Box Score TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | Ryan Stanley threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns as the Florida A&M University football team cruised to a 57-20 victory over Fort Valley State in the Third Annual Jake Gaither Classic on Saturday night at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
After a slow start, the Rattlers (1-1) exploded for 33 second-quarter points and took a commanding 40-0 lead into the break. The 57 points at home was the most Florida A&M had scored on an opponent since a 60-10 victory over Norfolk State on Oct. 25, 2003.
FAMU broke the 0-0 tie late in the first quarter as Davonne Kendrick scored on a 2-yard run to give the Rattlers a 7-0 lead with 1:53 left.
Florida A&M extended the advantage to 14-0 after an Eddie Tillman 7-yard touchdown run with 14:25 remaining in the first half and pushed the margin to 21-0 as Stanley connected with Azende Rey for a 31-yard TD strike with 10:22 left.
The Rattlers got a 31-yard field goal from Yahia Aly with 6:22 left and Rey added his second touchdown, a 4-yard strike from Stanley, with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
A David Manigo caught a 35-yard touchdown from Stanely with 2:58 left and a blocked punt resulted in a safety extended to lead to a 40-0 advantage.
The Rattlers had an opportunity to take a 43-0 lead into the break, but Aly's 40-yard field goal attempt was wide right.
Florida A&M continued to push the margin as Andrew Davis caught a 7-yard pass from backup quarterback Rasean McKay with 7:50 left to give the Rattlers a 47-0 lead.
Fort Valley State (0-2) got touchdowns by AJ Shipman and Joseph Ross to cut the deficit to 47-13 with 12:13 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Rattlers capped the night with a touchdown from Davis and a 40-yard field goal from Aly, which gave FAMU a 57-13 lead.
A scoop and score by Delvin Webb on a 47-yard fumble return trimmed the margin to 57-20 with 55 seconds remaining, but it wasn't enough as the Rattlers picked up their first win of the season.
Turning Point
The second quarter was the biggest difference in the game as the Rattlers scored four touchdowns, one field goal and blocked one punt for a safety.
After a slow start, Florida A&M took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.
The offense kicked things into high gear as Stanley threw two touchdown passes to Rey, one to Manigo and Tillman scored on a 7-yard run. Aly booked a 31-yard field goal and Bishop Bonnett blocked a punt to put the game out of reach by halftime.
Inside the Numbers
> Florida A&M finished with 28 first downs
> The Rattlers amassed 583 total yards of offense on 87 plays
> FAMU passed for 421 yards and rushed for 162 yards
> Davonne Kendrick paced the ground game with 82 yards on 10 carries and one score
> Eddie Tillman added seven carries for 28 yards and one score
> Ryan Stanley was 20-of-31 passing for 275 yards, with three touchdowns
> Rasean McKay went 10 of 11 passing, with two touchdowns and one interception, along with 113 yards
> Azende Rey recorded 69 yards on eight receptions, with two touchdowns
> George Webb caught five passes for 106 yards
> David Manigo added 100 yards on seven catches, along with one touchdown
> Mack Green led the defense with four solo tackles
> Demontre Moore added three solo tackles, including two tackles for loss and one sack
> The Rattlers held FVSU to -15 yards rushing
> Fort Valley State finished with 15 first downs
> The Wildcats registered 169 total yards of offense, including 184 through the air
> Demontay Jones led the ground game with 11 yards on three carries
> Slade Jarman went 10 of 20 passing for 45 yards, with one interception
> Demontay Jones was 11 of 16 passing for 139 yards and two touchdowns
> Jeffrey Mack caught a pair of passes for 41 yards
> Majestee Hansberry paced the defense with nine total tackles, including five solo stops
News & Notes
> This was the 12th meeting between Florida A&M and Fort Valley State
> The Rattlers improved to 11-1 all-time against the Wildcats
> The 2019 FAMU Sports Hall of Fame was recognized during the first quarter
> Members of the Alumni Sports Reunion were recognized in between the first and second quarter
> The 57 points Florida A&M scored was the most points the Rattlers had scored at home since scoring 60 in a 60-10 win over Norfolk State on Oct. 25, 2003
> In addition, the last time a Willie Simmons-lead team scored 57 points was on Nov. 19, 2016 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
> Willie Simmons is now two career wins shy of 30
> Ryan Stanley passed for 275 yards, giving him 6,398 career yards. He is now 222 yards shy of fourth place, behind Tony Ezell (6,620) and 980 behind career leader Quinn Gray (7,378)
Up Next
Florida A&M will wrap up a two-game homestand on Saturday, Sept. 21 as Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) foe Southern comes to town. The Rattlers and Jaguars last met in 12 with Southern claiming the 21-14 victory. This will be the 61st meeting between the two schools, with Florida A&M holding a 33-26-1 record.
After opening the season with a pair of losses to McNeese and Memphis, the Jaguars defeated Edward Waters, 61-0, on Saturday in the Pete Richardson Classic.
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