26 
23 Florida A&M mounted a steady second-half comeback and shut out Bethune-Cookman over the final two quarters to earn a hard-fought 26–23 victory in the 2005 Walt Disney World Florida Classic presented by State Farm at the Florida Citrus Bowl.
The Wildcats dominated early, building a 17–0 first-quarter lead behind explosive plays and strong running from quarterback Jimmie Russell, the B-CU MVP. Jesus Cortez opened the scoring with a 33-yard field goal, then Corey Council broke free for a 59-yard touchdown run. Russell added a 2-yard touchdown run to put Bethune-Cookman firmly in control.
Florida A&M finally broke through in the second quarter with a 45-yard field goal from Wesley Taylor. The Rattlers seized momentum just before halftime when Rashard Pompey powered in from 1 yard out, cutting the deficit to 17–10. Cortez tacked on field goals of 51 and 39 yards, giving B-CU a 23–10 advantage at the break.
From there, the game shifted completely in FAMU’s favor.
The Rattlers’ defense held the Wildcats scoreless in the second half, and FAMU chipped away with timely scoring drives. Taylor connected on a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Pompey tied the game in the fourth with his second 1-yard touchdown run.
With the game knotted at 23–23, Florida A&M turned once again to its kicker. Taylor delivered a 43-yard field goal to give FAMU its first lead of the day, and later added a 17-yard kick to cap a 16-point unanswered run.
Quarterback Albert Chester earned FAMU MVP honors with an efficient performance, completing 14 of 19 passes for 164 yards while adding 75 rushing yards. Pompey rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, and Roosevelt Kiser caught nine passes for 61 yards.
Bethune-Cookman relied heavily on Russell, who accounted for 171 yards of offense and two total touchdowns. Eric Weems added 62 receiving yards on three catches, but B-CU’s offense stalled in the second half, allowing FAMU to rally.
Florida A&M’s resilience, defensive adjustments, and clutch kicking propelled the Rattlers to a comeback victory in another tightly contested Classic showdown.