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FAMU football vs Texas Southern: Will it be a happy homecoming for the Rattlers?
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- FAMU football vs Texas Southern: Will it be a happy homecoming for the Rattlers?
It's homecoming for Florida A&M football.
On Saturday, the Rattlers (4-3, 2-1 in SWAC) will host the Texas Southern Tigers (3-4, 2-2 in SWAC) for a Week 10 Southwestern Athletic Conference game on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
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FAMU's sold-out homecoming football game starts at 4 p.m. ESPN will televise the game, and the Rattlers mobile application will host its audio broadcast.
The Rattlers are fresh off a bounce-back 24-6 SWAC victory over the Southern Jaguars last Saturday. On the same day, Texas Southern hosted and defeated Grambling State 24-17.
FAMU's homecoming happiness is on the line. Also, Texas Southern will challenge the Rattlers' second-longest active home winning streak in the Football Championship Subdivision of 22 games.
Let's meet the teams and predict the winner of Saturday's FAMU versus Texas Southern SWAC football game.
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Florida A&M vs Texas Southern: Tale of the Tape
Head coach James Colzie III smiles as the The Florida A&M Rattlers lead the game against Southern University, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
Records
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FAMU (4-3) ― Last Game: W, 24-6 vs Southern
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Texas Southern (3-4) ― Last Game: W, 24-17 vs Grambling State
Head Coaches
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FAMU: James Colzie III (4-3)
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Texas Southern: Cris Dishman (3-4)
Players to Watch
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FAMU: Wide Receiver Jamari Gassett, Cornerback TJ Huggins
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Texas Southern: Running Back Quintell Quinn, Alex Bouldin
Team Historical Accolades
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FAMU: 17 claimed national championships (16 Black College, one NCAA Division I-AA)
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Texas Southern: Four conference championships (1 Midwest Athletic Association, 3 SWAC)
All-Time Series
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FAMU leads Texas Southern 10-2
Last Matchup
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FAMU 31, Texas Southern 21
Florida A&M vs Texas Southern: Meet the Teams
Texas Southern's quarterback Jace Wilson (14) runs with the ball during the game against the Jackson State Tigers at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Football Stadium in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.
FAMU showed a pulse in its most recent win over Southern, a week after an ugly 35-21 loss to Jackson State.
With the victory, the Rattlers are still in the SWAC East race, sitting third behind leader Jackson State and second-place Alabama State.
FAMU's defense is constantly improving as the unit has forced all nine turnovers in the Rattlers' last three games. TJ Huggins leads the Rattlers with two interceptions, and five different FAMU defensive players have recovered fumbles.
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The FAMU offense is working but has yet to have a 30-point output. Daniel Richardson is statistically one of the best quarterbacks in the FCS without the Rattlers having a consistent rushing attack behind him. Last week was a good sign, though, as the Rattlers outrushed an opponent for the first time this season.
Texas Southern got a signature win in its season-opening game, beating crosstown rival and fellow Houston-area HBCU Prairie View A&M in the Labor Day Classic.
However, the Tigers have been inconsistent since and have not won consecutive games this season.
Texas Southern uses a two-quarterback system, with Jace Wilson and Jordon Davis getting significant reps as the Tigers' quarterback. Wilson quarterbacked Texas Southern in its most recent win over Grambling State, finishing the game by completing 11 of 18 passes for 128 yards, an interception, and adding 78 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts.
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Texas Southern has the 26th-best defense in the FCS with the help of collecting 13 sacks, eight fumbles forced (recovering five), and five interceptions. Texas Southern's 'Tiger' Javius Williams leads the team with 54 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. Williams also has a sack on the season.
Florida A&M vs Texas Southern: Who will win?
It's hard to bet against the Rattlers.
FAMU has won five straight homecoming games, dating back to 2018. The Rattlers' 2020 football season and homecoming were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the Rattlers' homecoming run, they have significantly outscored opponents 143-37.
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Texas Southern doesn't have enough offensive firepower, so its defense will have to play lights out to keep the Tigers in the game.
FAMU won't allow that to happen.
It'll be a happy homecoming for the Rattlers.
Score Prediction: FAMU 30, Texas Southern 13
BOLD PREDICTION: FAMU will get its first 30-point output of the season.
Florida A&M vs Texas Southern ― Week 10, SWAC (Homecoming)
When: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m.
Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium; Tallahassee, Florida
Broadcast: ESPN Plus, Rattlers mobile application
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 vs Texas Southern: Can the Rattlers avoid homecoming upset?
