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FAMU football squeaking out another dramatic victory highlights promise and needed growth
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- FAMU football squeaking out another dramatic victory highlights promise and needed growth
Another week.
Another nail-biting win for Florida A&M football.
On Saturday, the Rattlers were staring into the eyes of losing their first game at Bragg Memorial Stadium since 2018 to the visiting South Carolina State Bulldogs .
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Instead, the Rattlers erased an 18-7 fourth-quarter deficit to outlast the Bulldogs 22-18 and extend the nation's second-longest home winning streak to 21 wins.
FAMU quarterback Daniel Richardson passed for two touchdowns within five minutes of each other, connecting with tight end Karter Johnson then running back Thad Franklin Jr. to move the Rattlers (2-0) past the Bulldogs (0-1).
The late scores followed FAMU's offense stalling since its initial score in the game's first quarter.
It was the second week in a row that FAMU had to storm back against an opponent, as the Rattlers also did in Week 0 versus Norfolk State .
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"It seems that when we get down, we start playing better," FAMU head coach James Colzie III said in Saturday's postgame press conference after his team defeated South Carolina State. "But tribute to our team and coaching staff. We're 2-0. Enjoy this win, go through our corrections, and get ready for our next opponents."
FAMU's comeback wasn't all roses and daisies, in any case.
With 8:02 left in the third quarter, FAMU quarterback Richardson fumbled a snap after the Rattlers reached the redzone, bailing the South Carolina State defense out as the Bulldogs recovered.
Then the Rattlers' offense drove to the South Carolina State's 38-yard line, looking to pull ahead while down 12-7 with 15 seconds left in the third quarter. However, the drive abruptly halted when FAMU tight end Johnson fumbled after a 12-yard gain on a reception from Richardson.
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FAMU lost the fumble, which led to South Carolina State driving down the field and scoring on a one-yard rush by Bulldogs running back Josh Shaw to take a 18-7 lead with 12:14 left in the fourth quarter.
The turnover gave the Rattlers flashbacks to when they had a chance to put away Norfolk State late last week but fumbled the ball away.
Florida A&M Rattlers head coach James Colzie III coaches the FAMU v South Carolina State game Thursday, August 31 2024.
"Second week in a row where we've probably had a chance to put a team away or give us a better opportunity to put us in a better spot. So you hate for those missed opportunities to happen," Colzie said.
"But I don't necessarily want to focus on the bad. We knew we had an issue ― a problem. And the team got together, did what they normally do ― come back out and play good football afterward."
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FAMU kept faith in Johnson.
Richardson again targeted the graduate student tight end in the fourth quarter, where Johnson scored on a seven-yard reception that helped FAMU cut the deficit to 18-15 with 10:32 left.
FAMU tight ends accounted for 11 of Richardson's 23 completions and two of the quarterback's three touchdowns.
Johnson had five catches for 56 yards. Koby Gross had a game-high six catches for a game-high 106 yards and a touchdown.
"It comes down to being where you're supposed to be and doing what you're supposed to do. When your number's called, you just got to make the play," Johnson said.
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FAMU won on a go-head game-winning six-yard touchdown completion from Richardson to Franklin with 5:39 remaining.
Florida A&M Rattlers take on South Carolina State in first home game of the season Thursday, August 31 2024.
The Rattlers did again.
They completed another comeback and showed they're resilient.
"When it got 18-7, I never saw panic. Good teams answer. And we continue to do that," Colzie said.
"I know everyone wants us to win pretty. But we persevered again in the fourth quarter. We won the fourth quarter, which ultimately meant we won the football game," he added.
A win is a win.
However, having to shave deficits isn't the way you want to prevail week in and week out. It's playing with fire.
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Especially when FAMU, the reigning Black College Football Champions , is circled on every opponent's schedule.
FAMU football has plans to improve ― but faces a tall task next
In its first two games of the 2024 season, FAMU was outscored by opponents 20-17 in the first half. In the second half, the Rattlers beat teams 29-21.
FAMU is a second-half adjustment team.
But it'll help the Rattlers to come out hot from the start to avoid resorting to late-game heroics.
"Discipline. That's the main thing as an offense," Gross said of where his team can grow the most. "Knowing what to do early on so we can not be a one-half team but a complete team. I think that will be a big focus for us next week."
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FAMU faces an uphill battle next week as the Rattlers travel to the 19th-ranked Miami Hurricanes (1-0), who walloped the Florida Gators 41-17 in Gainesville on Saturday.
FAMU and Miami meet at Hard Rock Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 7.
However, the Rattlers will not have to enter that game with no opponent film as they've had to do in their first two games, with Norfolk State and South Carolina State debuting with new-look rosters and coaching staffs.
"It does put us at an advantage to see a team and what they've done and used to doing," Colzie said.
"I trust my staff that if we continue to watch who we play, we can continue to put a quality gameplan together like we've done the last two games. But now, you know exactly what teams will do in certain situations at certain times of the game."
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Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football is persistent, but plays with fire in comeback wins
