ATLANTA - The Florida A&M Rattlers left the Georgia Dome with another win Saturday, but it may have come at the cost of the some key players.
Senior defensive end Tyrone McGriff left the game in the third quarter with a torn biceps on his left arm, which could make him doubtful for next week's Circle City Classic in Indianapolis.
Redshirt-sophomore guard Anthony Collins went down 2:58 in the second quarter with looked like an injury to his knee. Collins, who hurt his knee two weeks ago against Howard did not play the rest of the game.
Freshman fullback Demarius Folsom went down 11:52 in the first quarter with what looked like a foot injury and did not play the rest of the game either.
Folsom, from Madison County High, was replaced by sophomore Mykel Benson, who saw his first action of the season.
Benson just returned to practice three weeks ago after recovering from a neck injury that kept him out of fall camp and the first three games of the season. Benson caught a pass for 15 yards in the first quarter.
A taste of twin towers
Freshman bookend defensive ends Kendrick Washington and Marquiste Ramos are expected to the future of FAMU's pass rush.
The future got a jump start Saturday when the two got the opportunity to play together for the first time this season.
It happened in the third quarter when senior starters Carlos Rolle and McGriff went down with injuries on the same play.
Washington and Ramos were inserted at bookends for the first time in their careers.
“It was exciting,” said Washington, who had one tackle, assisted on a tackle for loss and had a pass breakup in the game. “It was something we have been looking forward to.”
Trick plays
Offensive coordinator Bob Cole brought out a few trick plays in the first half. First he lined up quarterback Albert Chester II at wide receiver and direct-snapped the ball to running back Philip Sylvester who took it for a nine-yard gain.
Later in the second quarter, Chester lined up outside again, but this time backup quarterback Leon Camel was put in the game and took the snap in the shotgun formation.
That play didn't gain any yards, however.
Encouraging wordsFAMU senior kicker Wesley Taylor was happy to win Saturday, but admitted he felt some sympathy for Tennessee State Eric Benson, who missed the potential game-winning field goal with eight seconds left in the fourth quarter.
“It's a tough situation for a kicker to be in,” Taylor. “I've never had that happen to me in a game, but I know what he is going through. I talked to him after the game and told him to keep his head up.”
Taylor had his struggles Saturday, missing a field-goal attempt and an extra-point kick but will end his career having never lost in the Georgia Dome.
Last year Taylor kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime, earning MVP honors.
Safety valve
An errant snap in the second quarter that resulted in a safety turned out the be the points difference in the game.
Tennessee State's center sent the ball sailing into the end zone when he thought he saw quarterback Antonio Heffner move his foot.
Tennessee State head football coach James Webster said the offense had to use a silent snap count because of crowd noise.
Heffner was stepping up to the line to call an audible, which confused the center.
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