-0 in SWAC) this Saturday on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
FAMU vs. Southern's kickoff is at 7 p.m. ESPN Plus will carry the television broadcast, and the Rattlers mobile application host its audio broadcast for the Week 9 SWAC game.
"Tough loss. Can't say it any other way," FAMU head coach James Colzie III said in Monday's game-week press conference.
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"But we can't lose this week on something that happened last week. So, we're learning from it. Now you're depending on others. But it'll be a moot point if we don't take care of what we need to take care of."
If luck is on FAMU's side, the Rattlers' goal to repeat as SWAC and Celebration Bowl champions is still on the table.
So, that's how the Rattlers plan to operate in the season's second half.
The Rattlers might be eligible to earn an at-large bid in the Football Championship Subdivision's 24-team playoff, which begins on Nov. 30. However, FAMU plays a makeup game against Alabama A&M on Nov. 29 due to Hurricane Helene.
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Colzie told the media there's no clarity on whether FAMU's schedule conflicts with the chances of an FCS tournament appearance.
"You got no choice but to regroup," Colzie said. "Your goals are still in place. You haven't been eliminated from any other goals you've set for yourself. There's a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. That's how we have to look at it. The goals haven't changed until told otherwise."
Failure has caught the Rattlers' attention.
However, that could be why the Rattlers turn the tide this Saturday versus the Southern Jaguars.
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"Did it wake us up? I think it did," Colzie said.
"Highly confident in our football team, our coordinators, and my ability to get our guys going in the right direction," Colzie added.
FAMU aims to play cleaner football, close out game vs SWAC rival Southern
A primary culprit of FAMU's loss at Jackson State was turnovers.
Rattlers quarterback Daniel Richardson was intercepted once and lost a fumble on a sack. FAMU tight end Karter Johnson also fumbled late, leading to Jackson State to take a two-score lead to seal the victory.
Florida A&M Rattlers' quarterback Daniel Richardson (10) passes the ball as Jackson State Tigers' linebacker Ashton Taylor (30) tries to block it during the game in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.
"You got to be able to take care of the football, especially at those later stages," Colzie said.
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"We had a couple of times we didn't value the football. That's how quickly it can go. One of my mantras is 'finishing.' Jackson State finished the game, but we did not. And ultimately, that's how the final score became what it was," Colzie added.
FAMU relinquished its 21-20 halftime lead to Jackson State, being shutout 15-0 in the second half.
The Rattlers didn't close the game.
Colzie sees his team's next opponent, Southern, posing the same challenge of contending with the Rattlers late. Two of three of Southern's SWAC wins came in overtime.
The Jaguars beat Alcorn State 24-14 last Saturday.
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"We're going to have to play all four quarters. [Southern is] a team that has finished their last three games conference-wise," Colzie said.
FAMU football returns for a home game for first time in nearly two months
Home-field advantage may play a role in the FAMU getting by Southern this Saturday.
FAMU football has won 21 consecutive games at Bragg Stadium , dating back to 2019. It's the second in the FCS behind South Dakota State's 24 straight victories.
"Get a chance to come back home ― protect Bragg at all costs. The streak we got going on has been highly regarded over the last few years," Colzie said.
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"When you come here, you better prepare well because of our student body, alumni, and the atmosphere provided once you enter our stadium."
By gameday, it'll be 56 days since FAMU last played at Bragg because of the Hurricane Helene-impacted postponement.
So, the Rattlers' long-awaited home game has Colzie anticipating a resurged FAMU football team and a crowd looking to see the Rattlers get back in the win column.
"I'll be ready to go, our guys will be ready to go, I know our guys will be ready to go, and the City of Tallahassee will be ready to go," Colzie said. "I am confident we'll play our best football on Saturday."
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Florida A&M vs. Southern ― Week 9, SWAC
When: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time
Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium; Tallahassee, Florida
Broadcast: ESPN Plus, 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.
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 shaking off 'tough loss' at Jackson State; Southern next
