COLUMBIA, S.C. – The sixth-ranked Benedict College Tigers wrapped up their second consecutive undefeated regular season with a 37-9 victory over next-door neighbor rival Allen University in the South Carolina HBCU Classic on Saturday in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.
Benedict improves to 10-0 and will look to defend their SIAC championship next week. The Tigers will take on Albany State in the championship. Albany State (6-4 overall, 6-2 in the SIAC) secured their ticket to the title game with a 13-7 victory over Fort Valley State on Saturday, coupled with Tuskegee losing to Miles, 35-10.
"This is year 29 for me coaching college football, and I've never ever finished two seasons back-to-back undefeated. It's hard to do," said Benedict head coach
Chennis Berry. "This is a special team, with special players and special coaches. Again, it's a new team and a new season, but our mission doesn't change, and that's to go 1-0."
The Tigers won the game as the nation's best defense held a potent Yellow Jacket offense to a season-low nine points. The Yellow Jackets entered the contest averaging more than 35 points per game.
"Our defense has been solid all year," Berry said. "They were locked in to the task at hand today. Allen's got a really good explosive offense. They can throw it around the yard. They've got some skill guys, they've got a quarterback who can spin it. They've got some receivers who can make it happen. But our defense stood up to the challenge. To hold Allen University to only nine points, kudos to our defensive staff and our whole defensive unit, because they played really, really well against a good Allen University offense."
Benedict intercepted three Allen passes, forced three fumbles and sacked Allen quarterback David Wright III three times.
An Allen fumble, forced by
Amari Pettis and recovered by
Daythan Peterson, gave the Tigers the ball just seven yards away from the Allen end zone.
Deondra Duehart had runs of three, three and then a one-yard scoring run to put the Tigers on the board with 8:51 remaining in the first quarter.
The Yellow Jackets intercepted a pass by
Aeneas Dennis later in the quarter, and capitalized with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Wright to Bobby Moore to tie the score 7-7 with 5:26 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers drove 71 yards on their next possession, scoring on a three-yard run by
Noah Zaire Scotland to make it 14-7. The Yellow Jackets fumbled the ball on their next possession, and the Tigers only needed to go 20 yards for their next score, a five-yard pass from Dennis to
Daryl Dunifer, giving Benedict a 21-7 lead.
Benedict made it 28-7 late in the second quarter on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Dennis to
Jalen Jones.
Allen blocked a Benedict punt on the Tigers' first possession of the third quarter, with the ball going out the back of the end zone for a safety.
The Tigers closed out the scoring with three 24-yard field goals by
Tom Piccirillo.
While the coaches and players were celebrating the victory, Berry wanted to point out all the support the team has received over the years to help build the current winning culture.
"Shout out to all the people who helped build this deal. It's not just a football program. It takes a village, like I said in my opening press conference, to build a program," Berry said. "Shout out to our administration, first and foremost, for all their support. Thank you for all the people in financial aid, admissions, housing, physical plant. It takes a village to build a program, and all these people have been instrumental in building our program to where it is today. It is a special day to know we finished two seasons back-to-back undefeated."
