Florida A&M Overcame Deficit, Responded Like Championship Contenders To Defeat Texas Southern
HOUSTON - Florida A&M (6-1, 5-0 SWAC) overcame an early 14-point deficit to Texas Southern (2-5, 1-3 SWAC), rattled off 31 unanswered points, and made a statement to all of the SWAC by defeating the Tigers 31-21 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, TX. Willie Simmons' Rattlers responded like contending champions after TSU quarterback Jace Wilson tossed two first-half touchdown passes. Unfortunately, those Texas Southern points couldn't withstand the offensive attack from FAMU quarterback Jeremy Moussa and the defensive prowess of the Rattler's Dark Cloud defense.
Moussa's 58-yard bomb to wide receiver Jamari Gassett with 33 seconds left in the first half turned the tides in favor of FAMU. "The difference in the game, in my opinion, was what happened towards the end of the first half," Texas Southern head coach Clarence McKinney said in his postgame interview. "With them getting a quick score and our defense in the second half not getting off the field and our offense not staying on the field. And so when you got a combination of offense going three and out and defense giving up long drives, it's a recipe for a disaster."
McKinney was correct. Florida A&M came out of halftime with a 13-play, 65-yard drive capped off by Jeremy Moussa's 1-yard plunge to tie the score at 14.
"Glad to come out with the win," Willie Simmons joyfully shared with the media. "Obviously, first half and play our best football. I really challenged the guys at halftime to just play team football. When we come playing individual football and guys kind of doing their own thing, and we say we'll get what we deserve, we play together. We deserve to have the second quarter that we had when we played as individuals. We deserve to kind of sleep all through the first half."
As Florida A&M woke up, Texas Southern's offense went dead cold for most of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters. They could not convert third downs for six consecutive possessions. Tigers running back LaDarius Owens was the consistent offensive threat for offensive coordinator David Marsh. The senior finished the game with 19 rushes and 138 yards against a very tough Rattlers front seven. TSU quarterback Jace Wilson logged 16-of-29 passes for 183 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. WR Jyrin Johnson finished the match with four receptions, 72 yards, and a touchdown. WR Kerien Charlo caught a late touchdown reception with 1:15 left in the game to complete a 10-play, 84-yard drive for the Tigers' final score.
The Rattlers scored four consecutive touchdowns from the end of the second quarter through the third, ultimately deciding the game's outcome. FAMU had four double-digit play drives on the evening against the Tigers' defense. Rushing the football stymied TSU's defensive front with 255 yards on the ground. RB Kelvin Dean was the Rattlers' leading rusher with nine carries, 83 yards, and a touchdown. QB Jeremy Moussa completed 17-of-32 throws for 180 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Houston native Jah'Ma Sheread was a dual threat, amassing 85 yards of total offense for Florida A&M. Jamari Gassett led in receiving with three catches for 77 yards and one touchdown.
"We're proud of the guys coming together. We still control our destiny. That's the number one goal. We wanted to be 1 and 0 coming out of Houston, we're able to do that," Simmons noted. Florida A&M has the aura of destiny to be on its side. The team must finish the season with wins over Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman before wearing the SWAC East crown. Still, for Willie Simmons, hosting and winning the 2023 SWAC Football Championship is the second-most important goal for his team. Should they complete the feat, landing a spot in the 2023 Cricket Celebration Bowl for the rights to the 2023 HBCU Football National Championship is the primary focus for these Rattlers.
"The good thing about the position that we're in is we don't have to worry about anybody's help. We can help ourselves, and that's always the best position to be in. So we just take care of business and do what we are capable of doing. The chips will fall what are supposed to fall. So we're not worried about anybody else helping us. If we go out and take care of business. We'll be fine."
Next, Florida A&M will host Coach Simmons' old football team, Prairie View A&M, for a 4 PM ET kick-off at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 28. ESPN U will cover the televised broadcast. Texas Southern will motor west on I-10 to visit the Southern Jaguars at A.W. Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA, on Saturday, Oct. 28. The kick-off will take place at 4 PM CT with the broadcast on the Jaguars Network.