ALBANY, Ga. – The 17^th-ranked Albany State University Golden Rams took a 17-7 lead at the half and held off a late charge by the Benedict College Tigers to win the 2025 SIAC football championship with a 22-16 victory on Saturday in the ASU Coliseum.
 
The Tigers scored a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to cut the ASU lead to six points, then a final fourth-down pass in the end zone with just 12 seconds left in the game was incomplete, with Triston Morgan nearly making the catch while being tackled.
 
"It's a bad taste. It's a one-season game, right here, and you want to come home with a victory," said Benedict head coach Ron Dickerson Jr.
 
Benedict goes to 9-2 on the season, with both losses coming at the hands of Albany State. Albany State improves to 10-1, with their only loss coming to Division I Florida A&M. Both teams are expected to advance to the NCAA championships. The NCAA will announce the eight teams from Super Region Two on Sunday at 6 p.m. on NCAA.com.
 
After surrendering more than 250 yards to the Golden Rams in the first half, Benedict held Albany State to just 14 yards of offense in the second half. Their best drive in the second half went for 33 yards on five plays, resulting in a 24-yard field goal with 8:13 left in the game that gave the Golden Rams a 22-13 lead.
 
"We were playing real conservative. And I just told them to pin their ears back and have fun," Dickerson said. "And that's what we did in the second half. And that's who we are as a defense."
 
The Tigers, meanwhile, finished with 200 yards of offense in the second half.
 
After trailing 17-7 at the half, the Tigers scored on a 7-yard pass from Darius Ocean to Troy Hillman with 6:39 left in the third quarter. That touchdown was set up by a 27-yard pass from Ocean to Charles "Tre" Simmons. However, the point after touchdown kick was blocked, and the Golden Rams were able to recover the loose ball and returned it all the way back for a two-point score. That made it 19-13.
 
After the Logan Karwacki 27-yard field goal with 3:58 remaining in the game to cut the lead to 22-16, the Tiger defense shut down Albany State on their next possession. A holding penalty and back-to-back sacks by Ty'Metrius Patterson and Desmond Thompson Jr., put Albany State in a fourth-and-30 situation. Benedict started their final drive at their own 32-yard line.
 
Ocean completed an 18-yard pass to Hillman on fourth-and-13 to keep the drive alive. Later, Ocean completed a long 27-yard pass to Morgan to get to the Albany State 26-yard line. After a couple of incomplete passes, Ocean threw a deep pass in the end zone, where it was broken up before Morgan could haul in the ball.
 
Albany State opened the game with a nine-play, 84-yard drive, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive. The Tigers fumbled on their opening possession, and Albany State was forced to punt. Issiah Brown blocked the punt and then recovered the ball in the end zone for a Benedict touchdown to tie the score at 7-7.
 
The Golden Rams added another short touchdown run on a drive that saw them complete a 60-yard pass, then added a 34-yard field goal on a drive that started off with a 43-yard pass, to take a 17-7 lead at the half.