FAMU rolls to fifth straight win
TALLAHASSEE — Ryan Stanley passed for 163 yards and three touchdowns, helping Florida A&M clobber Morgan State 38-3 on Saturday.
The victory extended FAMU’s win streak to five games and helped the Rattlers close in on a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
FAMU led 31-0 at halftime as Stanley distributed the touchdown passes to three different receivers — Chad Hunter from 22 yards, Marcus Williams from 15 and Xavier Smith from 21. DeShawn Smith rushed for 116 yards and a TD on 14 carries.
FAMU (6-2, 5-0), with its first winning season since 2011, scored early when Demontre Moore fell on a fumble in the end zone to end Morgan State’s first possession.
“Another great win for the program. First winning season since 2011. This is a huge accomplishment for these young men. They worked extremely hard and bought into what we’re trying to do here,” FAMU coach Willie Simmons told the Tallahassee Democrat.
“They’ve shown they can keep the blinders on. After a huge win two weeks ago against [North Carolina] A&T, a lot of people were patting them on the back. They could’ve come out here and overlooked Morgan State. We didn’t play perfect, but well enough to dominate the game from the beginning.”
The Bears (2-6, 1-5) scored on an Alex Raya 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
During the past five games, FAMU has outscored opponents 163-51 and can clinch a share of the MEAC title at Howard Saturday.
FAMU players spent much of the last week delivering donated aid to communities hammered by Hurricane Michael.
Stetson locks in winning season: Freshman Jareem Westcott rushed for 213 yards and five touchdowns — the last score coming on a 2-yard plunge with 1:57 left — to rally Stetson to a 56-53 victory over Davidson in Pioneer Football League action on Saturday.
The Hatters (6-1, 4-1) trailed 53-49 when Colin McGovern directed a 12-play, 74-yard drive that took 4:34 off the clock and ended with Westcott’s final score. Stetson sealed the victory when Reggie Gantt picked off a pass from Tyler Phelps with 60 seconds remaining, allowing the Hatters to run out the clock.
Westcott, who had just 17 carries, scored on 25- and 3-yard runs in the second quarter to give the Hatters a 28-17 halftime lead. Westcott, who came in with six rushing TDs on the season, added 44- and 31-yard scoring runs in the third quarter.
McGovern completed 21 of 34 passes for 336 yards and three TDs. Donald Parham had eight catches for 171 yards and a score for the Hatters, while Steven Burdette snagged seven passes for 71 yards and two TDs.
Eli Turner Jr. ran for 148 yards and a score as the Wildcats (5-4, 2-4) amassed 519 yards on the ground. James Story rushed for 117 yards and three scores, while Phelps ran for 114 yards on just nine carries. Phelps also had two passing touchdowns.
FIU clinches bowl eligibility: The FIU Panthers (6-2, 4-0 C-USA) won again on Saturday night, defeating host Western Kentucky 38-17 for their fourth consecutive victory and clinched bowl eligibility. And FIU coach Butch Davis said leaders have stepped forward.
“After last season, we lost the most dynamic leaders on our team — [linebacker] Anthony Wint on defense, [quarterback] Alex McGough on offense and Fred Russ on special teams,” Davis said after beating the Hilltoppers (1-7, 0-4).
“It’s taken several weeks for the guys that we think can be leaders to emerge — [quarterback] James Morgan has become a leader. [Defensive tackle] A.J. [Johnson] is a leader. [Middle linebacker] Sage [Lewis] is a leader.
“We’re getting some guys that now their voice matters. They’ve set a level of expectations.”