DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709140258

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE, FLA.                 LENGTH:   62 lines

RATTLERS GIVE SPARTANS A RUDE WELCOME TO MEAC FLORIDA A&M GIVES SPARTANS RUDE WELCOME TO MEAC.

Norfolk State coach Darnell Moore refused to blame the 95-degree heat and high humidity for Saturday's 41-26 loss to Florida A&M, which was good because the Rattlers can't wait for that alibi to come up.

``If you can't stand the heat, don't come to Tallahassee,'' Florida A&M running back Antoine Flowers said.

No, Moore said the main reason for the loss in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the final score was much more fundamental - the Spartans have a few big-time players; the Rattlers have quite a few more.

``We just need more ballplayers that can play,'' the Spartans coach said. ``Hopefully, we can get a few more resources to go out and get some other guys to go with the ones we have.''

Until then, the Spartans may have to endure a few more outings like Saturday, when the two-time defending MEAC champion Rattlers flexed their superior muscle before 10,000 fans at Bragg Memorial Stadium until the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Undre Williams returned two punts for touchdowns, Oteman Sampson threw for 249 yards and two scores and Rattler runners added 162 more yards as Florida A&M (2-0) sprinted to a 34-0 lead before letting their reserves mop up. Norfolk State (1-2) scored all 26 of its points in the fourth quarter.

``Our inexperience showed today, but our heart showed, too,'' Moore said after the Spartans dropped their MEAC opener. The game does not count toward MEAC standings.

Heart wasn't nearly enough early, however. Using the no-huddle ``fast-break'' offense popularized by Charlie Ward's Florida State teams a few years back, the Rattlers drove 60 yards for a touchdown in just over three minutes on their opening possession.

Five plays later, Williams fielded Greg Howell's punt on his own 19 and sprinted 81 yards down the right sideline to make it 14-0.

The Spartans, meanwhile, failed in a bid to cross up the Rattlers. Despite averaging just 2.1 yards a carry through two games, the Spartans went with runs on their first 10 plays.

``I was in total shock,'' Florida A&M coach Billy Joe said.

The shock must have worn off quickly, though, as the Spartans gained only 32 yards and one first down in that span. Meanwhile, Morris misfired on his first eight pass attempts. The Spartans' first first 10 possessions ended with eight punts, one turnover and the first-half gun.

``You have to try to establish the run if you want to beat a team like this,'' he said. ``You can't just come and throw it 50 or 60 times. We did what we thought we had to do. We just didn't do it well enough.''

The Rattlers broke the game open in the third quarter, when they shifted to power football and used 236-pound fullback Kenneth Williams to run through the Spartans. Williams scored two touchdown in the Rattlers' 20-point third quarter.

``He's a lot bigger back than the other guy (Flowers) they were using, and arm tackles and not wrapping up won't work,'' linebacker Alonzo Goodwyn said.

Only when the score was 34-0 did Morris revert to the form which made him the reigning MEAC offensive player of the week. He ran for one score and threw touchdown passes to Charles Burnett, Tyrone Sellers and Delvin Peaks in the final 15 minutes. All but 17 of his 237 passing yards came in the fourth quarter.

``We just need to start executing from the jump,'' Goodwyn said. ``We can't keep waiting to get started.''

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