TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | Game day is finally upon us as the Rattlers return to the Orange Blossom Classic after 43 years to face Jackson State.
"We're a football team that's eager to take the field," said head coach Willie Simmons. "Obviously, everyone knows it's been over 650 days since we last played in live competition, so these guys are excited."
The kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Where can you watch or listen?
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Rattler Sports Network (FAMUAthletics.com/Radio)
Coaches in the game
Willie Simmons
Career Record, Conference Record: 36-18, 31-9
FAMU Record, Conference Record: 15-7, 12-3
Deion Sanders
Career Record, Conference Record: 4-3, 3-2
JSU Record, Conference Record: 4-3, 3-2
Series History
The two teams met for the first time in the 1961 Orange Blossom Classic, which FAMU won 14-8.
FAMU and JSU played each other 19 times, and the Tigers lead the all-time series 10-7-2. The Tigers won the last meeting in a close 18-16 game in 2018. JSU currently owns a two-game win streak.
Rattlers Quarterbacks
Florida A&M has yet to name a starting quarterback for Sunday and could potentially have three different names hit the field: Rasean McKay, Junior Muratovic, and Cameron Sapp. Redshirt junior Rasean McKay is the only of the three that has played in a collegiate game as he saw plenty of action during the 2019 season. McKay's best performance came against Fort Valley State, which he went 10-11 for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Junior Muratovic and redshirt sophomore Cameron Sapp received plenty of first-team reps during camp.
High-Flying Offense
In 2019, the Rattlers had one of the most dominant offenses in the country, especially in the passing game, as the Rattlers ranked 17th in the nation.
Expect to see the offense give defenses fits again. They return two of their best receivers from the 2019 campaign in All-American Xavier Smith and David Manigo and another from 2018 in Chad Hunter.
Smith put up some of the best numbers in the country during the 2019 season as he was top ten in receiving yards, receptions, and receiving yards per game. Smith also ranked 16th in touchdowns with 11. Manigo is a red zone nightmare as he consistently wins the jump balls. Manigo caught six touchdowns in 2019. Hunter's production was missed in 2019 as he recorded over 500 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2018. Additionally, the Rattlers add Jah'Marae Sheread, an all-around playmaker, as he recorded over 500 all-purpose yards in 2019 for Texas State.
Putting up points was no problem for the Rattlers as they had the 29th ranked scoring offense, and we can expect a lot of the same as they return players responsible for 26 of the team's 45 touchdowns. Additionally, to Smith and Manigo, the Rattlers return running backs Bishop Bonnett and Terrell Jennings. Bonnett and Jennings combined for over 700 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns.
Stingy Defense
On top of having a dominant offense in 2019, the Rattlers also dominated on defense. Opposing offenses had a challenging time rushing on the Rattlers as the run defense ranked 25th in the nation.
The defense returns three of the top five tacklers from 2019 in All-American safety Markquese Bell, linebacker Derrick Mayweather, and nickelback Eric Smith.
Bell is known across the nation as he made every preseason watch list and recorded 61 tackles and five interceptions during his 2019 campaign. Mayweather leads the backers after recording 42 tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and a safety in 2019. Smith had the slot on lock and helped against the run game as he recorded 41 tackles, one interception, and five pass break-ups in 2019.
Additionally, the Rattlers return their most significant threat to making a play in the backfield in Renaldo Flowers Jr. In 2019, Flowers Jr. Recorded a team-high nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Special Teams Makes the Difference
Expect special teams to make a difference in the game, and the Rattlers have some of the best in the nation. When it comes to flipping the field, few can do it like punter Chris Faddoul. Faddoul has been among the nation's best since he has arrived in Tallahassee as he led the nation in yards per punt in 2018 and was 2nd in 2019.
The Rattlers ranked 33rd in the nation during 2019 and need to find someone to replace Marcus Williams in the return game as he led the team. Rattlers expect to put two of their top playmakers back there in receivers Xavier Smith and Jah'Marae Sheread.
Single-game tickets are available to purchase for all Rattler home games. You can buy your tickets online here or by calling the ticket office at 850-599-3141.
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