FAMU enters Classic controlling its destiny

TALLAHASSEE — What a difference a year has made for Florida A&M University’s football team.

Last season — the last few seasons, in fact — the Rattlers went into the annual Florida Blue Florida Classic against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats with nothing to play for.

All that was there for FAMU was the opportunity to spoil the season of their archrival.

This season, under the leadership of new coach Willie Simmons, the Rattlers are playing for something FAMU’s football program hasn’t had since 2010 — a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. When FAMU plays BethuneCookman on Saturday at Camping World Stadium, it’ll be about more than trying to end a bad season on a positive note.

A win would give FAMU the conference title and send the Rattlers to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl in Atlanta for the first time in school history.

Championship aspirations and bowl game dreams aside, Simmons said there was only one topic of conversation when he was hired before the start of the 2018 season.

The Rattlers are riding a seven-game losing streak in the Florida Classic. One more loss and BethuneCookman will own the longest win streak in the series between the two teams.

“You want to check my cell phone? The texts I’ve gotten this week?” Simmons said with a laugh when he was asked how personal this rivalry is for him.

“We understand the magnitude of this game. The moment I took the job,

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Florida Blue Florida Classic: the talk wasn’t winning the MEAC championship. The talk wasn’t going to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. The talk was ending this seven-year losing streak. Every Rattler has had to endure this for seven straight years. To go to work on Monday and hear all the Bethune-Cookman Wildcat fans talk trash about the game.

“That’s been the talk for the last year. I understand that. Growing up in these parts, you have to understand that.”

While he embraces the pressure, Simmons was adamant during his press conference Tuesday he didn’t want his players buying too much into the hype of the game.

“We just focus on what needs to be done to be our very best, the rest will take care of itself,” Simmons said.

The Rattlers have been one of the best teams in the conference for most of the season.

FAMU is 6-4 and 5-1 in conference play — the team has already secured its first winning season since 2011 — and brought down MEAC titan North Carolina A&T earlier in the season.

The Rattlers control their own destiny. For the first time in years, FAMU is in the driver’s seat.

Simmons doesn’t plan on changing what’s gotten the Rattlers this far.

“Our approach to coaching can’t change because it’s championship week, because everything’s on the table,” he said. “We have to believe in the process.”