The Rattlers of Florida A&M University defended Bragg Stadium once again, defeating conference rival Southern University 24-6.

The Jaguars struck first with a 50-yard field goal from kicker Joshua Griffin, taking an early 3-0 lead. Florida A&M quickly responded as senior wide receiver Jamari Gassett returned a punt 43 yards, putting the Rattlers ahead 7-3 by the end of the first quarter.

Florida A&M amassed 404 total offensive yards, with five-foot-10 quarterback Daniel Richardson throwing for more than 200 yards once again. He finished with 274 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, completing 25 of 32 attempts. Richardson leads the conference with 1,705 total passing yards and 14 touchdowns in just seven games this season.

His primary target, Gassett, ranked second in the conference with 526 receiving yards, recorded 118 yards on five receptions and a touchdown. Fellow wide receiver A’ceon Cobb caught two passes for 45 yards. In the fourth quarter, Richardson connected with running back Kelvin Dean for a 16-yard touchdown, sealing the victory. Dean finished with 32 yards on four receptions and 38 yards on the ground. He, along with Thad Franklin Jr. and Levontai Summersett, combined for 117 of the team’s total 126 rushing yards.

The Jaguars struggled offensively, with quarterbacks Noah Bodden and Czavian Teasett combining for only 83 passing yards and one interception, completing just 27 of 83 attempts. Running backs Kobe Dillion and CJ Russell added 100 rushing yards but failed to find the end zone, finishing 2 of 16 on third-down conversions.

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Despite ranking near the bottom in the conference for rushing defense, the Rattlers held Southern to just 205 total yards and capitalized on the Jaguars’ mistakes. Head coach James Cozie reflected on the victory.

“It was a blessing to be back. The guys played well. We found a different way to score, obviously with Gassett returning a punt for a touchdown, but we’re still searching to put together a really good four quarters,” Cozie said.

With this win, the Rattlers improved to 2-1 in conference play and 4-3 overall. Their next game is set for this Saturday, November 2, at 4 p.m., as they host Texas Southern for homecoming.

For the Jaguars they look to secure a win on the road this weekend against Alabama A&M University. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2 p.m.