Football season will be here before you know it and this year the Rattlers are gearing up for another winning season. The 2023 fall football schedule was released last week and it features this year’s exciting matchups.
With the addition of multiple transfer students and the continued leadership of coach Willie Simmons, this season is sure to be one worth filling the stands for.
As they head into their third year with the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Rattler nation can foresee a great season with some new competitors.
Defensive back Kym’mani King has high hopes for his team this fall.
“I believe this upcoming season will be a great test for us to showcase how much we’ve been working,” King said.
Since the beginning of the year, they have been back on a strict schedule to get in the best position possible for the upcoming season.
This season the Rattlers are scheduled to play four home games including the highly anticipated homecoming game against Prairie View A&M University on Oct. 28 in Bragg Memorial Stadium. In regard to the homecoming game, offensive tackle Khamari Thompson admitted he was surprised when he saw the schedule.
“Prairie View is a surprising match up. With them scheduled for homecoming, it should be a great game because we haven’t played them in a really long time. It will be a fun game in a good environment,” Thompson said.
Safety Sheldon Walker agreed and encourages everyone to come support the Rattlers.
“The homecoming game is going to be a great game,” he said.
Seven games will be out of town with the first game of the season taking place in Miami Gardens with Jackson State University in the third annual Orange Blossom Classic at the Hard Rock Stadium. JSU has won the past two meetings on its way to capturing the SWAC title.
Walker said, “You can most definitely expect a different turnout against JSU this season.” Jackson State University’s loss of Coach Deion Sanders would be a contributing factor to that win. The Florida Classic against Bethune-Cookman University, set for Nov. 18, will once again take place in Orlando at Camping World Stadium.
Going into this season Thompson said, “I feel like there is more competition on this year’s schedule. It’s always fun to play good teams because when you win you know you’re good because you have just beaten a quality team.” Regardless of the competition, “We plan on remaining undefeated at home while also remaining undefeated in SWAC play. We also have a real shot at winning the Celebration Bowl,” Thompson said.
Student tickets are available on ticketmaster.com and students are encouraged to review bag and food policies prior to attending games to ensure they are properly equipped to attend.