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FAMU football challenges preseason dialogue with SWAC-opening triumph over Alabama State
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- FAMU football challenges preseason dialogue with SWAC-opening triumph over Alabama State
(This story has been updated to add additional information.)
Florida A&M football left Montgomery, Alabama with everything it wanted.
The Rattlers won in their Southwestern Athletic Conference opener on Saturday, outpacing the Alabama State Hornets 28-13 .
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But that's not all.
The traveling Rattlers (3-2, 1-0 in SWAC) earned an added incentive of exterminating the Hornets' (2-3, 1-1 in SWAC) on their Week 6 homecoming football game at ASU Stadium.
"We wanted this game because it was SWAC standings and all that. But also, we felt disrespected that they would even put us as a homecoming game," said FAMU linebacker Nay'Ron Jenkins , who put the Saturday's game out of reach with a 20-yard fumble recovery touchdown.
"The homecoming thing got to us ― most homecoming opponents are somebody you think you're going to easily wipe the floor with."
FAMU's SWAC-opening victory over Alabama State was a step in proving the preseason prognostications wrong.
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In July, SWAC voters picked Alabama State to win the East Division , with FAMU trailing at second.
The Rattlers took the preseason standings personally ― especially after claiming last season's SWAC title and Black College Football National Championship .
Many HBCU football fans felt the Rattlers would have a down year after former FAMU head coach Willie Simmons , who went 45-13 in five seasons, departed to become Duke's running backs coach this season.
Under first-year head coach James Colzie III , FAMU is the 22nd best team in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll. The Rattlers are the only ranked HBCU.
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"We beat the team that everyone thought was going to this thing," Colzie said after his squad defeated Alabama State on Saturday.
"I don't need to motivate those guys. They trust that [coaches] will put them where they need to be. To finish first, we got to continue winning," Colzie added.
The SWAC still runs through FAMU.
Florida A&M head coach James Colzie, III, and Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. during warm ups on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday October 5, 2024.
Its win over the Preseason SWAC East champs Alabama State was the Rattlers' 17th consecutive SWAC victory.
FAMU has beaten Alabama State in all four of their meetings since the Rattlers joined the SWAC in 2021.
"They're the team to beat until somebody beats them. So, to be the best, you got to beat the best," said Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. "We'll get another chance to play them next year when we go down there. I'm looking forward to it."
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FAMU football trending towards being top SWAC team ― until proven otherwise
FAMU's SWAC streak dates back to 2022, starting with a 38-25 victory over Alabama A&M during the Simmons era.
Saturday was the Rattlers' first SWAC game since beating Prairie View A&M 35-14 last December for the league's championship trophy.
Florida A&M wide receiver Jamari Gassett (2) carries the ball against Alabama State during their game on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday October 5, 2024.
"We put a nice run together. It's a tribute to Coach Simmons, what he's done, and what we've done up to this point," Colzie said.
"It's a championship DNA that's in the locker room. But in the back of my mind, I know we got to play better to achieve goals that we've set for ourselves."
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FAMU is on a bye week during Week 7.
The Rattlers return to action at the Jackson State Tigers on Oct. 19. It'll be FAMU's fourth straight road game.
Jackson State (4-2, 2-0 in SWAC) won its second consecutive game on Saturday by beating Alabama A&M 45-38 .
"We got two weeks to get ready for a good football team. And it'll be on the road. So, we got to come with our best 70 [players]," Colzie said, prefacing the bye week and upcoming Jackson State game.
"It'll be at another bigtime setting."
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 still SWAC's biggest target after beating Alabama State
