Willie Simmons had proclaimed leading up to the Orange Blossom Classic that Florida A&M was a different, more mature football team than the one that was humbled by Jackson State in consecutive seasons.
Sure, the Rattlers had lost the likes of wide receiver Xavier Smith and defensive end Isaiah Land. But FAMU had quarterback Jeremy Moussa in his second year in the offense and three other All-SWAC talents in defensive backs Javan Morgan and Kendall Bohler and wide receiver Marcus Riley.
This was supposed to be the team that finally got over the Jackson State hump and win the SWAC East. After all, the Rattlers were picked to win the division in a preseason poll.
The first quarter of its Orange Blossom Classic matchup versus Jackson State showed just how different the Rattlers had been.
It started with Riley, who took the opening kickoff 96 yards for an electric touchdown — the first for FAMU against Jackson State since 2018.
On the next two Florida A&M offensive possessions, Moussa threw consecutive TD passes to Trevonte Davis and Jah’Marae Sheread to build a shocking 21-0 lead in what eventually was a 28-10 win on Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
“Proud of these guys by the way they came together over the last eight months,” Simmons said after the game. “This is the start of a special year because we have the talent.
“We just have to continue to grow and put it all together.”
Moussa finished the game 10 of 20 for 146 yards and 2 TDs. Sheread tallied 95 yards on three returns, flipping the field on each touch. A trio of FAMU running backs totaled 211 yards on 41 attempts between Terrell Jennings, Jaquez Yant and Kelvin Dean.
On the other side, Jason Brown, who had a historic debut for Jackson State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge against South Carolina State, never found his rhythm. The Virginia Tech transfer went 10 of 19 for 82 yards before being replaced by backup Zy McDonald, who went 10 of 14 for 149 yards and a 66-yard TD pass to Rico Powers.
