Florida A&M Dominates Prairie View At Homecoming, Wins SWAC East Title
Florida A&M won their first-ever SWAC East division title by dominating Prairie View A&M in a 45-7 victory. Even if they lose their last two divisional games against Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman, they will still have the advantage in tie-breakers over Alabama State and Jackson State since they previously defeated both teams in the season.
Since joining the conference, Willie Simmons has achieved an impressive record of 19 wins and 2 losses in the SWAC. Against the Panthers, quarterback Jeremy Moussa played a crucial role in the Rattlers' victory by completing 14 out of 25 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns.
Credit: © Gerald Thomas / USA TODAY NETWORK
During the first quarter, the Rattlers pleased their Homecoming crowd by scoring 14 points through a rushing score by Terrell Jennings and a 36-yard touchdown reception by Nicholas Dixon. However, in the second period, the Panthers managed to cut the Rattlers' lead to seven points, making the score 14-7, thanks to a 21-yard touchdown reception by Trejon Spiller from Trazon Connley.
Before halftime, Prairie View had an opportunity to tie the score at 14-14. They embarked on a promising 8-play drive that ended when Trazon Connley threw an interception to a FAMU defensive back inside of the red zone.
Moussa took advantage of the Panthers' error as he skillfully threw a perfectly-placed pass to Jeremiah Pruitte on the right side of the endzone, resulting in a 21-7 lead before halftime.
Following the halftime show at FAMU, the ever-dangerous Jah'Marae Sheread caught a short pass from Moussa, broke several tackles, and ran 52 yards to increase their lead to 28-7. FAMU's dominance continued with a field goal from Cameron Gillis, a six-yard touchdown from Kelvin Dean, and an 82-yard interception return for a touchdown by Tevin Griffey. Prairie View could not keep up, resulting in FAMU winning with a score of 45-7.
Despite completing only nine passes and throwing a touchdown, Connley's performance was marred by three interceptions. The Dark Cloud Defense severely disrupted his afternoon with three sacks, three quarterback hits, and numerous pressures, making it a living nightmare for him.
Bubba McDowell's team needs to go back to Prairie View and address the errors and mishaps in their performance. If they manage to beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Southern, the Panthers still have a chance to catch up to the SWAC West. Alabama State will come to Panther Stadium for the final game of Prairie View's season on Saturday, November 18th.
Willie Simmons and the Rattlers will work on perfecting the specifics before they participate hosting the 2023 SWAC Football Championship Game at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee.