20 Seconds to Glory: Bethune-Cookman Stuns FAMU at the 2025 Florida Blue Florida Classic
At Camping World Stadium, the Wildcats found the end zone on fourth down to seal a 38–34 win in the final seconds.
For a visiting HBCU sports fan without a stake in either team, the Florida Blue Florida Classic offers more than football. At Camping World Stadium in Orlando, pregame Fan Fest at nearby Tinker Field and the halftime performances by Florida A&M’s Marching “100” and Bethune-Cookman’s Marching Wildcats make the game a celebration of HBCU culture as well as a rivalry. The 2025 game drew a reported 55,528 fans.
The schools first met on the gridiron in 1925, and the Florida Classic began in 1978. Orlando became the game’s home in 1997, giving the annual rivalry a setting where students, alumni and fans from across Florida come together.
On November 22, 2025, Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M gave that crowd a finish worthy of the occasion. The Wildcats led 24–9 at halftime, but the Rattlers rallied after the break, scoring 18 unanswered points to take a 27–24 lead in the fourth quarter.
The lead changed hands four times in the final quarter. FAMU went in front on Jamal Hailey’s 72-yard touchdown run. Bethune-Cookman answered with a 67-yard scoring pass from quarterback Timmy McClain to Javon Ross. Then Thad Franklin Jr. put the Rattlers back on top, 34–31, with a 19-yard touchdown run and just over two minutes to play.
Bethune-Cookman had the final answer. With 20 seconds left, McClain faced fourth-and-8 and found Josh Evans for a 41-yard touchdown. The play capped an eight-play, 70-yard drive and sealed the Wildcats’ 38–34 victory—their first Florida Classic win over FAMU since 2019. McClain completed 22 of 33 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns, earning game MVP honors.
The coaches’ postgame comments reflected the game’s decisive moments. Bethune-Cookman head coach Raymond Woodie Jr. said, “It’s all about finishing.” Florida A&M head coach James Colzie III noted that the Rattlers had taken the lead twice and given it up twice, adding,
“We’ve just got to keep that foot on the gas.”
For a neutral visitor, the Florida Blue Florida Classic offered the full HBCU experience: the bands, the gathering around the game and a rivalry that stayed in doubt until the final seconds. Bethune-Cookman left Camping World Stadium with the win and the bragging rights, while FAMU’s late rally made the Wildcats earn them.
Classic ManaSota Tailgate
