He might be the preseason all-conference quarterback, but it was the legs of Florida A&M quarterback Curtis Pulley that did the most damage In a 21-12 Rattlers win over Delaware State in both teams’ football opener Saturday in Tallahassee. Riley led the way with 196 yards rushing and a 47-yard touchdown scamper to lead Florida A&M to the win, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Hornets in the process.
FAMU dominated the time of possession, 35:28 to 24:32, rushing for 328 yards overall and putting up 485 total yards to Delaware State’s 274. Anthony Glaud was 17 of 32 for 188 yards and a 31-yard touchdown pass in his first start at QB for the Hornets. Jason Randall led the team in rushing with 54 yards and scored his first career TD on a 4-yard run with 12 minutes to play. Darius Jackson, playing in front of dozens of relatives in his home state, caught seven passes for 67 yards.
Notable items from FAMU's win
Saturday's attendance for the opening game of the 2009 season was 17,209, which was impressive considering Florida A&M had sold less than 200 walk-up tickets as of Wednesday evening. Bryan Parker was the leading tackler for Florida A&M and his fumble recovery with 4:04 remaining sealed the game. The senior from Randlestown, Maryland had 11 tackles.
Rattlers snag win in opener
Curtis Pulley didn't run for a single yard until late in the first quarter, but when his night was done it was just a typical performance by the senior quarterback that led FAMU's rushing attack to a 21-12 victory over Delaware State. Pulley rushed for 196 yards, accounting for more than half of the Rattlers yards on the ground, in front an opening-night crowd of 17,209 at Bragg Stadium. The victory snapped a four-game losing skid against the Hornets that dates back to the 2003 season.
Rally comes too late for DSU
15-point deficit too much to overcome in second half...Delaware State's football team had not trailed Florida A&M since 2003, but played catch-up to the Rattlers all Saturday night. The Hornets' four-game winning streak over FAMU ended in a 21-12 loss at Bragg Memorial Stadium, thanks to a costly late fumble and 328 Rattlers rushing yards, including 196 from quarterback Curtis Pulley. "We got ourselves behind the 8-ball early," Delaware State coach Al Lavan said. "Even in the third and fourth quarters, we managed to get some stops on defense, but we gave up too many big running plays to [Pulley]."
DSU quarterback Anthony Glaud tried to erase a 15-point second-half deficit and came close. He led the Hornets (0-1, 0-1 MEAC) on a seven-play, 54-yard scoring drive that ended with Jason Randall's four-yard touchdown run and cut FAMU's lead to nine. "We sat down and talked at halftime and kind of slowed things down so we could execute better," Glaud said. "We had guys dropping the ball a little bit and guys started catching the ball and making plays. We all picked it up."
For DSU, Michigan game good for money, visibility
The coaches and players at 3,534-student Delaware State know their chances of winning at mighty Michigan later this season are slim at best. But they also understand why their program will make the trip: a $550,000 pay day. At Delaware State, that's equivalent to the revenue from at least two years of home games. "From a competitive standpoint, it's not an ideal situation," says Delaware State football coach Al Lavan. But, "you always have hope." The Hornets aren't alone. Throughout the football season that begins this weekend, so-called guarantee games -- where lesser programs are paid lots of money in exchange for a presumed loss -- are common. The larger, better-funded programs in effect have an easy home game with more players seeing action.
Hornets lose football opener at Florida A&M
Delaware State’s football team had not trailed Florida A&M since 2003, but played catch-up to the Rattlers all night. The Hornets’ four-game winning streak over FAMU ended tonight in a 21-12 loss at Bragg Memorial Stadium, thanks to a costly late fumble and 246 Rattlers rushing yards. “We got ourselves behind the 8-ball early,” Delaware State coach Al Lavan said. “Even in the third and fourth quarters, we managed to get some stops on defense, but we gave up too many big running plays to (FAMU quarterback Curtis Pulley). “Essentially, that’s what happened last year, though we won,” Lavan added. “The pattern just continued.”
Photo Galleries
FAMU vs. Delaware State pregame
FAMU Pregame
FAN CAM - FAMU vs. Delaware State
FAMU vs. Delaware State first half
FAMU 21 Delaware State 12
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