ORANGEBURG, S.C. (Oct. 22)– Lavante Page scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns as Florida A&M snapped with their eight-game losing streak to South Carolina State as the Rattlers defeated the Bulldogs, 27-24, here today afternoon at Oliver Dawson Bulldog Stadium.
The last time, FAMU defeated SCSU in Oliver Dawson Bulldog Stadium was in 1997 with the Rattlers pulling out a 22-20 win over the Bulldogs.
SCSU had built up a 24-13 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Rattlers would take advantage of four Bulldog penalties to setup up Page’s first TD of the fourth quarter. SCSU would be charged with a roughing the passer penalties as Damien Fleming connected with Brian Tyms for nine yards tacking on an additional 14 yards, giving the Rattlers a second down and four yards to go from the South Carolina State 30-yard line. The Rattlers would pick up a pair of first downs on rushes by Lenworth Lennon, Al-Terek McBurse and Eddie Rocker, putting the ball on the SCSU three-yard line.
Page would then punch it in from three-yards out cutting, SCSU’s lead to 24-20 with 8:35 to go in the fourth, after the Trevor Scott PAT.
FAMU turned up the pressure as they forced SCSU into a three-and-out. After the Blake Erickson punt, the Rattlers would get the ball on their 32-yard line, after the LaShad Tookes’ punt return for two-yards.
The Rattlers then put together a seven-play, 68-yard drive, capped off by another three-yard TD run by Page, giving the Rattlers a 27-24 lead with 2:31 to go in the game.
FAMU was led by Fleming as he completed 34-of-40 passes for 297 yards with one TD. He becomes the fourth quarterback in Rattler history to finish a game with an 80 plus percent completion percentage. Eddie Battle was a perfect 11-of-11 against South Carolina State in 2008, Patrick Bonner was 30-of-35 for 85.7 percent against Jackson State in 1998 and Curtis Pulley was 17-of-21 against Winston-Salem State for 80.9 percent in the 2009 season.
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