Florida A&M football will perform one final act before its inimical 2025 season concludes.
On Saturday, Nov. 29, the Rattlers head to Itta Bena to face the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils for a Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup at Rice-Totten Stadium.
The Thanksgiving weekend season finale is a makeup game for the Georgia Football Classic, which was scheduled for Oct. 4 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium until contractual issues with the game’s promoters axed the event.
For FAMU, Saturday’s game in the Delta is about going out with a bang to cap off a season of inconsistent football, despair, and adversity.
That’s what’s driving Rattlers’ seniors like Charles Davis, Ashton Grable, Ricky Taylor, and Nay’Ron Jenkins and their teammates, according to FAMU head coach James Colzie III.
“We still got a group that still wants to make sure we finish on the right note,” said Colzie, who met with his seniors on Monday, Nov. 24, before their final college football game.
“I think those guys will do a very, very good job, along with this coaching staff, getting these guys ready to go.”
The Rattlers (5-6, 4-3 in SWAC) are fresh off a dejecting Florida Classic 38-34 loss to Bethune-Cookman at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.
FAMU blew a defensive coverage on 4th and 8 and allowed Bethune-Cookman quarterback Timmy McClain to connect with wide receiver Josh Evans for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds left in the game.
FAMU quarterback RJ Johnson III attempted a Hail Mary, but the pass fell to the turf, incomplete as time expired in the Week 13 rivalry bout.
It ended the Rattlers’ four years of bragging rights over their nemesis, Bethune-Cookman.
“I also understand the human nature thing of this. We had a very tough locker room to leave Saturday night. The 24-hour rule. It probably leaked over a little bit just because of how we lost,” Colzie said.
“We’ll do everything needed to prepare them for this upcoming Saturday.”
The Delta Devils (1-10, 0-7 in SWAC) also lost last week, getting pounded 59-6 by SWAC West champion Prairie View A&M in Texas. It was the one-win Mississippi Valley State’s fifth straight loss.
Despite its record, Mississippi Valley State is one of the toughest trips amongst the 12th SWAC teams due to its proximity and the hurdles it poses for traveling.
FAMU will fly out of Jacksonville to Jackson, Mississippi, on Friday, Nov. 28, and then take a bus to the game versus the Delta Devils.
“Obviously, a game we should play well and a game most people think we should probably win,” Colzie said. “But at the end of the day, Valley is going to still come in and play their hardest.”
FAMU football aims to bounce back from Florida Classic loss in revenge game vs Mississippi Valley State
Can the Rattlers play up against Mississippi Valley State after the heartbreaking, last-second Florida Classic loss?
“Yeah. I feel we have no choice,” Colzie said after taking a moment to ponder the question.
FAMU is also seeking revenge on the Delta Devils.
Last November, Mississippi Valley State marched onto FAMU’s Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium and left victorious 24-21.
The shocking loss was an abrupt ending to the Rattlers’ 23-game home winning streak, which spanned from the 2019 to 2024 seasons.
“Now having an opportunity to kind of revenge that football game ― I don’t think I have to worry about getting our guys motivated to play for because of the way they snuck up on us last year,” Colzie said.
The Rattlers versus the Delta Devils kicks off at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Rice-Totten Stadium. SWAC TV will broadcast the game, and Tallahassee radio station 96.1 JAMZ will provide additional commentary on local airwaves.
Florida A&M (5-6, 4-3 in SWAC) at Mississippi Valley State (1-10, 0-7 in SWAC)
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
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: Why FAMU football has ‘no choice’ but to win at Mississippi Valley State
Reporting by Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
