JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The road to another SIAC football championship for the Benedict College Tigers starts Saturday, when they travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to take on Edward Waters University in their conference opener.
 
Kickoff from Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium is 4 p.m. The game will be available on ESPN+ (subscription required). Live stats will be available here.
 
The 17^th-ranked Tigers opened the season with a 52-0 non-conference victory over Shaw.
 
Benedict had one of the nation's best defenses in 2022, and through one game of 2023 are continuing that tradition. Benedict is tied for first in the nation with three other teams in scoring defense after their season-opening shutout. They are also ranked eighth in the country in total defense, giving up just 169 yards of offense to Shaw. They rank seventh in sacks after recording four sacks against Shaw, and 17^th in passing yards allowed, holding Shaw to 98 yards through the air.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, Benedict opened the season with another offensive explosion. They defeated Elizabeth City State 58-14 in last year's season opener. The Tigers closed out the 2022 regular season by scoring 54 points at Allen, then scored 58 points against Tuskegee in the SIAC championship. Benedict's 52 points against Shaw ranks them 10^th in the nation in scoring offense, and their 480 yards of total offense ranks 18^th.
 
Quarterback Aeneas Dennis completed 18-of-27 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his Benedict debut. The Tigers also rushed for nearly 200 yards on the ground with Noah Zaire Scotland running for three scores.
 
Edward Waters is coming off a 38-21 loss to Florida Memorial in their season opener last week. The EWU Tigers gained 404 yards of total offense, with 271 coming through the air.  Starting quarterback Jyron Russell completed 27-of-41 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His top target was Johnny Jones, who caught 11 passes for 88 yards.
 
After Saturday, the Tigers continue their SIAC road tour, traveling to Jackson, Tenn., to take on Lane College next week.