Rattlers look to South Florida after win over JSU
Photo by Kyrease Desseau
By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer
As far as the stats go, odds makers should be hard-pressed to not give the FAMU football team a better-than-average chance of beating South Florida.
Doubters should consider that the Bulls gave up 41 points in their first game and the Rattlers allowed just 10. Never mind it’s a mid-major program that will be going up against a FCS team when they meet in Tampa on Saturday.
The Bulls struggled for points against Western Kentucky last Thursday night and three days later the Rattlers pounded Jackson State 28-10 and didn’t allow the Tigers to score until the fourth quarter.
The win snapped a four-game losing skid by FAMU against Jackson State. It puts the Rattlers in position to secure a berth in the coveted Celebration Bowl at the end of the season.
However, the biggest immediate improvement that the Rattlers showed in the Orange Blossom Classic was their ability to move the ball on the ground. FAMU finished with 207 yards rushing.
Most of those yards were by Terrell Jennings who rushed for 75 yards. Plus Jaquez Yant added another 72 yards on the ground that included a touchdown. Yant is one of the Tallahassee players that coach Willie Simmons picked up through the transfer portal.
“We all know that (running the ball) was our Achilles heel last year and we really made a commitment to being able to run the ball this year,” Simmons said. “It starts up front with the offensive line. Obviously it trickles over to the tight ends, the wide receivers on the perimeter and Jeremy (Moussa) making the right checks and getting us in the right place.”
Moussa threw for 150 yards, including two touchdowns and no interception.
After jumping out to a 7-0 lead follow a 96-yard kickoff return by Marcus Riley, the Rattlers harassed Tigers starter Jason Brown until his departure late in the game. He had completed 10 of 14 attempts when he left the game. Backup Zy McDonald came off the bench, completing 10 of 14 attempts for 149 yards. His longest throw was a 66-yard touchdown pass to Rico Powers in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the third quarter, the Tigers got a 24-yard field goal by Gerardo Baeza for their only score.
Riley spent most of the game on special teams and had an impact from the outset with his pace-setting return. He added another 24 yards in returns.
Riley, who started his college football career at Bethune-Cookman before transferring back home to Tallahassee, was glad to deliver for the Rattlers.
“It means a lot to come home and beat Jackson State,” he said afterward. “It meant a lot to get the first win of the season against a conference team.
“It’s been amazing to come home and play for the city. I’ve been a Rattler my whole life way before this around the corner from FAMU so I’ve been around. It was a good debut. I was supposed to be here.”
