Florida A&M 37, Tennessee State 24

ATLANTA, Ga. (Sept. 28) – The Florida A&M Rattlers ran their record to 4-1 on the 2002 season with a 37-24 win over Tennessee State Saturday afternoon in the 14th annual Atlanta Football Classic, sponsored by Georgia Power.

The game, played before a record 67,167 fans at the Georgia Dome, witnessed the Rattlers build a 20-3 lead after one quarter and hold a 30-10 halftime advantage, before a talented Tigers’ club rallied to score two fourth quarter touchdowns to pull close at the end.

Senior quarterback Reggie Hayes of FAMU was more poised and efficient in his second career collegiate start, hitting 15 of 21 passes for 213 yards and three TDs, while leading the Rattlers in rushing with 62 yards on 14 carries and a TD.

Split end Marco Junious had five catches for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while fellow senior Charlie Allen was a favorite Hayes’ target, with seven catches for 71 yards.

Defensively, the Rattlers played 34 minutes, but made enough big plays to keep the Tigers (1-4) at bay until the offense had built a big lead.

Linebacker Joe Sanders (3) and defensive end Jeff Green (4) combined for seven of the Rattlers’ 16 tackles for loss in the game. They harassed TSU freshman quarterback Dwayne Buchanan, who found his groove in the fourth period, tossing scoring strikes of 11 and 65 yards to give his Tigers faint hope.

BROWN UP TO SEVEN PICKS
But the story of the day on defense was Rattler safety Levy Brown, who had six tackles, one for loss, three pass breakups, an interception (his seventh of the year) and a 96-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown.

Brown’s third quarter pick (he had hands on two others) tied him with Curtis Parnell (1975, 1976) who had seven picks both seasons. Don Jefferson (1984) and William Carroll (1990) jointly hold the single-season record of nine (9) interceptions.

Carroll, the school’s career interception leader with 23 (1988-91), also had eight (8) interceptions in 1991.

PRINTERS SET TO RETURN
FAMU returns to Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee with a four-game win streak facing a stretch of five straight conference games. The first three will be at home beginning this weekend against South Carolina State (7:00 EDT) in the Orange Blossom Classic.

Heralded quarterback Casey Printers, who has been nursing a high ankle sprain (left ankle) the past two weeks, is expected to be at full strength for the beginning of this stretch run which includes Howard (Oct. 12), North Carolina A&T (Oct. 19), Norfolk State (at Norfolk, Oct. 26), Hampton (Nov. 2), plus non-conference Troy State (Nov. 9 in Mobile) and Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 23 in Orlando).

LORDEUS MAY BE LOST
Doctors will examine senior running back Kelsie Lordeus this week to determine if the early diagnosis of a knee injury suffered on the game’s opening kickoff is accurate.

Lordeus, the club’s leading rusher a year ago (745 yards, nine (9) TDs) was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA just two weeks ago and was poised to start against Tennessee State.

An exam conducted at the Georgia Dome, where the NFL Atlanta Falcons play, indicated ligament damage of some degree, which could effectively end his college career.

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