Coach Simmons says the best is yet to come

The annual Orange and Green game was held Saturday. Photo by Zion Kelly

Florida A&M University’s football team suited up Saturday for its annual Orange and Green spring football game in front of enthusiastic   spectators and the Marching 100.

There was a great turnout and a glimpse of what can come for next season.

The Rattlers finished last season with one of the best record in school history. They won nine games for the second consecutive year, made an FCS playoff appearance for the first time since 2001, and even finished No. 1 in the NCAA HBCU Power Rankings. Coach Willie Simmons believes that the 2022 season has the potential to be even better.

“When you see some of our better players not playing and in street clothes, it means that we’ll be really good if we are still playing at a high level with our best players not out there today,” Simmons said. “If they continue to come together and believe in one another and play with that same fire that they showed last year, believe it or not, I think we have a chance of being better than we were in 2021.”

The orange team was the victors in this scrimmage.  Although the offenses on both teams struggled in the first half. Orange went to the locker room with a 12-3 lead.

The orange team was able to open up and dominate the second half, defeating the green team in a 28-10 victory.  When asked about the performance,  Simmons said that the orange team took what the defense gave them.

“I thought offensively in the second half the orange team really got rolling,” Simmons said. “They took what the defense gave them as opposed to the first half and that is what we want to see.”

The orange team offense was led by transfer quarterback Jeremy Moussa from Vanderbilt and sophomore quarterback Junior Muratovic. The green team was led by incumbent starting quarterback Rasean McKay.

 

The quarterback competition is sure to heat up during the pre-season and it is too early to name a definite starter.

“It’s a competition that’s open. Rasean and Jeremy had 15 really good days,” Simmons said. “Junior also had some good days, and we’re not in a position to name a starter definitively, but if we had to play today, Rasean would probably take the first snap,” Simmons said.

Both Moussa and McKay acknowledged the competition. McKay said that he wishes nothing but the best for all the quarterbacks.

“It’s a big competition, but we’re all a family at the end of the day,” McKay said. “When I leave, and Jeremy goes in, I wish the best for him; when Jeremy comes out and Junior goes in, I wish the best for him,” McKay said.

The Rattlers hope to carry the momentum from last season’s success along with the spring to perform even better. With that and the consistent support from Rattler nation, the 2022 football season should be one for the books.