Florida A&M secured a narrow 16-13 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday afternoon at Bragg Memorial Stadium, improving to 3-8 on the season.
The Rattlers clinched the win on Senior Day when Gabriel Perez connected on a 30-yard field goal with 11:04 remaining in the ballgame to give the Rattlers a 16-13 win over Mississippi Valley State. The decisive kick capped an 11-play, 68-yard drive that broke a 13-13 tie.
Florida A&M moved to 2-5 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play with the home win. Mississippi Valley State dropped to an identical 3-8 overall and 2-5 in conference action.
Chase Gillespie led the Rattlers’ rushing offense by gaining 111 yards on 13 carries, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt, according to FAMU Athletics. Jamal Hailey contributed 47 yards on the ground with an average of 4.3 yards per carry.
Armand Burris paced the receiving corps with three catches for 57 yards.
Defensively, Isaiah Morrison anchored the Florida A&M secondary by hauling in one interception. DJ Jones chipped in with three tackles, one tackle for loss, and a sack.
The Rattlers’ defense limited the Delta Devils to 231 total yards of offense. Florida A&M finished with 310 total yards, including a 144-70 advantage through the air.
Mississippi Valley State struck first, opening an early 7-0 lead in the contest. Florida A&M answered with 5:12 remaining in the first quarter, narrowing the deficit to 7-3 via a Perez field goal.
The Rattlers chipped away further to trail 7-6 before Mississippi Valley State later pushed the score to 13-6. Florida A&M responded in the third period—their highest-scoring quarter—to tie the game at 13-13.
Perez converted three field goals on the day, with his longest sailing through from 46 yards out. The Florida A&M defense held firm through the final quarter, preserving the three-point margin.
Time of possession favored the home side, with the Rattlers holding the ball for 30 minutes and 39 seconds compared to 29 minutes and 21 seconds for the visitors. Florida A&M converted 4 of 13 third-down attempts, while Mississippi Valley State converted 7 of 17.
For the Delta Devils, Josh Brown completed 9 of 23 passes for 70 yards and one interception. Dezmond Ray spearheaded the Mississippi Valley State rushing attack with 63 yards and one touchdown.
Florida A&M will wrap up the regular season at home against rival Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., with the broadcast streaming live on ESPN+.
