Florida A&M's football team wins their sixth straight game at their homecoming, dominating Prairie View A&M 45-7. The Rattlers improve to 7-1 on the season and have already clinched the SWAC East Division.
ANOTHER HAPPY HOMECOMING FOR THE RATTLERS!
The Rattlers are now the SWAC East Champions!
FAMU – 45
PVAMU- 7#FAMU | #Rattlers | #OurTime pic.twitter.com/GJ8YA9GAi5— Florida A&M Football 🏈 (@FAMU_FB) October 28, 2023
The Prairie View A&M Panthers have had a roller-coaster season that is currently on the decline. Despite a poor overall record, their wins over Texas Southern, Alcorn State, and Mississippi Valley State solidified them as a contender within the SWAC. However, the past couple of weeks for the Panthers have been tough. Last week, Houston Christian shut them out in a 30-0 blowout, and this week, they couldn't help but watch Florida A&M do whatever they pleased in the second half.
The first half of the game was somewhat more competitive. The teams took turns punting the ball back and forth before quarterback Jeremy Moussa and the Rattlers got to work. Off a play-action pass, Moussa hit receiver David Mingo for a 29-yard gain. Running back Terrell Jennings punched in the touchdown to grab the 7-0 advantage.
On Prairie View's next possession, quarterback Trazon Connley overthrew his receiver and got intercepted by FAMU defensive back Eric Smith. Connley struggled in the absence of one of his favorite targets, Brian Jenkins Jr. The Rattlers took advantage of the turnover as tight end Kamari Young broke loose off a short catch for a 59-yard gain. They scored on the next play as Moussa threw his first touchdown of the game to his other tight end, Nicholas Dixon.
Meanwhile, the Panthers' offense continued to sputter. Florida A&M's defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage for a majority of the game. Even though Connley tends to scramble, he could never rest comfortably in the pocket to progress though his reads. His offensive line kept getting pushed back into his lap, forcing the quarterback to find time.
Fortunately for the Panthers, their defense started to regain ground in the second quarter. They forced the Rattlers into multiple three-and-outs, though the offense couldn't capitalize. On one possession, Connley threw a beautiful deep ball to an open receiver, but it was broken up at the last moment by Eric Smith.
Eventually, Prairie View managed to get to the red zone. With the ball right at the 20-yard line, Connley uncorked a fade to Tre'Jon Spiller. Spiller made an unbelievable catch, pinning the ball behind his shoulder and away from the defender as he ran into the end zone.
For a second, Florida A&M started to waver. Moussa tried to force a ball into double coverage, leading to an interception by defensive back DeJuan Lewis. As time faded in the second half, the Panthers marched down the field. There was a very real chance that Prairie View could've gone into halftime tied at 14 with the 14th-ranked team in the FCS.
Article Continues BelowThen Connley threw his second interception. The ball sailed right towards defensive back Jalen Glaze. Glaze's return put the Rattlers on the other side of the field, and Moussa finished the half with his second touchdown. While backpedaling, he lofted the ball to another tight end, Jeremiah Pruitte, taking the 21-7 lead.
The touchdown at the end of the first half must have awakened the Rattler offense. After that point, they refused to look back. They opened the third quarter with a 52-yard touchdown by receiver Jah'Marae Sheread. Florida A&M could have put up more points on another possession, but Marcus Riley dropped the open touchdown. They settled for a field goal instead.
While the Rattlers kept finding new ways to score, the Panthers couldn't find the end zone again. Three-and-outs, punts, and turnovers on downs littered their offensive possessions throughout the rest of the game. Their most effective offensive play was a 55-yard kickoff return by Marquise Doucette before their first drive of the third quarter. Despite the return, the drive went nowhere: a microcosm of the Panther's offense in the second half.
It took a while for the Rattlers to really get going, but once they did, the faucet wouldn't turn off. Jeremy Moussa finished with three touchdowns, and an interception, and 272 yards on 14-25 passing. Jah'Marae Sheread led all receivers with his four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. The Rattlers, of course, also had a good day on the ground. Jaquez Yant had 63 yards on nine carries, and Terrell Jennings had 54 yards and a touchdown on his seven attempts.
Prairie View's offense was basically the opposite of Florida A&M. Trazon Connley ended his day on 9-24 passing for 93 yards, three interceptions, and a touchdown. Caleb Johnson was their leading rusher with 60 yards on his 10 attempts. Tre'Jon Spiller was the only Panther with more than one catch. He hauled in four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Florida A&M plays Alabama A&M on Saturday at 2 PM EST while Prairie View plays University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at 3 PM EST.