FAMU coach Willie Simmons wants to 'put together 60 minutes of solid football'

Sixty minutes of sound football is what Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons wants from his team.

The Rattlers (4-2, 2-1 SWAC) have yet to compile a full, convincing win over opponents through their four-game winning streak.

Last week, the Rattlers held off a late South Carolina State comeback effort to escape Orangeburg with a 20-14 win.

"I think physically we're fine and the challenge for us is mental conditioning," he said in Monday's press conference. "We got to be able to bounce back from those low points."

"We have a habit of letting things snowball and will have one bad play that will be followed by others. Then we find ourselves in a critical situation.

"As a football team, we have to be able to take a bad play and put it behind us and get back to playing good football. Once we do that, we'll be able to put together 60 minutes of solid football because right now, we're doing it in spurts."

Simmons' main message to his team is to finish strong with five games regular season games left in the season.

The Rattlers are trying to remain within striking distance in case SWAC East leader Jackson State loses two conference games. Regardless if FAMU can overtake the lead, the goal of reaching the FCS playoffs is still a possibility.

"We're sitting in a pretty good position and all we have to do is finish it," Simmons said. "I think the guys have received that message and now we have to commit ourselves everyday to get what we deserve.

"We're conference from here on out and still have that mindset of playoff football, whether that's the SWAC championship if Jackson stumbles twice or the FCS playoffs.

"We still have a ton to play for and have to continue to stay hungry and work to get better."

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Simmons provides update on Isaiah Land's injury status

The Rattlers picked up a big win and a costly loss against South Carolina State on Saturday.

Linebacker Isaiah Land left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter after what Simmons said was a legal cut block.

He returned momentarily in the second quarter, but was pulled for the remainder on the game. Land missed Sunday's practice and is awaiting the MRI results while he wears a small brace on his knee.

"He took a pretty nasty cut block and his feet came from right underneath him," Simmons said.

"It wasn't an illegal block. I know that's really a block that's really been talked about a lot in college football and I think this may be the last year that we see that particular block occur."

Land currently is tied for first in leading the Rattlers in sacks with Kamari Stephens, tallying three. He leads the team in tackles for loss with six.

The redshirt senior is touted as the best NFL prospect in HBCU football after winning the 2021 Buck Buchanan Award and leading all of the Division I in sacks (19) last season.

"Isaiah Land is one of the best players in the nation, and you hate to see him go down with something like that," Simmons said. "If there's nothing structurally wrong and he can brace it and go, he's going to go."

Simmons is not taking Grambling State lightly

Simmons feels that Grambling State's record (1-5, 0-3 SWAC) isn't the indicative to the type of team that the Tigers have.

Grambling State is currently on a four-game slide after falling to Alabama A&M, 37-31 in double overtime under first-year, longtime NFL coach Hue Jackson.

"They're a dangerous football team," Simmons said.  "Any time you're in a first year, you're trying to figure things out.

"By no means can we assume that this team is going to lay down and let us come up there and walk away with a victory because of their record"

Along with ending their losing streak, the Tigers are also trying to earn their iconic 'G' decal back on their helmets after Jackson had it removed after losing to Jackson State, 66-24 in Week 3.

"When you have a team and coaches with that type of mindset, you got to be ready for a dogfight," Simmons said. "With Hue coming in, (Grambling) is trying to change the culture."

FAMU vs. Grambling State Game Information

Who: Florida A&M (4-2, 2-1 SWAC) at Grambling State (1-5, 0-3 SWAC)

When: Saturday, 3 p.m. EST

Where: Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium; Grambling, Louisiana

Broadcast/Radio: HBCU GO, Rattler Sports Network

Gerald Thomas III covers FAMU athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: Willie Simmons wants a full game of sound play