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FAMU has built a tradition of not only winning ― but dominating its homecoming football games
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- FAMU has built a tradition of not only winning ― but dominating its homecoming football games
Remember the time when the Florida A&M football team lost its homecoming game?
Well, it's been seven years since that happened.
It's become a formality for the Rattlers to reign triumphant to culminate homecoming week, accomplishing that feat every season since 2018.
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The Rattlers (4-3, 2-1 in SWAC) plan to uphold that yearly tradition this Saturday at 4 p.m. when they welcome the Texas Southern Tigers (3-4, 2-2 in SWAC) to Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium for a Week 10 Southwestern Athletic Conference game .
ESPN Plus will televise the game, and the Rattlers mobile application will host its audio broadcast for Saturday's contest.
"We don't lose in Bragg. On top of that, it's homecoming, so we definitely can't lose at homecoming. That's like having a party and somebody come in and destroy it," said FAMU cornerback Kendall Bohler .
"It'll be electric. We can't lose. That's a no-go."
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FAMU's last homecoming loss came from former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe North Carolina A&T, who dropped the Rattlers 31-20 .
Since then, FAMU has ramped five consecutive homecoming victories (2020 homecoming and season canceled/COVID), starting with Norfolk State (17-0) in 2018 and most recently beating Prairie View A&M last season 45-7.
In that five-season window under former head coach Willie Simmons , the Rattlers outscored their homecoming guests 143-37. Simmons is now the running backs coach at Duke.
James Colzie III , who's head coaching FAMU in his first homecoming game, is hoping the Rattlers can get another statement win to stay in the SWAC race, currently sitting in third place in the East division .
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"No pressure there," Colzie said when asked about FAMU's homecoming streak.
"Homecoming and our season could be a different atmosphere if we don't win this game."
Head coach James Colzie III smiles as the The Florida A&M Rattlers lead the game against Southern University, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
FAMU has won 22 consecutive games at Bragg Stadium, most recently beating Southern last Saturday 24-6 . The Rattlers' 22 straight wins at Bragg is the second-longest active home streak in the Football Championship Subdivision behind South Dakota State's 25.
Last homecoming, FAMU packed over 22,000 fans in its 19,633-seat stadium to cheer on the Rattlers.
So, Texas Southern head coach Cris Dishman knows he's leading his team into a hostile environment filled with a sea of Orange and Green.
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"We know it will be a tough stadium to play in. I just got to get our players riled up to play," Dishman said. "They scheduled us for homecoming for a reason. You don't schedule a team for homecoming and think you can win. You schedule a team for homecoming, knowing you can win."
FAMU football focused on winning first ― then homecoming later
Being from Miami, Rattlers quarterback Daniel Richardson has known about FAMU's homecoming since his teenage years.
This week is Richardson's first and last homecoming as a FAMU student and football player, as he transferred to play his final college season with the Rattlers after stints at Central Michigan and Florida Atlantic.
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"Just soaking it in," Richardson said.
"Since high school, I've heard about FAMU homecomings. It's the best homecoming in America. But as a football player, our number one goal is to win a football game," Richardson added.
Focusing on football now and celebrations later has been the formula for the Rattlers' homecoming success.
Win homecoming and then be rewarded for it after the game is the approach FAMU takes, says defensive tackle James Ash .
"We got to keep the main thing the main thing ― not worrying about what's going on with homecoming festivities. That'll be there after the game," Ash said. "We're looking to double down on what we're supposed to be doing right now and reap the fruits of our labor later."
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'It'll make my night': What winning homecoming means to FAMU football
Bohler has many homecoming memories as a student and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.'s Alpha Xi Chapter, seated at FAMU.
Last Sunday, Bohler represented FAMU football and his fraternity at the university's 2024 homecoming Royal Coronation.
On the field, Bohler had one of his highlight reel moments at FAMU's 2022 homecoming game when he skied over an Arkansas-Pine Bluff receiver to snag an interception.
Bohler looks to add to his homecoming highlights with a victory this Saturday over Texas Southern.
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"It'll be amazing to go out my last homecoming with a win," Bohler said. "I never lost in Bragg, and I don't plan on losing in Bragg. So, I'm ready for it."
Ash's homecoming happiness stems from spoiling Rattler Nation with yet another homecoming win.
"It'll make my night. I'd love to see that," Ash said.
"Protecting homefield is everything. Do you see all those faces that light up when the clock hits zero and we win? It's too much to take in at one time. You look around this place and its happy faces, smiles, good energy, and vibes the entire night.
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"As long as we're doing what we're doing what we got to do here in the field, they're going to take care of us in the stands."
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.
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: How FAMU football started a year routine of dominating homecoming games
