SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah, Georgia is a beautiful tourist destination, full of history and fine dining. But the Benedict College Tigers are turning their short trip to the Hostess City of the South into a business trip, with one goal in mind – win an important football game.
 
There is a lot riding on the final regular season game, which kicks off from Theodore A. "Ted" Wright Stadium at 3 p.m. The game will be available on the SIAC Network. Live stats are available here. Tickets are available here.
 
The Tigers from Columbia, 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the SIAC, are still in the running for a berth in next week's SIAC Championship game and a rematch against Albany State. But a loss to the Tigers from Savannah, 4-5 overall and 3-4 in the SIAC, would likely knock Benedict out and send Kentucky State to the championship, as well as hurt Benedict's chances for a bid into the NCAA Division II playoffs. Benedict was ranked third in Super Region Two in the first published rankings last week. The four champions from the SIAC, Gulf South Conference, Conference Carolinas and South Atlantic Conference, as well as three at-large teams, will advance to the NCAA Championship.
 
"The biggest and greatest thing about us is our destiny is in our hands, so we've just got to continue to play good, solid Benedict football," said Benedict head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. "If we handle our business Saturday, we have a great chance to play for the conference championship, which will give us a great opportunity to stay in the playoffs. We've just got to handle our business first and foremost and get a win, and then we'll see what the NCAA says where Benedict is."
 
While fans and media have been speculating on the next two weeks and the different scenarios, the Tigers have been intensely focused on Savannah State, a team that Dickerson said they cannot take lightly.
 
Savannah State has the top-ranked team in total defense in the SIAC, allowing opponents just 248 yards of offense per game. Darian Bell is second in the SIAC in total tackles, while Xavier Esquillen leads the SIAC in sacks.
 
Benedict is coming off a season-high 239 yards rushing in last week's victory over Virginia University of Lynchburg, but Savannah State allows opponents only 85 yards per game on the ground. Savannah State is coming off a close 21-18 loss to Albany State last week.
 
"They played a great game. They should have won the game," Dickerson said. "Their defense is ranked in the conference as one of the top defenses. They've got some really good defensive lineman and a good secondary. So we're going to have to play our A game."
 
Offensively is where Savannah State has struggled this year, ranking next-to-last in the SIAC in total offense and last in rushing at 73 yards per game. They also are last in the SIAC in third-down conversions at 25 percent.