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The 2024 Florida A season
On August 24, the Rattlers will kick off the new year in the Week 0 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Norfolk State at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta.
The Rattlers will play 12 regular seasons in 2024.
Last season, FAMU won the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Celebration Bowl titles to capture the program’s 16th Black College National Championship.
The Rattlers have similar good fortune under first-year head coach James Colzie III.
Here are the predictions game by game and the best and worst case for the Rattlers.
August 24: vs. Norfolk State (MEAC/SWAC Challenge) in Atlanta: FAMU 23 (W), Norfolk 7
August 31 – vs. South Carolina State: FAMU 28 (W), SCSU 13
September 7: at Miami: Miami 40, FAMU 17 (L)
September 21: at Troy: Troy 31, FAMU 14 (L)
September 28: Vs Alabama A
Oct. 5: Alabama State: FAMU 21(W), ASU 10
Oct. 19 at Jackson State: JSU 17, FAMU Thirteen (L)
Oct. 26: vs. Southern: FAMU 24 (W), Southern 9
Nov. 2: vs. Texas Southern: FAMU 31 (W), Texas Southern 10
November 9 at Prairie View A
November vs. Mississippi Valley: FAMU 28 (W), MVSU 7
Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman (Florida Classic): FAMU 23 (W), B-CU 12
Overall Record Prediction: 9-3 (7-1 SWAC)
FAMU will be his fourth consecutive season with nine wins, dating back to 2019.
The Rattlers will start strong in their first two games against Middle Eastern Athletic Conference foes Norfolk State and South Carolina State.
FAMU will drop its next two games against the conflicting Football Bowl Subdivision matches, Miami and Troy, on the road before two wins in its first two SWAC games against Alabama A.
After a bye week, FAMU will head to Jackson State’s Veteran Memorial Stadium, a position the Rattlers haven’t visited since 2014. This game would be the Rattlers’ adversity in 2024 and their only SWAC loss.
However, the final results could go either way as Jackson State is also coming off a bye week for this game.
FAMU will respond to Jackson State’s result by completing its season with a convincing five-game winning streak, culminating with victory over Bethune-Cookman for the fourth consecutive year in the Florida Classic.
The Rattlers will also have their second-longest home winning streak in the country by winning all five of their games at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium for 24 straight wins.
A 9-3 overall record and a 7-1 SWAC result will still be enough for the Rattlers to host the SWAC Championship and have a chance to triumph in the Celebration Bowl.
FAMU’s top is 10-2 overall, with SWAC’s best record of 8-0.
To finish 10-2 (8-0 SWAC), the Rattlers will have to overcome their October challenge by defeating SWAC foes Alabama State, Jackson State and Southern. Those games could have playoff implications.
A 10-2 season will place the Rattlers in the SWAC championship game on Dec. 7. And if SWAC East continues to dominate SWAC West, the Rattlers will play in the Celebration Bowl against MEAC’s most productive team on Dec. 14.
The Rattlers’ home field is 8-4 overall with a 6-2 record in the SWAC.
However, the only way for FAMU to finish this point is by losing two of the 3 critical games in October against Alabama State, Jackson State and Southern. FAMU will most likely lose on the road at Alabama State and Jackson State. south on Bragg.
Finishing 8-4 overall and 6-2 at the SWAC can put the Rattlers in a SWAC East playoff scenario that would leave them scrambling and hoping to earn a spot in the HBCU football playoffs.
If FAMU finishes the regular season 6-2 in the SWAC but advances to the SWAC naming game, there is an aggregate where the Rattlers would likely have to face their SWAC West opponent for that.
But at least the Celebration Bowl would still be an event for the reigning national champions of black college football.
August 24 Norfolk State at the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta* at 7:30 p. m. , ABC
Aug. 31 v. State of South Carolina, 6 p. m. m. , ESPN
September 7 at Miami, 6 p. m. , ACC Network
September 21 in Troy, 7 p. m. Eastern Time, ESPN
September 28 vs. Alabama A
October 5th in the state of Alabama, 3 p. m. ET, ESPN+
Oct. 19 at Jackson State, 3:30 p. m. ET, ESPN
Oct. 26 vs. Southern, 7 p. m. , ESPN Network
Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (HOMECOMING), p. m. , ESPN
November Ninth at Prairie View A
November vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1 p. m. , HBCU GO
Nov. 23 Bethune-Cookman at the Florida Classic, Orlando*, 3:30 p. m. , ESPN Network
November 30: FCS playoffs begin
December 7: SWAC Championship, LOCATION/TEAMS TBD, ESPN2
Dec. 14: Celebration Bowl, Atlanta*, TEAMS TBC, 12 p. m. , ABC
GRAS = SWAC
* = neutral site
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida University A sports
Nobody covers the Rattlers like the Tallahassee Democrat. Subscribe to the link at the top of the page and never miss a moment.
This article originally appeared in Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Predictions for Football 2024, the Rattlers’ Most Productive and Worst Scenarios