Howard spoils FAMU’s return to Orange Blossom Classic

Florida A&M’s return to the Orange Blossom Classic drew more than 22,000 fans to Hard Rock Stadium, most draped in orange and green. The Rattlers faithful made their presence felt on a hot Saturday afternoon — until the game’s final snap silenced them.

Howard kicker Matt Conord drilled a 43-yard field goal as time expired to hand the Bison a 10-9 victory, stunning the FAMU crowd and leaving the Rattlers searching for answers after a night of missed chances.

The Rattlers appeared ready to close out a comeback when Latarie Kinsler sacked Howard’s Tyriq Starks with 1:35 left, forcing a third-and-19. But Starks answered with a 21-yard completion to KD Mosley, sparking a march of three consecutive 10-plus-yard gains to set up the winning kick.

Conord, a sophomore, sprinted around the field in celebration as his teammates poured onto the turf.

“He’s that guy,” Howard head coach Larry Scott said about Conord. “This is routine. He’s been doing that, he’s been demonstrating that, he’s shown us that.”

The loss overshadowed what looked like a breakthrough in the closing minutes. Down 7-6, FAMU quarterback RJ Johnson III hit Jalen Rogers for a 26-yard grab, awakening the once silent Rattler crowd.

With less than two minutes left, FAMU kicker Daniel Porto hit an 18-yard field goal to take a 9-7 lead.

But it wasn’t enough.

The Rattlers had a number of opportunities to win the Orange Blossom Classic. With six minutes left in the third quarter, coach James Colzie signaled the field goal group to attempt a kick from 37 yards. Howard’s Noah Miles blocked Porto’s attempt, keeping the score at 7-3.

FAMU had another opportunity in the fourth quarter, getting the ball on the Howard 45. After a methodical start to the drive, the Rattlers had first-and-goal at the 7. After a holding penalty and a sack, FAMU had to send out the field goal unit again. Porto’s 33-yard field goal was good, and the Rattlers cut the deficit to 7-6 with less than eight minutes left in the game.

FAMU had eight drives that began from its 35 or beyond. Of those drives, the Rattlers scored just three times.

“I thought we would have been able to run the ball a little better today, and unfortunately we did not,” Colzie said. “That was something we thought we needed to do to help our young quarterback.”

It was a struggle all night for the FAMU offense. In 2024, under quarterback Daniel Richardson, the Rattlers averaged 24.5 points per game in the Southwestern Atlantic Conference (SWAC). Saturday, in Johnson’s first start as a Rattler, the offense scored nine points and punted eight times.

Johnson, a transfer from Toledo, was inconsistent. The redshirt sophomore completed 53% of his throws for 183 yards. The offense struggled on third down, going 5 for 15.

“We saw a young quarterback play today, and then you saw him grow up on that last drive,” Colzie said.

On the opposite side, Starks led the way for the Bison offense, leading the team in passing and rushing. The FAU transfer threw for 145 yards, scoring one touchdown and throwing one interception.

After the game, FAMU head coach James Colzie reflected on his first OBC.

“Being from South Florida, you know about this game growing up. A lot of my family members came to this football game,” Colzie said. “I don’t think they expected it to be as close as it was. I know they’d rather see me as a winning football coach than a losing football coach.”

The Bison got on the board on a 10-play, 53-yard drive. Starting at their own 49, Starks found running back Travis Kearney on back-to-back plays for a combined 30 yards. A couple plays later, Starks rolled to his right and connected with a wide open CJ Neely in the back of the end zone to give the Bison an early 7-0 lead.

The Rattlers returned to Miami Gardens in 2025, after missing the Orange Blossom Classic in 2024. Fans responded positively for the return, filling Miami Gardens with orange and green. In 2024, the OBC saw its lowest turnout since the 1940s, with just more than 10,000 in attendance for North Carolina Central’s 31-24 victory over Alabama State.

The Rattlers hope to bounce back from Saturday’s loss, heading to Boca Raton to face the FAU Owls. Game time on Sept. 6 is set for 6 p.m.

This story was originally published August 30, 2025 at 10:11 PM.