The Florida A&M Rattlers punched their ticket to the Celebration Bowl after a massive 35-14 win Saturday in their second meeting against Prairie View A&M, claiming the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. This is the first time the Rattlers have won the SWAC championship since joining the 2021-2022 academic year.
“A great day for these young men to be able to accomplish a goal that we set out for ourselves when we got together in August,” FAMU coach Willie Simmons said. “Just elated for those guys, and look forward to continuing this journey.” Despite the rainy conditions and two lightning delays, the Rattlers secured their 20th consecutive win at home. Simmons spoke on how the team can only control what they can handle.
“I went in after a 45-minute rain delay and told guys when we get a chance to go out, let’s take care of business,” Simmons said.
FAMU’s streak at Bragg is now the longest in the nation as Montana State fell to North Dakota State 35-34 in the FCS quarterfinals.
FAMU’s rushing attack came up big in the game, with running back Terrell Jennings leading the way with 17 carries, going for 113 yards and two touchdowns. His performance earned him the SWAC Championship’s Offensive Most Valuable Player. The “Dark Cloud Defense” showed up, holding Prairie View to only 14 points. Defensive back Javan Morgan came up with two interceptions. With his performance, he
walked away with the Defensive MVP.
Javan Morgan spoke on how much this championship meant to him, being from Tallahassee. “The support from friends and family is another reason why I’ve always felt like whenever we’re home, I was going to play harder,” Morgan said.
The next stop for the Rattlers will be against Howard University at the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 16. The 6-5 Bison will be representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Simmons addressed the upcoming big game and how they will prepare for the task.
“That’s the last box to check,” Simmons said. “We’ve checked off every single box that we’ve set ourselves this season, from winning the Orange Blossom Classic to beating all of our rivals, keeping our home win streak intact, winning the SWAC East and SWAC Championship, and now the final one is the Celebration Bowl.”
Both teams will play for the Black College National Championship, the highest award in HBCU football. This game will be played in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta the day after FAMU holds its fall commencement.