ORLANDO, Fla. –– In a thrilling edition of the Florida Classic, the Florida A&M Rattlers emerged victorious over rival Bethune-Cookman, securing a 41-38 win in front of 56,453 fans at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Running back Thad Franklin Jr. led the way with a spectacular performance, rushing for 195 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries, including a momentum-shifting 70-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Rattlers' ground game was dominant throughout, as Kelvin Dean added 103 yards and a touchdown, helping FAMU amass 305 rushing yards on the day.
The Rattlers struck first when Franklin scored on a 17-yard run in the opening quarter, but the Wildcats answered with Maleek Huggins' 77-yard punt return touchdown. The back-and-forth affair saw multiple lead changes, with FAMU taking a 17-7 advantage in the second quarter after Daniel Richardson connected with Jamari Gassett for a 12-yard touchdown pass.
Richardson finished an efficient 14-of-20 for 180 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Quan Lee led the receiving corps with 79 yards on four catches.
Defensively, the Rattlers were led by linebacker Aric Horne and Nay'Ron Jenkins, who each recorded 12 tackles. Jenkins also added an interception, while Davion Westmoreland registered the team's only sack.
The game remained tight throughout the second half, with neither team leading by more than 10 points. FAMU's special teams came up big, with kicker Cameron Gillis converting all five extra points and both field goal attempts, including a crucial 31-yarder late in the third quarter.
The victory improved Florida A&M's record to 6-5 (4-3) on the season and marked another successful chapter in the historic rivalry. The Rattlers' offense showed its explosiveness, accumulating 485 total yards while controlling the clock with over 35 minutes of possession time.
Game Notes
» Franklin and Dean all rushed for over 100 yards for the Rattlers.
» Florida A&M outgained Bethune-Cookman 485-416, including a 305-183 advantage on the ground.
» Florida A&M had their highest scoring quarter in the fourth period, when they put up 14 points.
» Florida A&M converted 6 of 12 third downs while Bethune-Cookman was successful on 8 of 15.
» The Rattlers had three players with more than eight tackles in the ballgame led by Jenkins, who had 12.
» Florida A&M forced one red zone turnover in the contest.
» Florida A&M won the time of possession battle 35:23 to 24:37.
» Richardson completed 70% of his passes on the day, going 14-for-20 while averaging nine yards per attempt.
» Cam Ransom led the Wildcats passing attack, completing 11 of his 21 attempts for 196 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
» Dennis Palmer led the Bethune-Cookman rushing attack with 178 yards and three touchdowns.
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