WINGATE, N.C. – When Ron Dickerson Jr. was hired at Benedict 22 short months ago, he had a vision. That vision was to keep the Tigers a championship-caliber and playoff contender program.
 
That vision will become a reality on Saturday when the 23^rd-ranked Tigers (9-2 overall) travel to take on the Wingate Bulldogs (9-2 overall) in the first round of the NCAA Division Two Championship. Kickoff from Wingate's Irwin-Belk Stadium is 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required). Live stats will be available here. Tickets are available here.
 
Dickerson, who was hired in late January 2024, and his staff had to rebuild from nearly ground zero, despite coming into a program that was coming off back-to-back SIAC championships and NCAA playoff appearances.
 
"I've got a good coaching staff," Dickerson said. "I've got guys who bought into what the team vision was and the team standard was. And we've worked really hard. We've played together as a team. We've won a lot of games as a team. It's a privilege to continue to play in Division Two in December and November. And that's something we worked really hard for and set our goals for."
 
Prior to coming to Benedict, Dickerson was at Division Two powerhouse West Florida, where he helped orchestrate their powerful offense and knows all about post-season football.
 
"It's a whole new season," Dickerson said. "It's a one-game season. You have to get familiar with a team in 24 hours, and hopefully what you're seeing in those first 24 hours is the same thing you see throughout the week. Travel comes into play, different conferences, different style of play, different officiating crews. But the bottom line is on Saturday, only 11 guys can play on offense and only 11 guys can play on defense, and there's only one football. A lot of my coaches have been in championship bowl games or Division Two playoffs. So that experience comes a long way."
 
And what the Tigers have learned about Saturday's opponent is that the Wingate Bulldogs will be a difficult challenge. The Bulldogs rank 23^rd in Division II, averaging 431.2 yards of total offense per game, and 15^th in scoring at 37.7 points per game. Their offense is well balanced with a 1,000-yard rusher (Xavier Pugh, who set a South Atlantic Conference record with 22 total touchdowns), and a 1,000-yard receiver (Jaylen Himes – 62 receptions for 1,036 yards and 9 touchdowns).
 
The Benedict Tiger defense has been the backbone of the 2025 season, ranking 36^th in the nation in total defense (316.6 yards per game), 12^th in tackles for loss, and fifth in sacks. Benedict also ranks fifth in the nation with four defensive touchdowns.
 
"They have a very, very good offense," Dickerson said. "They run the ball, they throw the ball, they do a mixture of everything."
 
Defensively, Wingate allows just 19.9 points per game and 289.7 yards per game, 13^th best in Division Two. Dickerson said it will be imperative that the Tigers don't make any mistakes on offense against the Bulldogs.
 
"Our offense has got to continue to capitalize, and not throw interceptions or turn the ball over. That's kind of what has hurt us here recently," Dickerson said. "As the season has gone on, we've made some self-imploding mistakes. Defensively, we've just got to keep playing. They say defense wins championships. If our defense is as good as they practice and work at it, and they continue to win games for us, I'll ride on that."
 
One of the leaders on the Tiger defense is senior defensive lineman Israel Nwokocha, who is the only holdover from the 2023 squad which lost in the NCAA playoffs. Nwokocha says he doesn't want to experience that disappointment again.
 
"It's a privilege to be in the playoffs," Nwokocha said. "It's not something just anyone can do. I remember losing, and I don't want to feel that again."
 
Nwokocha said it has been a roller-coaster career at Benedict, from the 2023 championship season, to the uncertainty of the coaching change, and being a part of the rebuilding under Dickerson and experiencing success again.
 
"It feels wonderful," Nwokocha said. "I've smiled a lot this season."
 
Benedict will be making its third appearance in the NCAA Championship, and are 0-2 after losing to Wingate in 2022 and Lenoir-Rhyne in 2023. Wingate is making its sixth appearance in the postseason in the last eight years, and their seventh overall. Wingate comes into the game on a six-game winning streak, having outscored those opponents 229-120.
 
The winner of Saturday's game will take on the winner between Albany State and Valdosta State on Nov. 29.