Saturday’s night defeat at the hands of the South Carolina State Bulldogs brought an end to the Florida A&M Rattlers’ three-game win streak.
The FAMU football team put themselves in a two touchdown hole that they couldn’t climb out of.
The Rattlers defense failed to hold the strong offense of the SCSU Bulldogs that rushed for 315 yards. Defensive end Tyrone McGriff attempted to hold some ground, leading the defense with 11 tackles against the Bulldogs. Despite his good game, McGriff knows that there are “many more games to come.”
The Famuan: Coming into the game, what was your expectation of the Bulldogs?
McGriff: Well, we knew that they were going to be a good team. They had a good running back and QB, and we have had problems before trying to stop the run. We never really could find that groove.
The Famuan: What do you think is the biggest problem facing the defense right now?
McGriff: Missed assignments and not finishing the plays.
The Famuan: Do you think the Rattlers dictated the flow of the game or were the Bulldogs in control?
McGriff: We couldn’t stop the runs so they took advantage. We did better in the red zone, but as far as stopping the drive we couldn’t. They controlled the game clock and the pace of the game.
The Famuan: Did the Bulldogs use any particular schemes that the team couldn’t handle?
McGriff: I wouldn’t say schemes. We just didn’t execute our plays.
The Famuan: At halftime, what did Coach Carter say to the team and defense in particular about the game?
McGriff: Basically he spoke about just trying to come out and starting at a faster pace. We kill ourselves a lot with penalties.
The Famuan: What will be the keys against your upcoming opponent Norfolk State on defense.
McGriff: We haven’t broken down Norfolk film as of yet, so we’re not quite sure what kind of offense to run. But the main thing with defense is we need to make tackles.
The Famuan: This is the fourth year the team has lost to South Carolina State. What does it take to get over that hump against them next season?
McGriff: On behalf of the defense, we have to execute our plays and do a better job tackling. That’s all we need to do.
The Famuan: On the sideline towards the end of the game you came out hurt and seemed to be upset. Can you talk to me about that? What happened on field to trigger your anger?
McGriff: The Bulldogs fullback came and hit me late. After the play was over with, he hit me in the knee and pretty much tried to hurt me. It was a cheap shot.
The Famuan: How do you view the mental standpoint of the defense?
McGriff: Right now some players are down because it was a close game at the end, but we’re going to pull through. Nobody thinks the season is over yet. We still have five more games to be played. There’s still a lot of football to be played.