At this point in the SWAC schedule, it was figured that by the time Florida A&M and Southern met in Tallahassee, one team would be on top in its division while the other would be fighting to stay in the race.
Who would have thought Florida A&M would be looking up in the SWAC East Division while Southern would be undefeated in conference play?
That was the case after the Rattlers were beaten by Jackson State last Saturday, and the Jaguars bullied then-SWAC first-place Alcorn State in Baton Rouge.
The questions now are: How good is Southern? Can FAMU bounce back?
It has been a while since the Rattlers have been in this position—needing to win out and hope Jackson State drops a couple of games on its remaining schedule—to take the SWAC East. Though it didn’t happen in 2021 and 2022 after season-opening losses, there is somewhat of a shot in 2024 if FAMU gets some breaks.
Southern can prove that it’s not only entrenched as a favorite to win the SWAC West but legitimize itself as a real contender to win the conference title with a win at Bragg Memorial Stadium—a place FAMU hasn’t lost at since it played in the MEAC.
There are also plenty of storylines beyond the aforementioned.
Can Daniel Richardson avoid turnovers? The FAMU quarterback has committed four turnovers over the last two weeks, including a costly fumble late in the fourth quarter that led to a touchdown in the Rattlers 35-21 loss to Jackson State.
Can FAMU stop the run? The Rattlers rank 110th in the FCS in rush defense, allowing 212.3 yards per game this season. Southern is coming off a performance in which the offense rushed for 295 yards in a 24-14 win over Alcorn State.
Can Noah Bodden continue improvement? The junior quarterback has gone two starts without throwing an interception. Though he’s still completing less than 48 percent of his passes on the season, Bodden has avoided the big mistake as he did in previous weeks. We will see how he handles a Rattlers defense that recorded four turnovers against Jackson State.
James Colzie vs Terrence Graves: The biggest game each first-year coach has had to manage to date. It will be interesting to see how Colzie guides the Rattlers coming off a loss. For Graves, it will be how he handles the momentum of a big win going into one of the toughest road environments in HBCU football.
Those are just a few of the reasons why this game is so intriguing.
Key Matchup: Southern offensive line vs Florida A&M defensive front
After terrible performances earlier in the season, Graves shifted the offensive line. The new-look line included freshman Bryan Wallace, Juan Gonzales, and Jeron Lewis, along with Antonio Sanders and Cameron Foster. The new pairing has only allowed two sacks on 51 called passing plays and has been instrumental in the Jaguars rushing for five yards per attempt in wins over Texas Southern and Alcorn State.
As previously documented, Florida A&M has struggled up front all season to stop the run, especially early in games. Its defensive line has only generated 10 sacks through six games, which ranks eighth in the SWAC. The winner of this matchup will likely win the game.