FAMU football vs MVSU prediction, X-Factors for SWAC makeup game
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Last one for the road.
Florida A&M football is traveling to Mississippi Valley State for the season finale this Saturday, Nov. 29.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup is a makeup game for the cancelled Georgia Football Classic, which was scheduled to be played on Oct. 4 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
FAMU at Mississippi Valley State kicks off at 3 p.m. Eastern Time at Itta Bena’s Rice-Totten Stadium. SWAC TV will televise the game, and Tallahassee radio station 96.1 JAMZ will provide additional commentary on local airwaves.
FAMU (5-6, 4-3 in SWAC) is coming off a last-second 38-34 Florida Classic loss from last Saturday, Nov. 22, versus Bethune-Cookman, its first since 2019. Bethune-Cookman quarterback Timmy McClain gamed the Rattlers on a 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Evans with 22 seconds left in the rivalry clash.
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (1-10, 0-7 in SWAC) caught a 59-6 beatdown to SWAC West champion Prairie View A&M. It was their fifth straight loss as Mississippi Valley State remains winless in the SWAC.
The Rattlers and the Delta Devils’ Saturday matchup comes a year after Mississippi Valley State ended FAMU’s 23-game home winning streak. The Delta Devils beat the Rattlers 24-21 on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium for their only win last season.
Will FAMU football avenge that stunning loss versus Mississippi Valley State?
Let’s predict the score and look at X-Factors.
Armand Burris, FAMU Wide Receiver
When targeted, FAMU receiver Armand Burris, son of offensive coordinator Henry Burris, has delivered.
Last week versus Bethune-Cookman, the redshirt freshman led the Rattlers with four receptions for 69 yards. He also scored his first two touchdowns of his college career, on 44 and 17-yard touchdown passes from quarterback RJ Johnson III.
“RJ’s playing better. He’s hitting the people we need him to hit as far as the receivers go,” said FAMU head coach James Colzie III.
FAMU’s passing game has improved throughout the season.
It’s second in the SWAC, averaging 233.8 passing yards per game, only behind Bethune-Cookman out of 12 teams in the league.
Conversely, the Delta Devils can’t stop the pass. Mississippi Valley allows offenses to throw for 232.9 passing yards per game, 10th in the SWAC.
Jamari Stokes, Mississippi Valley State Safety
Described as a “physical” sure tackler, safety Jamari Stokes has been a bright spot for the Delta Devils’ lowly season.
The Tallahassee native and Gadsden County High School alumnus has contributed 32 tackles, five pass breakups, and an interception for the Mississippi Valley State defense.
“If you find a better safety in this conference, regardless freshman or not, I would like to see him,” Mississippi Valley State head coach Terrell Buckley said. “This young man has come in here and done a tremendous job. And he deserves to be on the All-SWAC team.”
How productive will Stokes be versus FAMU, though?
Will he be able to get his hand on the football despite FAMU’s quarterback, Johnson, only throwing one interception all season?
FAMU football’s bad defense vs Mississippi Valley State’s bad offense
The Delta Devils play better at home.
They average 25.3 points per game when playing at Rice-Totten Stadium. In away games, that drops to 14.
Altogether, Mississippi Valley State averages 16.82 points in its one-win season.
However, the Delta Devils are trying to find more consistency after their starting quarterback, Josh Brown, got injured on Nov. 8, midway through a 1,000-yard season. He hasn’t played since.
Last week at Prairie View A&M, Brandon Nunez got the start at quarterback for the Delta Devils. He went 9-for-18 for 80 yards and threw an interception.
“We have to get more creative on offense. We have to move the chains,” Buckley said. “We have to do, when given the opportunity to make big plays ― third and long ― make that catch.”
Speaking of third downs, ending opposing offensive drives has been a constant struggle for the FAMU defense.
The Rattlers have allowed teams to convert on 53 percent of third-down attempts and go 11-for-18 on fourth-down tries, a 61 percent success rate.
Wholistically, FAMU is eighth in SWAC total defense. That includes 10th in run defense and eighth in pass defense in the SWAC.
FAMU is also prone to giving up late scores, evident in recent games, even against bad offenses. Mississippi Valley State’s offense ranks last in the SWAC.
“Defensively, we’ve taken a step back,” Colzie said. “We’re not trusting each other. We’re not playing the way that we need to, especially at the right time.”
Gerald Thomas, III Official Score Prediction: FAMU 31, Mississippi Valley State 13
Florida A&M (5-6, 4-3 in SWAC) at Mississippi Valley State (1-10, 0-7 in SWAC)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time
- Where: Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena, Mississippi
- TV/Radio: SWAC TV, 96.1 JAMZ
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football vs MVSU prediction, be on the lookout for Armand Burris
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