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FAMU football's Florida Classic triumph over Bethune-Cookman helps silence some recent doubts
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- FAMU football's Florida Classic triumph over Bethune-Cookman helps silence some recent doubts
ORLANDO― Florida A&M head football coach James Colzie III had to endure possibly the longest two weeks of his coaching career.
After leading the Rattlers to two straight demoralizing losses at Prairie View A&M and Mississippi Valley State, Colzie and FAMU football were the subjects of questions and doubt across the HBCU football landscape .
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So, Colzie had to right the ship in arguably the biggest game of his head coaching career ― Saturday's Florida Classic versus in-state rivals Bethune-Cookman.
Colzie and his Rattlers delivered, beating the Wildcats 41-38 in a nail-biter to move FAMU's record to 6-5 and 4-3 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It was FAMU's fourth straight year beating Bethune-Cookman in the annual rivalry game.
"This is Florida A&M Rattlers football. So, when you go out there and lose games that people think you should win, there's going to be chatter," Colzie said.
"We knew what we had to do this week ― eliminate what happened last weekend and get ready for a rivalry football game. I told the guys maybe some things would be forgotten by winning [Saturday]."
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Colzie is amidst his first season as head coach of the Rattlers, having been elevated from an assistant after two seasons of FAMU's staff.
So, he entered the Florida Classic knowing the stakes and ramifications of the annual rivalry game between FAMU and Bethune-Cookman.
Win and silence some of the outside noise.
Or lose and continue being heavily critiqued.
So, Colzie had to make some hard decisions before facing Bethune-Cookman to help achieve the former.
On Tuesday, leading into the Florida Classic, Colzie announced he promoted FAMU co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Henry Burris to play-caller . FAMU offensive coordinator and offensive coordinator Joseph Henry previously called the Rattlers' plays.
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Burris led the FAMU offense to 487 yards, led by running back Thad Franklin Jr.'s 26 rushing attempts for 195 yards and three touchdowns. Franklin won the Florida Classic's Most Valuable Player.
"You want to be on the right side of this," Colzie said after winning the Florida Classic. "Coaches that have the longer tenures in this series are the ones that are successful in this game."
Florida A&M’s Thad Franklin Jr. (23) scores a touchdown during the Florida Classic between Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M at Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
FAMU has accepted that it won't enjoy a championship football season like it did in 2023 when the Rattlers won the SWAC title and Celebration Bowl on the way to winning the program's 16th Black College National Championship .
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The Rattlers' three SWAC losses to Jackson State, Prairie View A&M, and Mississippi Valley State eliminated them from competing in the league's title game on Dec. 7. Furthermore, FAMU has virtually no chance of being granted an at-large bid in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Championship aspirations are why players like Daniel Richardson transferred to FAMU for his college football season after stints at Central Michigan and Florida Atlantic. But the graduate student quarterback is looking at this season with a glass half full.
"You want to have a great season, go to the Celebration Bowl, win a national championship. But to win the Florida Classic means so much," Richardson said.
"Years to come, you want to tell your kids, 'I played in the Florida Classic in 2024, and we beat Bethune.' You want to have a story to tell."
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FAMU football's morale boosted with season finale vs Alabama A&M approaching
FAMU is back in the win column.
But the Rattlers have one final test versus the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Friday, Nov. 29 at Bragg Memorial Stadium. FAMU versus Alabama A&M is a Hurricane Helene makeup game initially scheduled for Sept. 28.
Alabama A&M is also 6-5 and 4-3 in the SWAC but has won three consecutive games, most recently beating Mississippi Valley State 49-35 on Saturday.
Florida A&M’s Daniel Richardson (10) hands the ball off to Kelvin Dean (9) during the Florida Classic between Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M at Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
FAMU beating Alabama A&M could start a new home winning streak at Bragg. The Rattlers previously won 23 consecutive home games, the second most in the FCS, before losing to Mississippi Valley State 24-21 in Week 12 .
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"You get to breathe this week," Colzie said. "But we've got some losses this year. The Rattlers want to win them all. We understand that. As we conclude the season, we got to start a new streak in Bragg Stadium. That'll be up to us this upcoming Friday."
FAMU can finish 7-5 at most this season.
Finishing two games over .500 isn't what the Rattlers are accustomed to.
However, the Rattlers prevailing over Alabama A&M would clinch a winning first season for Colzie while also sending FAMU's senior football players on a high note.
Bethune-Cookman’s Dennis Palmer (34) falls to the ground while trying to follow offensive lineman Vincent Forney (64) during the Florida Classic between Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M and at Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
"You want to make sure, as a senior, you win and finish the season strong. That builds on your foundation for the offseason," Colzie said of FAMU's upcoming Senior Day game versus Alabama A&M.
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"You want to make sure you leave a program in good hands. And the best way to leave a program like Florida A&M in good hands is by winning."
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's Florida Classic win vs B-CU puts Rattlers' adverse season at ease
