COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the second week in a row, the Benedict College Tigers will look for their first win of the season against a team that competed for last year's SIAC championship.

The Tigers came up short in their upset bid of the defending SIAC champions, the Miles Golden Bears, during last week's Homecoming game. This week, Benedict travels to Albany, Ga., to take on the Albany State Golden Rams, who lost in last year's title contest to Miles.

Kickoff in Albany is set for 5 p.m., after Albany State officials pushed the game back three hours from the original kickoff time due to expected heavy rains in the area Saturday afternoon. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as part of the NCAA D2 football showcase. Fans can watch the game here.

Benedict (0-5, 0-2 SIAC) will be facing a Golden Ram (4-2, 3-0) team that ranks among the nation's elite in rushing offense (228.5 yards per game, 20^th nationally), rushing defense (112.8 yards per game, 36^th nationally), and total defense (301.2 yards per game, 34^th nationally).

"They run the ball well and have a very good rushing defense," said Benedict head coach Mike White. "We're going to have to match them and get some movement offensively. We haven't been able to move the ball. I think last year they shut us out. We're going to have our hands full. They're a good football team."

Last year, the Golden Rams shut down the Tigers in Columbia for a 21-0 victory, handing Benedict its first shutout loss since a 2016 loss to Division I Gardner-Webb.

Benedict is still searching for answers offensively. The Tigers rank last in the SIAC in total offense, averaging 215.2 yards per game, which ranks 163^rd out of 166 Division II teams. In order to try to get off to a better start against Miles, the Tigers started freshman quarterback Eric Phoenix over senior Phillip Brown. Phoenix completed 8-of-19 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns against the Golden Bears. White said the Tigers will continue to start Phoenix, although Brown is expected to see some playing time as well.

"Going into the game, we were going to give Eric some more snaps," White said. "I think the staff felt he would do a little bit better if he went out and started off, and not coming in later in the game. I thought he did well and did some really good things. We're going to let him continue to take those first snaps. Phillip will still play, but Eric is the starting QB right now."

Albany State is averaging more than 228 yards per game on the ground. Benedict is allowing opponents an average of 135 yards on the ground, which ranks fifth-best in the SIAC and 63^rd best in Division II.

"They're one of the top rushing teams that we will play," White said. "We've got to do a good job to have a chance against them. If you have a weakness somewhere, they'll find it and exploit it. You've got to be sound, and we take a lot of pride in being sound defensively and this team will put us to the test."

After last week's close call against Miles, White said the team knows they must continue to give that type of all-out effort to take down the Golden Rams.

"I thought we played well enough to win last week, all but a few plays," White said. "It's going to take that type of effort again for us to go into the fourth quarter with this team and have a chance to win and not make mistakes and make some plays offensively."