Fleming Leads FAMU Over SC State 27-24

Ellis finished with game-high 12 tackles (10 solo)

Box Score ORANGEBURG, SC—The Rattlers of Florida A&M snapped an eight game losing streak to the Bulldogs defeating SC State 27-24 Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
      The Bulldogs fall to 4-3 overall, 3-2 in the league, while FAMU improves to 5-3 overall, 3-2 in the MEAC. Freshman quarterback Damien Fleming led the Rattler air attack throwing 34-of-40 for 297 yards and one touchdown.
       “The bottom line, they came in here and outplayed us”, said head coach Buddy Pough. “It was a tough game but we got beat and I would like to congratulate FAMU and Coach Taylor they played a great game.”
       FAMU scored the only points in the first quarter on a 24-yd field goal by redshirt senior Trevor Scott (6-2, 200, Jacksonville, FLA) to take a 3-0 lead at the 6:17 mark. Redshirt sophomore Richard Cue put the Bulldogs ahead 7-3 on a 12-yard scamper early in the second quarter.
         Sophomore Darius Drummond sparked fired on a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown at the 10:35 mark in the second quarter to put SC State ahead 14-3. Scott connected on his second field goal of the day kicking a 25-yard chipper to pull the Rattlers within a score 14-6 with 6:27 left in the first-half.
        Senior All-America kicker Blake Erickson nailed a 46-yarder to give the Bulldogs a 17-6 advantage. FAMU would not be denied closing on the first-half on a 6-yard toss from Fleming to senior wide receiver Brian Tyms to pull within a score 17-13.
        South Carolina State closed out the first-half with a 17-13 lead. Florida A&M racked up 251 total offensive yards in the first-half.
       SC State took complete control of third quarter on a 46-yard touchdown run by junior running back Asheton Jordan to go ahead 24-13. FAMU rallied back in the fourth quarter on a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs by Lavante Page to take the lead 27-24 with 2:31 left in the game.
        The Rattlers held on the defeat the Bulldogs 27-24 snapping an eight game losing streak.
      “The fact that we beat them eight times in a row was come incentive for them”, said Pough. “I'm sure we hurt ourselves with penalties, and creating some issues and situations we couldn't overcome.”
       Leading the way for SC State on offense was redshirt sophomore Richard Cue throwing 12-of-24 for 121 yards. Junior Asheton Jordan led the ground attack with eight carries for 88 yards, while Cue rushed seven times for 63 yards.
        Senior Dominique Ellis spearhead the Bulldog defense with 12 tackles (10 solo), while linebacker Donovan Richard added 11 in the loss.
        Pough stated, “We have three games left, we have to fight to finish strong.”
        Next up for SC State the Bulldogs will head to Washington, DC to take on the Bison of Howard University in a pivotal MEAC showdown. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.
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