Photo: Gregory Clark, RS Sophomore, 5-8/180 Corner back, Tampa, FL Durant H.S., runs back ball against Hampton University in November 2007 game.The Joe Taylor era of Florida A&M football will debut at Bragg Memorial Stadium Aug. 30 against Alabama State. The Alabama State game is one of five home games the Rattlers have on their 2008 football schedule released Friday afternoon.
"It's a competitive schedule and features a nice mixture of home and road games," Taylor said. "With three of the six away games on neutral sites, I would say it is a competitive, but balanced schedule."
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2008 FLORIDA A&M FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
August 30 ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY, @ Tallahassee, FL
September 6 at *Delaware State @ Dover, DE
September 13 Bye
September 20 at *Howard University@Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA
September 27 vs. Tennessee State at Georgia Dome (Atlanta Football Classic), Atlanta, GA
October 4 Open
October 11 *WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY @ Tallahassee, FL
October 18 *SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY @ Tallahassee, FL
October 25 at *Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA
November 1 *MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (Homecoming) @ Tallahassee, FL
November 8 at *North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
November 15 *HAMPTON UNIVERSITY @ Tallahassee, FL
November 22 *Bethune Cookman University @ Orlando, FL - Citrus Bowl (Florida Classic)
Bold: home game; * MEAC game
Joe Taylor should go undefeated in his first season as head of the Rattlers program. The most critical game that will determine this outcome will be September 6, at Delaware State. Not that we are taking any of the MEAC opponents for granted, but a Joe Taylor coached team will come prepared to play and will be well conditioned.
The greater disappointment here are no games with Football Bowl Championship programs, no Southern Jaguars game and no game with a ranked Football Champion Subdivision program. Teams are permitted to play twelve games this season and FAMU has decided to fore go a potential home game payday on September 13 or October 4. Why?
MEAC fans will have to satisfy their thirst for David versus Goliath by watching the South Carolina State University games vs. University of Central Florida and Clemson; or Norfolk State University at University of Kentucky and Delaware State at Kent State.
Florida A&M has not signed one football or basketball player from the Atlanta area in the past five years, so what is the reason the Rattlers continue to play Tennessee State at this NFL venue? It certainly has not helped the Rattler recruiting efforts for student-athletes.
Tennessee State University home games are played at the Tennessee Titans venue, LP Field, which seats approximately 68,798 fans. It's time for the FAMU athletic director to work a deal for a home and Florida neutral site (home) game with the Tennessee State Tigers for 2009.
More importantly, FAMU athletic director Bill Hayes need to understand that Rattler Nation is not satisfied with having the dean of black college coaches, Joe Taylor, playing a typical cupcake schedule with no diversity and no Football Championship Subdivision (1-AA) powerhouses on the schedule. Why make Joe Taylor the highest paid football coach in HBCU football ($237,000 annually) if you are not moving the program towards national supremacy?
No doubt, FAMU schedule should have included a Georgia Southern, Wofford, Troy University, Florida Atlantic, University of Alabama-Birmingham or University of Central Florida, schools within a short bus ride to the Rattlers campus.
This football schedule does not make a strong argument for an at-large playoff berth nor does it lay the foundation for multiple teams from the MEAC making the FCS Playoffs in 2008. We would be hard pressed to see a 9-2 FAMU team in the playoffs with this weak schedule, especially if ASU and TSU have .500 seasons. A one loss season in the MEAC should knock FAMU out of the playoffs, as Delaware State, Norfolk State and South Carolina State strength of schedule are superior to FAMU's.
An 8-3 mark is definitely a ticket to stay at home for the holidays, but a great improvement over the 3-8 Rattler record of 2007.
-beepbeep
"It's a competitive schedule and features a nice mixture of home and road games," Taylor said. "With three of the six away games on neutral sites, I would say it is a competitive, but balanced schedule."
CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE BY CLICKING ON THE BLOG TITLE.
2008 FLORIDA A&M FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
August 30 ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY, @ Tallahassee, FL
September 6 at *Delaware State @ Dover, DE
September 13 Bye
September 20 at *Howard University@Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA
September 27 vs. Tennessee State at Georgia Dome (Atlanta Football Classic), Atlanta, GA
October 4 Open
October 11 *WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY @ Tallahassee, FL
October 18 *SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY @ Tallahassee, FL
October 25 at *Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA
November 1 *MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (Homecoming) @ Tallahassee, FL
November 8 at *North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
November 15 *HAMPTON UNIVERSITY @ Tallahassee, FL
November 22 *Bethune Cookman University @ Orlando, FL - Citrus Bowl (Florida Classic)
Bold: home game; * MEAC game
Joe Taylor should go undefeated in his first season as head of the Rattlers program. The most critical game that will determine this outcome will be September 6, at Delaware State. Not that we are taking any of the MEAC opponents for granted, but a Joe Taylor coached team will come prepared to play and will be well conditioned.
The greater disappointment here are no games with Football Bowl Championship programs, no Southern Jaguars game and no game with a ranked Football Champion Subdivision program. Teams are permitted to play twelve games this season and FAMU has decided to fore go a potential home game payday on September 13 or October 4. Why?
MEAC fans will have to satisfy their thirst for David versus Goliath by watching the South Carolina State University games vs. University of Central Florida and Clemson; or Norfolk State University at University of Kentucky and Delaware State at Kent State.
Florida A&M has not signed one football or basketball player from the Atlanta area in the past five years, so what is the reason the Rattlers continue to play Tennessee State at this NFL venue? It certainly has not helped the Rattler recruiting efforts for student-athletes.
Tennessee State University home games are played at the Tennessee Titans venue, LP Field, which seats approximately 68,798 fans. It's time for the FAMU athletic director to work a deal for a home and Florida neutral site (home) game with the Tennessee State Tigers for 2009.
More importantly, FAMU athletic director Bill Hayes need to understand that Rattler Nation is not satisfied with having the dean of black college coaches, Joe Taylor, playing a typical cupcake schedule with no diversity and no Football Championship Subdivision (1-AA) powerhouses on the schedule. Why make Joe Taylor the highest paid football coach in HBCU football ($237,000 annually) if you are not moving the program towards national supremacy?
No doubt, FAMU schedule should have included a Georgia Southern, Wofford, Troy University, Florida Atlantic, University of Alabama-Birmingham or University of Central Florida, schools within a short bus ride to the Rattlers campus.
This football schedule does not make a strong argument for an at-large playoff berth nor does it lay the foundation for multiple teams from the MEAC making the FCS Playoffs in 2008. We would be hard pressed to see a 9-2 FAMU team in the playoffs with this weak schedule, especially if ASU and TSU have .500 seasons. A one loss season in the MEAC should knock FAMU out of the playoffs, as Delaware State, Norfolk State and South Carolina State strength of schedule are superior to FAMU's.
An 8-3 mark is definitely a ticket to stay at home for the holidays, but a great improvement over the 3-8 Rattler record of 2007.
-beepbeep
