Florida A&M once dominated its rivalry with B-CC. Now the Rattlers look for a win.
By IBRAM ROGERS
Published November 17, 2004
TALLAHASSEE - Before the fourth annual Florida Classic in 1981, Florida A&M came up with the mantra "B-CC will never seek three."
Bethune-Cookman College had won consecutive games against FAMU in 1979 and 1980 for only the second time in the series between the two schools that began in 1925. And the tune proved true, as the Rattlers clobbered the Wildcats 29-0.
Consequently, the FAMU community is probably expecting another song to emerge going into this Saturday's game against B-CC in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl since the Rattlers have again lost the last two games against B-CC.
Another mantra hasn't surfaced yet, but the Rattlers' determination to not make history is once again prevalent.
What does this game mean to senior receiver Rod Smith?
"Everything!"
He's one of the many Rattlers who has never beaten their intrastate rival brings.
Senior offensive lineman Fletcher Williams wants that feeling again that he shared with his teammates in 2001 - the last time the Rattlers beat B-CC.
"I'm ready to play them so bad I can taste it," he said. "I wake up with cold sweats at night because I want to play BCC."
If FAMU's legendary former coach Jake Gaither were alive and someone told him there's a fierce rivalry now between FAMU and B-CC, he probably wouldn't believe that person.
In Gaither's 24 years (1945-69) as coach, FAMU lost to B-CC only once in 1952, while the Rattlers smashed the Wildcats 97-0 in 1960 and 76-0 in 1961. The loss in 1952 sparked 19 straight wins by FAMU over BCC. FAMU has an overall series record of 43-13-1.
But B-CC's recent success and its eight wins since 1978 confirm that this weekend's Florida Classic XXV will in fact be showcasing a rivalry.
"B-CC is the big rivalry; it doesn't get any bigger," FAMU coach Billy Joe said. "That's why we've been getting 70,000 plus fans per year."
Since moving to Orlando in 1997, this momentous event has exploded in growth from 56,351 fans in the first year to a classic record 73,358 last year. It has now drawn five straight crowds of 70,000 plus since 1999.
It is now more than just a rivalry that draws a lot of fans. The Florida Classic is now the largest football game between two Historically Black Colleges in America, as it has surpassed the Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern in New Orleans. Since its inception in 1978, the Classic has drawn more than 1-million fans.
In the eyes of the Rattlers though, the rivalry supersedes everything else.
"Our players know that if you win 10 games and lose one and that one is against B-CC, then that's a bad year," Joe said. "And conversely if you lose 10 and win one and that win is against B-CC, then that's not a bad season."
