COLUMBIA, S.C. – The game for SIAC supremacy takes place Saturday in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, when the 21^st-ranked and undefeated Benedict Tigers host the league's only other undefeated team in the Albany State Golden Rams.
 
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. This SIAC heavyweight battle will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN+ (subscription required). Live stats will be available here. Tickets are available at www.benedicttickets.com.
 
There is a lot riding on this game. The winner will be in the driver's seat for the No. 1 seed in the SIAC and the right to host the SIAC championship game on Nov. 15. Benedict (7-0 overall, 6-0 in the SIAC)  has won two of the last three SIAC championships, including a dominating 47-10 victory over the Golden Rams for the 2023 crown, which is the last time these two teams met. Albany State has long been considered the standard bearer in the SIAC, winning 16 conference titles with 14 NCAA postseason appearances. But the Golden Rams have not won a title since 2021, the last year ASU defeated Benedict.
 
Albany State enters the game at 6-1 overall and 5-0 in the SIAC. Their only loss was a 33-25 defeat at Division I Florida A&M - a game that saw the Golden Rams hold a 14-3 lead in the second quarter before the Rattlers scored three unanswered touchdowns and held on for the win.
 
"They're really good," head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. said. "They were preseason ranked No. 1 and they've lived up to that. They had everybody coming back from last year, so they know how to play together. And they have a great coaching staff."
 
Albany State leads the SIAC in scoring average at 38.3 points per game, while Benedict is third (29.6). On the defensive side, ASU also leads at 13.0 ppg and Benedict, which led the conference in this category most of the season, has dropped to second at 15.7 ppg.
 
"This is a good opportunity for them to come to Benedict and show who they are. They do really well on offense. They have the preseason player of the year on offense in their quarterback, and he's led them. They almost beat FAM-U," Dickerson said.
 
Albany State quarterback Isaiah Knowles, the SIAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has thrown for 825 yards and nine touchdowns, and has run for more than 200 yards and four touchdowns, all while appearing in just four games. After missing the last three games, Knowles is expected to be back in action for this important game.
 
The Golden Rams are averaging more than 237 yards rushing per game, led by Tiant Wyche (83 yards per game). Albany State averages more than 422 yards of offense per game, which ranks 35^th best in the country. Defensively, they allow 285 yards per game, which is 3^rd in the SIAC and 17^th-best in the nation.
 
"We're going to have our hands full, "Dickerson said. "They like to run the ball a lot. Defensively, they're going to pressure us. They've got a good defensive front and good DBs. It's going to come down to good, fundamentally sound football."
 
The Tigers have excelled this season on defense as well. Benedict ranks second in the SIAC and 14^th nationally in scoring defense (15.7 points per game), while also ranking in the top 20 nationally in team sacks (19^th), turnover margin (3^rd), turnovers gained (5^th), and fumbles recovered (2^nd). Benedict also leads the nation in defensive touchdowns with four.
 
With two exceptional defenses going head-to-head, the game could come down to special teams, where Benedict has shined. Benedict, behind All-American Jaxon Williams, leads NCAA Division II in kickoff returns, while punter Kolten Ford ranks second in the SIAC.