ORLANDO, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman's 2022 season concluded Saturday with a 41-20 setback to Florida A&M in the Florida Blue Florida Classic before a Camping World Stadium crowd of 55,257 and a national ESPN audience.

The Rattlers (9-2 overall, 7-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) capitalized on two Wildcat (2-9, 2-6) first quarter turnovers to take a 13-0 lead on a pair of Jaylan McCloud runs.

Bethune-Cookman closed to 27-20 with 14 minutes to play on a Jalon Jones pass to Kemari Averett, but Florida A&M faked a punt to keep a drive alive and Jeremy Moussa threw to Kemari Young to make it 34-20 and added an insurance score on the next possession.

Earlier, Bethune-Cookman closed to 13-7 on a 9-yard Que'Shaun Byrd run with 13:34 remaining in the second quarter that capped off a 75-yard drive, but the Rattlers countered with a 32-yard Jeremy Moussa touchdown pass to Xavier Smith.

FAMU took a 27-7 halftime lead on a Philly special from Smith to Moussa with 1:01 left in the first half.

B-CU scored on its first possession of the third quarter when Jalon Jones complete a 15-yard touchdown over the middle to Daveno Ellington to cut it to a 27-14 game with 7:30 remaining.

Jones finished 19 of 33 for 172 yards and also rushed for 61 yards, 58 of those on a scramble that set up a score.

Byrd had nine carries for 39 yards.

Marcus Riley had six catches for 46 yards, Averett four catches for 46.
 

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