The Florida A&M Rattlers have positioned themselves for a postseason run. FAMU — 8-1 , 7-0 in SWAC play —has locked up both the SWAC eastern division and the SWAC’s best record by virtue of any possible tiebreaker. While they are not coasting into the championship game with a SWAC game still to play against arch-rival Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Blue Florida Classic, this week the team will rest and heal some starters against Lincoln (CA).
The Oaklanders are in their third year of competitive football and play in the South Western States (SWS) Intercollegiate Conference which is for small schools. The team is currently 0-11 having played two SWAC schools this season. Southern University entertained the Oaklanders for homecoming with a 45-18 win and Texas Southern who downed LU 52-7 earlier in the season. Tennessee State punished Lincoln as well.
With the Florida Classic approaching on Nov. 18 and the SWAC Championship game at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium on the horizon, FAMU head coach Willie Simmons will take the opportunity to give some reserves who could play crucial roles if called upon down the stretch, some legitimate playing time.
At the weekly 220 Quarterback Club weekly luncheon, Simmons told the Rattler Boosters that it is important to get reserves some game time in case they are needed for what he hopes will be three games after the LU game.
FAMU preparing forFlorida Classic, SWAC Championship
“The challenge isn’t Lincoln University. The challenge is to get us to do the things we need to do to prepare us for this next month of football and to be peaking at just the right time. It’s about our mental preparation our attention to detail, our focus, our selflessness and our decision-making. We have some guys that we’ll rest to get them healthier for this last three game stretch after this weekend,” Simmons said.
Simmons later confirmed to HBCU Gameday that SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Jeremy Moussa would indeed sit, but be available for the game, turning starting playcaller duties over to redshirt sophomore Junior Muratovic.
“For the sake of making decisions that will affect us long term it’s best that we hold him (Moussa) this week. Junior Muratovic will be ready to go. Ja’Cory Jordan will be ready and DJ Boney will be the next guy up. Those guys are in practice this week with the thought that they’ve got to be ready to play,” Simmons said.
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
