Morgan State 13, Florida A&M 10

November 1, 2008

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida A&M Rattlers dropped a 13-10 homecoming decision to the resurgent Morgan State University Bears in Bragg Memorial Stadium in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon.

FAMU (6-3, 2-3 in the MEAC), came into Saturday’s contest with the top-rated offense in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, averaging 33 points and 376 yards per game.

But the visiting Bears (6-3, 4-1 in MEAC) flexed its’ formidable defensive muscle, holding the high-flying Rattlers to 10 points - their lowest point total of the season and the fewest points since their 34-7 season-ending loss to Bethune-Cookman in last year’s Florida Classic.

The Rattlers were held to 137 total yards – 239 yards under their season per-game average on Saturday, thanks to a swarming Morgan defense that totally throttled the FAMU ground game (holding them to just 29 yards rushing), and all but grounded the league’s second-ranked aerial attack, allowing just 108 passing yards.

Morgan State finished the day with 224 yards in offense, utilizing their power running attack led by MEAC rushing leader Devan James, who rushed for 99 yards on 30 carries.

The Bears also used a three-quarterback rotatation, countering FAMU’s two-man duo of Eddie Battle and Curtis Pulley, who combined to complete 11 of 28 passes for 108 yards.

Pulley was also the club’s rushing leader with 27 yards on 13 carries, while halfback Philip Sylvester was kept at bay, held to 12 yards on nine carries.

FAMU continued its’ recent tradition of falling behind early, as James Meade booted a 40-yard field goal with 11:00 left in the first period for a 3-0 Morgan lead following a blocked FAMU punt.

The Bears extended their lead to 10-0 with 5:46 left in the second period, on a four-yard run by Devan James, before the Rattlers scored with 23 seconds left, when Curtis Pulley hit fullback Mykel Benson with a three-yard scoring toss to make the count 10-7 at intermission.

FAMU tied the score at 10-10 with 8:40 to go in the third period, when Trevor Scott connected on a 37-yard field goal.

Morgan State clinched the game with 16 seconds left on James Meade’s 39-yard field goal, capping a 41-yard, 11-play drive which ate up 6:10 of clock time.

FAMU’s LeRoy Vann returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield, but Curtis Pulley’s Hail Mary pass try was intercepted in the end zone with 1.2 seconds left.

THE RAZOR’S EDGE: The Rattlers, who have made a habit of living on the edge all season, have dropped all three of their losses this year by a combined 17 points – with all three games decided in the final quarter or overtime…. In fact, since FAMU’s 51-24 runaway at Howard on Sept. 20, five of FAMU’s last six games have been decided by 23 points….

VANN REALLY THE MAN: Junior LeRoy Vann finished the day with 143 yards in kick returns (109 on kickoffs, 34 on punts)…. His 109 kickoff yards gives him 821 kickoff return yards for the season, vaulting him into first place all-time in single-season kickoff returns, surpassing Roosevelt Kiser’s 753-yard standard set in 2006….

2008 HOPES STILL LINGER: The Rattlers (6-3) still have a shot at a winning season with three games left…. A sweep of the final three games would give the Rattlers nine wins – equaling the number of victories by the legendary Jake Gaither, who posted a 9-1 mark in his first season at FAMU in 1945 – the best-ever first-year win total for a FAMU coach….

THE MEAC HORSE RACE:  South Carolina State (7-2, 5-0) eased past defending champ Delaware State (3-5, 3-3), 23-17, to remain in sole possession of first place…. Morgan’s win over FAMU pulled them into a tie for second with Hampton (5-3, 4-1), which dropped a surprising non-conference decision to Winston-Salem State…. Morgan State put themselves in position to contend for their first MEAC title since 1979, if they can take out Norfolk State (Nov. 8), South Carolina State (Nov. 15) and Hampton (Nov. 22) – the final two games in Baltimore….

MORGAN REPEATS HISTORY: The Bears’ win at FAMU’s homecoming Saturday was their second such victory over the Rattlers…. In 1994, the Bears ambled into Bragg Stadum and pulled off a 24-20 win… Ironically, both wins came in the first seasons of new head coaches at FAMU – Billy Joe in 1994 and Joe Taylor this year…. Saturday’s homecoming setback was also the first for FAMU since that 1994 encounter with Morgan…

WHAT’S NEXT: The Rattlers have three games remaining in the 2008 campaign, starting next Saturday in Greensboro, North Carolina against North Carolina A&T (1:30), before closing out the year at home against Hampton (Nov. 15 – 1:00) and in Orlando against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (Nov. 22 – 2:00).