# 2018 Florida A&M Rattlers football team

The 2018 Florida A&M Rattlers football team represented Florida A&M University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Rattlers were led by first-year head coach Willie Simmons. They played their home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium. They were a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 5–2 in MEAC play to finish in a tie for second place.

## Preseason
### MEAC preseason poll

In a vote of the MEAC head coaches and sports information directors, the Rattlers were picked to finish in fifth place.
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina A&T |
| 2 | Howard |
| 3 | North Carolina Central |
| 4 | Bethune–Cookman |
| 5 | Florida A&M |
| 6 | Norfolk State |
| 7 | South Carolina State |
| 8 | Savannah State |
| 9 | Morgan State |
| 10 | Delaware State |

### Preseason All-MEAC Teams

The Rattlers had ten players selected to the preseason all-MEAC teams.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 5:00 p.m. | Fort Valley State* | Bragg Memorial StadiumTallahassee, FL (Jake Gaither Classic) | ESPN3 | W 41–7 | 20,262 |
| September 8 | 7:00 p.m. | at Troy* | Veterans Memorial StadiumTroy, AL | ESPN+ | L 7–59 | 25,767 |
| September 15 | 5:00 p.m. | Jackson State* | Bragg Memorial StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN3 | L 16–18 | 17,643 |
| September 22 | 4:00 p.m. | Savannah State | Bragg Memorial StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN3 | W 31–13 | 16,644 |
| September 29 | 4:00 p.m. | at North Carolina Central | O'Kelly–Riddick StadiumDurham, NC | ESPN3 | W 55–14 | 8,451 |
| October 6 | 4:00 p.m. | Norfolk State | Bragg Memorial StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN3 | W 17–0 | 26,045 |
| October 13 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 10 North Carolina A&T | BB&T StadiumGreensboro, NC | ESPN3 | W 22–21 | 15,418 |
| October 27 | 4:00 p.m. | Morgan State | Bragg Memorial StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN3 | W 38–3 | 14,037 |
| November 3 | 1:00 p.m. | at Howard | William H. Greene StadiumWashington, D.C. | | L 23–31 | 6,858 |
| November 10 | 4:00 p.m. | South Carolina State | Bragg Memorial StadiumTallahassee, FL | ESPN3 | L 21–44 | 12,608 |
| November 17 | 2:00 p.m. | vs. Bethune–Cookman | Camping World StadiumOrlando, FL (Florida Classic) | ESPN Classic | L 19–33 | 52,142 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
* Source: Schedule

## Game summaries
### Fort Valley State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Rattlers | 7 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 41 |

### At Troy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rattlers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Trojans | 21 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 59 |

### Jackson State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 18 |
| Rattlers | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 16 |

### Savannah State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Rattlers | 0 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 31 |

### At North Carolina Central

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rattlers | 24 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 55 |
| Eagles | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |

### Norfolk State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Spartans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rattlers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |

### At North Carolina A&T

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rattlers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 22 |
| No. 10 Aggies | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |

### Morgan State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Rattlers | 14 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 38 |

### At Howard

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rattlers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
| Bison | 21 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 31 |

### South Carolina State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 10 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 44 |
| Rattlers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |

### vs Bethune–Cookman

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 33 |
| Rattlers | 3 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 19 |