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FAMU football at Miami: Will the reigning HBCU champs upset one of the nation's top teams?

gerald thomas iii, tallahassee democrat
·4 min read

Florida A&M football is headed to Miami.

On Saturday, the Rattlers (2-0) take on the Miami Hurricanes (1-0) for a non-conference game at Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium.

FAMU is the 24th-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll. Miami is 12th among Football Bowl Championship teams in the latest AP poll.

Saturday’s Week 2 game between FAMU and Miami kicks off at 6 p.m. Fans who can’t attend the game can watch it on ESPN Plus/ACC Network or listen to the Rattlers mobile app audio broadcast.

FAMU is fresh off a 22-18 comeback win over South Carolina State last week. It was the Rattlers’ home opener.

Meanwhile, Miami handily defeated Florida 41-17 in Gainesville in its season opener.

Let’s get familiar with the Rattlers and Hurricanes and predict the winner of Saturday’s FCS vs. FBS matchup.

Florida A&M at Miami: Tale of the Tape

Records

  • FAMU (2-0) ― Last Game: W, 22-18 vs South Carolina State

  • Miami (1-0) ― Last Game: W, 41-17 vs Florida

Coaches

  • FAMU: James Colzie III (2-0 at FAMU/NCAA level)

  • Miami: Mario Cristobal (75-73 all-time, 13-13 at Miami)

Players to Watch

  • FAMU: Thad Franklin Jr., Running Back; Michael Oppong, Defensive Back

  • Miami: Cam Ward, Quarterback; Mishael Powell, Safety

Team Historical Accolades

  • FAMU: 17 claimed national championships (16 Black College, one NCAA Division I-AA)

  • Miami: Five claimed national championships

All-Time Series

  • Miami leads the all-time series 10-1

Last Matchup

  • Miami 70, FAMU 3 (2016)

Meet the Teams: Florida A&M at Miami

Florida A&M Rattlers head coach James Colzie III coaches the FAMU v South Carolina State game Thursday, August 31 2024.
Florida A&M Rattlers head coach James Colzie III coaches the FAMU v South Carolina State game Thursday, August 31 2024.

FAMU football is under first-year head coach James Colzie III.

Colzie has begun his stint with the Rattlers 2-0. His inaugural Rattlers opened their 2024 season with two comeback victories over Norfolk State (24-23) and, most recently, South Carolina State (22-18) last week.

Daniel Richardson has starred as the Rattlers quarterback, compiling a 66 completion percentage, 568 passing yards, and six touchdowns.

Richardson was named Stats Perform’s first-ever HBCU Plus National Player of the Week for his showing against South Carolina State. Richardson also picked up Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors alongside his teammate, Rattlers defensive back Michael Oppong, who won the award defensively.

For Miami, the Hurricanes are looking to return to their former glory. The Hurricanes have a legitimate chance to win their first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference title and earn an automatic bid to the 12-team College Football Playoff under third-year head coach Mario Cristobal.

Miami transfer quarterback Cam Ward lived up to his ACC Preseason Player of the Year nod in his first game with the Hurricanes.

In the Hurricanes’ 41-17 blowout over the Florida Gators, Ward completed 74 percent of his passes (26 of 35) for 385 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Ward also added 33 rushing yards on three attempts. He was named one of the ACC’s Players of the Week.

The win over Florida moved Miami from 19th to 12th in the AP poll.

Who will win? Florida A&M at Miami

FAMU is doing all it can to prepare for Miami, such as pumping crowd noise into its practices.

FAMU may give Miami a run for its money to make it an interesting start.

However, depth will play a part in the Rattlers’ game versus the Hurricanes. And it won’t be in FAMU’s favor.

Expect the Hurricanes to put some scores on the board with Ward continuing his campaign to win ACC Player of the Year and the Heisman trophy.

FAMU will get some scores, too, with Richardson surging at quarterback.

But it won’t be enough.

The biggest thing is for the Rattlers to come out of Saturday healthy entering a bye week.

Miami 44, FAMU 17

BOLD PREDICTION: FAMU will block field goal or punt by Miami.

Florida A&M (2-0) at Miami (1-0) ― Week 2

Florida A&M coach James Colzie III leads his team onto the field during the Cricket MEAC-SWAC Challenge NCAA college football game against Norfolk State in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024.
Florida A&M coach James Colzie III leads his team onto the field during the Cricket MEAC-SWAC Challenge NCAA college football game against Norfolk State in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024.

When: Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time

Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida

Broadcast: ESPN Plus/ACC Network, Rattlers mobile app

Tickets: Purchase Here

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: FAMU football vs Miami predictions: Can the Rattlers stun the Hurricanes?