GOT FIVE ON IT: Five turning points in FAMU football's first 10-win season since 1999

The regular season was good to Florida A&M football.

The Rattlers (10-1) accomplished monumental feats during their 11-game slate.

This year’s FAMU squad became the latest to notch 10 games in a single season — something that wasn’t done since 1999 ― after winning its ninth straight contest, beating Bethune-Cookman 24-7 in the Florida Classic.

FAMU's 10 wins is also a first-time accomplishment for Willie Simmons’ in his nine-year head coaching career.

Additionally, the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll’s seventh-ranked Rattlers captured their first Southwestern Athletic Conference East championship, which only took three years since FAMU joined the league in 2021.

It’s on to the postseason as the Rattlers host the SWAC Championship on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium versus SWAC West champions Prairie View A&M.

SWAC Championship tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.

But let’s take a look at how FAMU got to this point.

Here are five turning points in the Rattlers’ 10-win regular season.

FAMU's season opening play was a glimpse of what's to come

There was already a sense that this FAMU football season would be one for the ages.

And the first play of the season quickly proved it.

Rattlers transfer wide receiver and Tallahassee native Marcus Riley returned the season’s opening kickoff for a 96-yard touchdown versus Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic.

FAMU defeated JSU 28-10, avenging its 2021 and 2022 losses.

And the rest was history.

FAMU adds extra offensive dynamic it previously didn't possess

Potent offenses are multifaceted.

The Rattlers put together a complementary offensive attack that can trouble offenses.

FAMU quarterback Jeremy Moussa finished the regular season leading the SWAC with 2,416 passing yards and 18 touchdowns on a 57 percent clip in 10 games.

The SWAC’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Moussa’s favorite regular-season target was receiver Jah’Marae Sheread, leading the team by 44 receptions. Sheread adds 434 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Riley is the top touchdown threat with four.

But what has taken FAMU’s offense to the next level is its running back room.

Last year, the Rattlers finished last in SWAC rushing stats.

This season, FAMU ranks eighth (out of 12), averaging 136.2 rushing yards per game — 42 more yards than last year.

That has been due to a three-headed monster in the backfield.

Florida Classic Most Valuable Player running back Terrell Jennings has led the way with his strength and elusiveness, which allowed him to end the regular season leading the team with 492 yards and seven touchdowns, even after beginning the season third on the depth chart.

Speed back Kelvin Dean Jr. has 359 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Jaquez Yant adds power with 317 yards and six touchdowns.

FAMU's Dark Cloud Defense stands atop the country

It’s confirmed.

The Dark Cloud Defense is the best in the nation.

The Rattlers finished first in FCS total defense at the regular season’s end.

Head coach of the defense Ryan Smith and assistants Milton Patterson (co-defensive coordinator/defensive line), James Colzie III (assistant head coach/cornerbacks), Davon Morgan (defensive pass game coordinator/safeties), and Pat Watkins (nickelbacks) have coached the unit to be first in tackles for loss, second in scoring defense and third-down defense alongside a host of other top-10 standings.

What has stood out about FAMU’s defense is that it forced a turnover in 10 of the 11 regular season games.

Linebacker Isaiah Major leads the Rattlers with 94 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss, with fellow linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr. following at 60 tackles.

Defensive lineman Anthony Dunn Jr. finished the regular season second in the SWAC with eight sacks. His running mate Gentle Hunt added 29 tackles (10 for loss) and 4.5 sacks.

On the backend, FAMU defensive backs have contributed nine interceptions to the Rattlers’ 11, led by cornerback Eric Smith’s three.

Alongside Smith, FAMU defensive back quintet Kendall Bohler, Lovie Jenkins, Kym’Mani King, Javan Morgan, and Deco Wilson have all been productive.

The Rattlers’ defense has stayed on the upswing even after losing NFL talents linebacker/defensive back Markquese Bell (Dallas Cowboys/2022) and defensive end Isaiah Land (Indianapolis Colts/2023) in consecutive years.

FAMU's resolve tested in highly-contested SWAC games

This regular season wasn’t all roses and daisies for the Rattlers.

FAMU was faced with back-to-back adverse road games interrupted by a bye week in its games at Southern (Week 6) and Texas Southern (Week 8).

FAMU trailed Southern on two separate occasions, with the Jaguars leading the Rattlers 19-16 with 11 minutes left. But the Rattlers stormed back, scoring 10 unanswered points to claim victory as Moussa connected with receiver Jamari Gassett for the game-winning 12-yard touchdown pass.

On the other hand, TSU jumped out to a commanding 14-0 advantage on FAMU.

FAMU was troubled by the nation’s third-leading rusher, TSU running back LaDarius Owens, the player to eclipse 100 rushing yards against the Rattlers this season.

The Rattlers' defense slowed down Owens, TSU’s all-time leading rusher, while the offense exploded for 31 unanswered points to get the 31-21 win.

Past reliance on FCS playoff voters, 2022 snub fuels the FAMU Rattlers' Resurgence

FAMU’s 2022 football season unexpectedly ended when the team got left off the 24-team FCS playoff bracket, a year removed from participating in the tournament in 2021.

But the FCS playoff is a consolation prize for SWAC and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams that don’t win their division and/or conference.

The Rattlers finished second in the SWAC East behind Jackson State. They had to hope for an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs since the SWAC and MEAC forgo their automatic qualifier for a chance at the HBCU Celebration Bowl, a game started in 2015 to decide the Black College Football National Champions.

Despite being a top-10 FCS team and atop the HBCU football ranks, FAMU no longer has to rely on voters for at least one more football game. The Rattlers control their destiny now as they vie for an HBCU National Championship.

The Rattlers can win their first SWAC title on Dec. 2 and reach the program’s first Celebration Bowl scheduled for Dec. 16.

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: How the Rattlers won 10 games for first time since 1999