7 
41 Florida A&M delivered another explosive offensive performance and forced a pair of key turnovers to cruise past Bethune-Cookman, 41–7, in the 1996 Florida Classic at Houlihan’s Stadium.
The Rattlers struck early and often, scoring 20 points in the opening quarter and building a 27–0 halftime lead behind the arm of quarterback Oteman Sampson and a balanced ground attack. Sampson opened the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Rutledge before Antoine Flowers added a 7-yard rushing score to make it 14–0. Sampson then capped the first-quarter barrage with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Robert Wilson.
FAMU extended the lead in the second quarter when Sampson kept the ball for a 7-yard touchdown run, sending the Rattlers into the break firmly in control.
The Rattlers’ defense delivered the game’s biggest highlight early in the third quarter when Brian Thomas jumped a route and returned an interception 63 yards for a touchdown, stretching the lead to 34–0. Terry Moore added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to complete FAMU’s scoring.
Bethune-Cookman avoided the shutout late in the final period when Chris Perkins connected with Antuwan Wyatt for a 5-yard touchdown. Wyatt was the Wildcats’ top performer, finishing with 130 receiving yards on seven catches.
Sampson led the Rattlers with 272 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a rushing score. Flowers powered the ground game with 120 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while Wilson added 128 receiving yards.
Despite gaining 380 total yards, Bethune-Cookman was plagued by inconsistency and two costly interceptions. Todd Walker completed 11 passes for 115 yards, and Steve Wallace led the Wildcats on the ground with 51 rushing yards.
Florida A&M’s explosive start, defensive playmaking, and balanced offense secured another commanding rivalry victory, continuing the Rattlers’ dominant mid-1990s stretch in the Florida Classic.