FORT VALLEY, Ga. – Fort Valley State jumped out to a 35-0 first-half lead, and the Benedict Tigers couldn't recover as the Wildcats took a 44-20 victory in a SIAC football game on Saturday afternoon.
 
Benedict went 0-for-7 on third down conversions in the first half, while the Wildcats rushed for 273 yards in the game and held Benedict to negative one yard rushing.
 
"We got off to a terrible start. The offense and special teams did not help us at all," said Benedict head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. "The defense did a good job, but if we go three and out, three and out, and then have opportunities on special teams to not win the field possession battle, we're going to struggle."
 
Fort Valley State scored after the Tigers failed to convert on a fourth-and-27 from the Fort Valley State 9-yard line when punter Lucas Wynn tried to run for the first down after seeing pressure from the Wildcats. Fort Valley State scored four plays later on a 12-yard pass.
 
The Wildcats later scored on passes of 13, 9 and 29 yards, and star running back Brandon Marshall scored on a three-yard run as the Wildcats took a 35-0 lead at the half.
 
Benedict outscored Fort Valley State 20-9 in the second half, holding the Wildcats out of the end zone and to just three field goals.
 
"The latter half of the season, we've done a good job of coming back," Dickerson said. "We've just got to figure out how to start fast and finish fast. The thing I'm pleased with is they did not quit. And 99 percent of the teams in the country in our situation would have given up coming out of halftime. And those dudes came out and they fought, and I'm proud of them. We wanted to score and keep them from scoring in the second half, and we did a good job of that. We just need to do it for the first, second, and third quarter."
 
Benedict got its first score on a four-yard run by Jalen Leary with 10:08 left in the third quarter. After FVSU kicked a pair of field goals to make the score 41-7, Komari Frye connected with Malaqhi Jones for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Benedict's final score was a 14-yard pass from Frye to Alex Thelumsa.
 
Benedict, now 3-6 overall and 3-4 in the SIAC, wraps up the 2024 season next week with a home game against Savannah State. Kickoff from Charlie W. Johnson Stadium is 2 p.m.