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FAMU football coach James Colzie anticipates Southern's 'best game' in critical SWAC matchup
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- FAMU football coach James Colzie anticipates Southern's 'best game' in critical SWAC matchup
Florida A&M football is entering a week with a feeling it hasn't had in over a month.
Victory.
"It was needed," Rattlers head football coach James Colzie III told local media in his weekly press conference on Monday, Oct. 20.
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"It's a lot easier to coach a group after a win compared to after a loss."
The Rattlers hosted homecoming and defeated Alcorn State 33-28 for their first Southwestern Athletic Conference win of the season.
It ended a two-game losing streak for the Rattlers , who were on the receiving end of back-to-back blowout home losses to Alabama State (42-14) and North Carolina Central (45-7) with a bye week sandwiched between the shortfalls.
"It was definitely a different locker room this past Saturday compared to the other two," the second-year FAMU head coach explained. "The confidence is there. I'm not going to say it ever left. It was great to see us overcome some of the things that might have made us falter at the beginning of the year."
Florida A&M Rattlers quarterback RJ Johnson III commands the offense versus the Alcorn State Braves during a NCAA college football Week 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference game on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
Next, FAMU (2-4, 1-1 in SWAC) hopes to take its winning ways to The Bluff, as it faces Southern (1-6, 0-3 in SWAC) for a Week 9 SWAC game at Baton Rouge's A.W. Mumford Stadium this Saturday, Oct. 25.
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Kickoff is at 5 p.m. on SWAC TV.
The Jaguars have struggles of their own. Southern is fresh off a 24-3 homecoming loss to Prairie View A&M, its fifth straight loss.
Southern parted ways with its second-year head coach Terrence Graves on Monday evening.
"We can't worry about what's going on in Baton Rouge," Colzie said.
A season removed from playing in the SWAC Championship game, Southern ranks last in scoring (13.1 points per game) and 11th out of the league's 12 teams in allowed points per game (36.1).
Southern Jaguars' head coach Terrence Graves yells during the SWAC Championship game against the Jackson State Tigers in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
However, Colzie isn't overlooking Southern, a team that hasn't beaten FAMU in a SWAC game since the Rattlers joined the league in 2021.
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"They're obviously hoping to end the losing streak that's not really accustomed to in that environment. We're expecting to play one of their best games. And if we go out there thinking that they're not, then that's when we can get in trouble," Colzie said.
"Regardless of their record, they're very talented. We can't take it for granted. It is extremely hard to win college football games. But when you're here at FAMU, that's the standard."
FAMU football coach James Colzie III candid about needed improvements
FAMU is back in the win column.
But Colzie wants more out of his Rattlers.
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Offensively, he wants a more potent rushing attack through Thad Franklin Jr., a preseason HBCU All-American . Colzie wants to see the graduate student get in the range of 100-120 rushing yards.
Franklin has 80 carries for 355 yards and four touchdowns. His single-game season high is 76 yards on 15 touches, which he did in FAMU's Week 3 win over Albany State .
The Rattlers defense needs to be "a hell of a lot better" to put a cap on opposing offenses' drives, says the FAMU coach.
Opponents have converted 40 of 82 (49 percent) of third downs and eight of 11 (73 percent) of fourth downs.
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"You have goals and the thing that you set holistically," Colzie said. "Had a great talk with the staff. What is that 'It Factor' that's going to put us over the hump? Taking a hard look again at it. All we can do is continue to fight to do it. I believe in the staff and the players."
FAMU football could keep goals intact vs Southern
After beating Alcorn State, the Rattlers are still in play for a chance at some postseason football.
The Florida A&M Rattlers defense chases Alcorn State Braves quarterback Jaylon Tolbert during a NCAA college football Week 8 Southwestern Athletic Conference game on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
But first, FAMU must handle Southern to keep its SWAC title and Black College Football National Championship hopes alive.
The FAMU at Southern game is the first of the Rattlers playing away from Tallahassee in five of their final six regular season games.
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"We can only take care of what we can take care of," Colzie said. "Continue to play meaningful football games as we go on the road."
Florida A&M (2-4, 1-1 in SWAC) at Southern (1-6, 0-3 in SWAC)
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When: Saturday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time
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Where: A.W. Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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TV/Radio: SWAC TV, 96.1 JAMZ
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 to grapple with Southern after firing Terrence Graves
