RattlerFootballMediaPak SPECIAL CLASSIC EDITION The Florida A&M Rattlers versus The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Saturday, November 19, 2016 * Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida * 2:03 p.m. ET * ESPNClassic / ESPNU 2016 FLORIDA A&M FOOTBALL MEDIA PAK * www.FAMUAthletics.com 1 A Florida Classic History The season-ending showdown has become one of the top attended games in NCAA Division I FCS each year The Florida Classic is more born of a rivalry that has stretch made the game a hot than just a football game and had all the angst and intensity of ticket to get. more than an in-state rivalry. a World Wrestling At one stretch in the late 1990s It is now one of the largest Federation storyline. and 2000s, the Florida Classic football games between two There have been disputes had revived to the point that it historically Black Colleges over game sites, disputes had surpassed the lofty status of in America, at one time sur- that resulted in the series being the Bayou Classic. passing the Bayou Classic suspended for two years (1983, between Grambling and 1984), not to •The 1997 season saw a Southern in New Orleans. mention Bethune-Cookman’s change of venue for the Eight straight crowds from revival to make the series a Florida Classic, as the 1999 to 2006 of 70,000 or more competitive one in the last two schools moved the – the Classic has now drawn in few years. game to Orlando’s excess of 1.8 million fans since With a friendly venue (Or- Florida Citrus Bowl 1978 – has helped make the lando), highly regarded pro- Stadium. game one of the top drawing grams in both That year’s affair was a contests in NCAA Division Tallahassee and Daytona rousing success, as 56,351 I FCS annually. Beach, crowds in excess of fans swarmed into the The Florida Classic is 70,000 during an eight-year Citrus Bowl. 2 2016 FLORIDA A&M FOOTBALL MEDIA PAK * www.FAMUAthletics.com •But that 1997 crowd was larger venues. Rattlers derailed the ‘Cats shot at an eclipsed in 1998, when Sites like the Florida Citrus unbeaten regular season with a 38-27 66,245 packed the stadium Bowl in Orlando, the Daytona win in 2010. for the game which International Speedway and determined the 1998 Doak Campbell Stadium in 2016: This year’s matchup features a MEAC Championship Tallahassee were the sites resurgent FAMU team seeking to cap and postseason invitations. of some of those “home” off a 2016 season of redemption with a •In 1999, the Classic drew games before the two victory, while the Wildcats, who 70,125 fans to Orlando, the schools agreed on a struggled early with massive injuries, sixth-largest football event permanent site - Tampa - seem to be on the road to recovery at a ever held in the Florida in 1978. most opportune time. Citrus Bowl. In that first game in Can’t wait till Saturday!!!! •But even that attendance 1978, Florida A&M was overshadowed by the turned a 17-0 halftime FLORIDA CLASSIC 2000 Mid-Eastern Athletic deficit into a scintillating SCORECARD Conference title game, come-from-behind 27-17 Attendance Since 1978 which drew 70,719, for a win enroute to the Year Att. Score 31-28 thriller won by the inaugural NCAA Division 2003 73,358* B-CC 39, FAMU 35 Rattlers. 2006 71,216* FAMU 35, B-CU 21 I-AA (now FCS) title. 2004 71,153* B-CC 58, FAMU 52, OT •The 2003 contest saw the The series began in 1925, 2000 70,719* FAMU 31, B-CC 28 Classic reach the pinnacle with Florida A&M winning 2002 70,201* B-CC 37, FAMU 10 of popularity, as a record 25-0. B-CC’s first win came 1999 70,125* FAMU 63, B-CC 14 73,358 fans packed the a year later, 12-0 in 1926. 2001 70,112* FAMU 31, B-CC 21 Florida Citrus Bowl. At one stretch, the 2005 70,112* FAMU 26, B-CC 23, OT Florida A&M holds an Rattlers won 19 straight 1998 66,245* FAMU 50, B-CC 14 21-15 edge in the meetings games including a trio of 2007 65,367* B-CU 34, FAMU 7 since the instate rivalry sheer torch jobs in 1959, 2010 61,712 *FAMU 38, B-CU 27 2008 60,712* FAMU 58, B-CU 35 moved from a home-and home 1960 and 1961 with scores scenario to an annual 2011 60,218 *B-CU 26, FAMU 16 of 68-6, 97-0 and 76-0. 