Saturday marks the final full week of the regular season in HBCU football with the Florida Blue Florida Classic, pitting Florida A&M against Bethune-Cookman. Over the past few years, Florida A&M has taken control of the series, but Bethune-Cookman has emerged as a significant contender heading into this matchup, thanks to its high-powered offensive attack. Meanwhile, Florida A&M has endured significant struggles throughout the year.
Bethune-Cookman has been a program in flux over the past few seasons, following the dismissal of Terry Sims, the disastrous brief hiring of Ed Reed, and the subsequent struggles under Raymond Woodie Jr. Yet, this year, the Wildcats have finally found a level of consistency on offense. Heading into the final week of the regular season, they rank number one in passing offense, averaging 238.5 yards per game. They also rank top five in total offense in the conference with 415.4 yards per game and 37 total touchdowns.
While they have proven themselves as a contending team with an explosive offense, their major weakness is their defense. They rank last in the conference in passing defense, giving up 254.2 yards per game, and are second-to-last against the run, giving up 184.5 rushing yards per game.
The Jackson State game served as a clear warning sign. Jackson State, one of the best defenses in FCS football, completely solved Bethune-Cookman's high-powered attack, holding them to just 290 total yards and zero touchdowns—with 215 yards of that coming through the air from quarterback Cam Ransom, who threw two interceptions. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ running back room rushed for 377 yards, with Ahmad Miller, Donerio Davenport, and Travis Terrell Jr. all rushing for over 100 yards.
Bethune-Cookman's malleable defense gives Florida A&M an opportunity to secure another victory in the series. However, FAMU has also had its share of struggles, even as it has shown improvement over the past few weeks. Florida A&M is middle-of-the-pack when it comes to passing defense, giving up 215.4 yards per game—a weakness that Bethune-Cookman can exploit with Cam Ransom's arm talent. Furthermore, while the Wildcats aren't the most prolific rushing team, Florida A&M isn't good at stopping the run, ranking second-to-last in the conference and allowing 192 rushing yards per game.
Prediction: I believe the Florida Classic this year will be a battle of opposing offenses, and if that's the case, it will prove to benefit Bethune-Cookman. I think ultimately, the game will come down to which offense can get the biggest leverage over the other struggling defense. Ultimately, when it is all said and done, it will be a close, high-scoring game, but Bethune-Cookman will pull out the upset victory.
I firmly believe that a loss to Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Classic could trigger conversations about the future of James Colzie III as head coach. With legendary Rattler quarterback Quinn Gray winning the SIAC Championship with Albany State and clinching a bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs as the top seed in Super Region Two, the Rattlers will surely be looking toward South Georgia for the next leader of their program. I believe Quinn Gray will be the coach of FAMU next season, and the movement for that change will start with a Bethune-Cookman win on Saturday
