FAMU football bye week: Here's what the Rattlers are brushing up on at practice
This week is all about Florida A&M.
The Rattlers are on their first bye week of the 2024 football season.
FAMU sits comfortably with a 2-1 record and a 22nd ranking in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll. The Rattlers’ 2-1 mark is the best amongst the Southwestern Athletic Conference teams.
The Rattlers last game ended in a 56-9 loss at the Miami Hurricanes, the 12th-best team in the Football Bowl Subdivision in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll rankings.
FAMU beat Norfolk State 24-23 in Week 0 and South Carolina State 22-18 in Week 1.
FAMU football will return to action against another FBS team, Troy, on Sept. 21 for a Week 4 game.
Here’s what the Rattlers are working on at their bye week practices before their next game.
FAMU football being drilled on ball security to halt turnover problem
Ball security is job security.
FAMU hasn’t done a good job of holding on to the football.
The Rattlers have fumbled six times, losing three in three games. That’s two fumbles per game.
FAMU also tossed its first interceptions last Saturday, tallying three against Miami.
“Ball security falls on wins and losses. We’ve been doing more ball security drills in practice,” FAMU quarterback Daniel Richardson said at Tuesday’s practice. “I got to do a better job in the air. And ball carriers have to do a better job protecting it.”
The essential skill of ball security may have gotten lost in the shuffle during the transition from training camp to the regular season.
So, FAMU head coach James Colzie III is taking things back to square one, drilling his ball carriers by having defenders attempt to punch the ball out of their hands.
Colzie added that some of his defensive players did ball security drills, too.
“Just working on keeping the ball high and tight,” Colzie said.
“Just some basic things that you work on day one but may have taken for granted for the last couple of weeks. This is something we needed to work on. We wanted to get back to the beginning and get back to the fundamentals.”
FAMU football's defense battling to force first turnover of season
The FAMU defense hasn’t forced any turnovers yet.
The Rattlers plan to change that very soon.
FAMU All-American cornerback Kendall Bohler said he and his fellow defensive backs are battling to determine who will be responsible for the season’s first interception. Bohler said Deco Wilson is advocating for the safeties while Jameel Sanders represents the nickelbacks.
The friendly competition between teammates and defensive line pressure could lead to FAMU being one of the top turnover defenses, as it was last year.
“Once you catch one pick, it gets contagious a little bit. We’re waiting on our first one, and it’ll keep rolling in from there on,” Bohler said.
In FAMU’s game versus Miami, the Rattlers gave up the game’s initial touchdowns on blown coverages.
While Colzie felt his team did well with the sound at Hard Rock Stadium, communication remains a talking point for improvement.
“We’re just making sure we’re working on our nonverbal signals,” Colzie said.
FAMU football prioritizing health during bye week
FAMU gets two bye weeks this season since it played a Week 0 game.
The first one is now ― Week 3 before FAMU plays Troy next Saturday. The Rattlers’ next break is in Week 7, sandwiched between two critical SWAC games versus Alabama State (Oct. 5) and Jackson State (Oct. 19).
“Thankful it came a little early in the season to get our bodies right for Troy,” Bohler said.
FAMU has had three physical games with Norfolk State, South Carolina State, and Miami.
FAMU will have some days reserved for treatment. The Rattlers will also remain in the weight room, overseen by FAMU Director of Sports Performance Cole Forney.
“This week is just really getting our bodies back. We had a hard-fought game this weekend, as everybody knows,” Richardson said.
“Getting in the training room, the weight room, getting stronger. Coach Forney does a great job with us.”
Florida A&M Rattlers 2024 Football Schedule
Sept. 21 at Troy, 7 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Sept. 28 vs. Alabama A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Oct. 5 at Alabama State, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Oct. 19 at Jackson State, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN Network
Oct. 26 vs. Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (HOMECOMING), 4 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 9 at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Nov. 16 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1 p.m., HBCU GO
Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman in Florida Classic, Orlando*, 3:30 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 30: FCS Playoffs Begin
Dec. 7: SWAC Championship, LOCATION/TEAMS TBA, ESPN2
Dec. 14: Celebration Bowl, Atlanta*, TEAMS TBA, 12 p.m., ABC
BOLD = SWAC
* = Neutral Site
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Here's what FAMU football is emphasizing during bye week before Troy