2009 59,418 *FAMU 42, B-CU 6 neutral site spectacular in The two schools went 1997 56,351* FAMU 52, B-CC 35 Tampa Stadium in 1978. through a two-year 1988 50,259@ B-CC 25, FAMU 0 hiatus in 1983 and 1981 45,964@ FAMU 29, B-CC 0 Overall, the Rattlers 1984, when they could 2015 45,728*B-CU 35, FAMU 14 lead the 66-game series, not agree on a playing 2013 45,321* B-CU 29, FAMU 10 48-20-1. site. 1989 43,703@ FAMU 30, B-CC 7 Bethune-Cookman has But public pressure 1980 43,281@ B-CC 16, FAMU 14 made the series more from alumni, fans and 1990 42,776@ FAMU 42, B-CC 20 1978 42,061@ FAMU 27, B-CC 17 competitive since 1973, state officials brought 1987 41,521@ FAMU 21, B-CC 10 winning 17 of their 20 them back to the 1985 41,358@ B-CC 31, FAMU 27 series victories during that negotiating table and they 2014 41,126* B-CU 18, FAMU 17/OT span, including a first-ever resumed the series in 1985. 1992 40,714@ B-CC 35, FAMU 21 three-game win streak from The renewal of the 1991 40,259@ FAMU 46, B-CC 28 2002 to 2004, and now a five- rivalry was as good as it 1979 40,253@ B-CC 25, FAMU 20 game string running since 2011. gets, as Bethune- 1982 39,160@ FAMU 29, B-CC 14 Despite the obvious FAMU Cookman won a wild 1986 38,204@ FAMU 16, B-CC 6 dominance of the series shootout, 31-27 in 1985. 1995 37,006@ FAMU 43, B-CC 0 overall, the two schools drew The Wildcats won four straight 1994 36,813@ B-CC 27, FAMU 24 ever-increasing crowds in the 2012 32,317 *B-CU 21, FAMU 16 games in the series under the 1993 31,264@ FAMU 27, B-CC 22 1970s until they had to abandon leadership of the mercurial 1996 31,208@ FAMU 41, B-CC 7 their home stadiums for coach Brian Jenkins, after the @Tampa; *Orlando 2016 FLORIDA A&M FOOTBALL MEDIA PAK * www.FAMUAthletics.com 3 QBQB RYANRYAN STANLEYSTANLEY WasWas namednamed MEACMEAC RookieRookie ofof thethe WeekWeek forfor thethe thirdthird timetime thisthis seasonseason Monday.Monday. 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HeHe isis nownow onon thethe JerryJerry RiceRice AwardAward WatchWatch ListList ratingrating thethe toptop freshmenfreshmen inin FCSFCS 4 2016 FLORIDA A&M FOOTBALL MEDIA PAK * www.FAMUAthletics.com Rattler Football 2016 FLORIDA A&M ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Gaither Office Center * Suite 204 * 1835 Wahnish Way * Tallahassee, FL 32307 GAME 11 FAMU vs. Bethune-Cookman Showdown In O-Town: FAMU vs. B-CU Saturday, Nov. 19 * 2:03 p.m. ET GAME DAY WEATHER Camping World Stadium (85,000) * Orlando, FL Accuweather predicts Saturday’s TALE OF THE TAPE weather in Orlando will be partly cloudy and warm, with a high of 80, and lows in the mid 50s. 2016 FAMU SCORECARD: 4-6,4-3 FAMU B-CU 09-03 @Miami^ L,3-70 Record... 4-6, 4-3 MEAC Record...3-5, 3-3 MEAC 09-10 @Coastal Carolina L,10-49 Ntl Rank ..............None Ntl Rank............None 09-17 Tuskegee** L, 17-20 Pts/Game .......... 18.7 Pts/Game .........25.8 RATTLERS ON THE AIR (5th Quarter Classic - Mobile, AL) Pts Allowed/PG ....32.2 Pts Allowed/PG ...25.6 09-24 S.C. STATE* L, 14-48 Rush Yds/Gm ....105.3 Rush Yds/Gm .161.0 TV: Saturday’s game will air live 10-01 SAVANNAH STATE* W,19-14 Pass Yds/Gm .....190.0 Pass Yds/Gm ..188.2 nationally in ESPNClassic and 10-08 @ N.C. Central * L,13-17 Total Off/Gm .... 295.3 Total Off/Gm ..350.0 ESPN3.com. Total Def/Gm ....379.0 Total Def/Gm .357.0 10-15 @ Delaware State* W, 41-27 10-22 HAMPTON* W, 31-14 PLAYERS TO WATCH RADIO: WHBX-FM 96.1 JAMZ, is the (Homecoming Game) flagship station for the Rattler Radio 10-29 @North Carolina A&T* L,17-42 Network. The Alex Wood Pregame Show 11-12 MORGAN STATE* W,22-21 will air 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Joshua 11-19 Bethune-Cookman*% 2:03 PM FAMU B-CU Jackson (By-Play), Michael Thomas (Expert (Florida Blue Florida Classic) RUSHING RUSHING Analyst) will describe the action. @-Away Games; ^-ESPN3.com; #-ESPNU; *- Devin Bowers, RB J.Thompkins, RB Conference Games; %-Florida Blue Florida Classic, 92c, 358yds,3 TD, 54.0pg 54 carries, 303 yards, 4 TDs COACHES’ SHOW: The Alex Wood ESPNClassic/ESPN3/ESPNU Show, a 30-minute recap of the week’s PASSING PASSING action, hosted by Elton Gumbel, will air RATTLER QUICK BITES Ryan Stanley, QB Larry Brihm, QB statewide in Florida on FOX SPORTS ONE (Thurs. @ FAMU is gunning to win their final two 117-202-4I, 1,214yds.