Tennessee State already knew Curtis Pulley could win a game with his legs.
This time, he proved his arm was just as useful.
Pulley, Florida A&M's quarterback, was 24-of-34 for a career-high 315 yards and two touchdowns to earn his second consecutive Bank of America Football Classic Most Valuable Player award and lead his team to a 31-12 victory at the Georgia Dome on Saturday.
Most of Pulley's production came when it was most needed, as the Rattlers pulled away in the second half to remain undefeated.
The Tigers looked strong in the first two quarters, keeping Pulley from hurting them too badly and taking a 12-10 lead into the locker room.
But 192 of Pulley's passing yards and both touchdowns came in the final 30 minutes, and the reason for A&M's resounding win was evident to Tennessee State coach James Webster Jr.
"The difference in the ball game was the quarterback, Pulley," Webster said. "He took it to another level in the second half. Pulley made the plays with his legs and his arm. He found the receivers, and we didn't challenge the receivers like we should have challenged them."
That led to Pulley connecting with seven different receivers on at least two passes, most notably Isaac West, who finished with six catches for 134 yards an a touchdown.
It was a contrast to last year's matchup, when Pulley ran for nearly 100 yards and two touchdowns to help the Rattlers pull out a 28-21 win.
Pulley, a transfer from Kentucky, said he's glad to let his teammates take the jaunt into the end zone, so long as it means points are going onto the board.
"We knew that we were going to have some advantages in the passing game, and we were just going to try to exploit it as much as we could," Pulley said. "It was pretty easy for me to just sit back and let everybody else make plays."
On this night, Pulley did most of his work with his arm, and he proved there's a 300-yard game in him if it's needed.
"We're going to focus on the run and the pass equally," Taylor said. "Our philosophy is simple: We're going to throw it where they're not; we're going to run it where they're not."
Where they weren't Saturday was in much of the secondary, and Pulley was able to take advantage of that weakness.
Webster said he thought his defense was solid against Pulley for the most part, but it gave too many openings to a player of his caliber.
"I thought we kept him in check the first half; I thought we kept in check the second half too, as far as him pulling the ball down and running the ball," Webster said. "He's such a good passer; he's such a good athlete. And he makes good decisions with the football. He's got those tall wide receivers, and you've got to challenge them."
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
