BENEDICT TIGERS (4-1, 2-1 SIAC) AT ALLEN YELLOW JACKETS (2-3, 1-2 SIAC)
 
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: Charles F. Bolden Stadium — Columbia, South Carolina
Tickets: Allen University Live Stats: Allen Live Stats
Series: Allen leads 13-12 in the series dating to 1946
Last Meeting: Benedict 38, Allen 28 — Oct. 4, 2025, Columbia, S.C. (Charlie W. Johnson Stadium)
 
COLUMBIA, S.C. – One of the closest football rivalries in the nation takes place Saturday, when the Benedict College Tigers and Allen University Yellow Jackets, neighbors on opposite sides of Taylor Street, meet Saturday.
 
Kickoff from Charles F. Bolden Stadium is set for 2 p.m., and will feature two of the top offenses in the SIAC battling it out for bragging rights.
 
The Tigers have established themselves as one of the top rushing teams, not only in the SIAC, but in the nation. Benedict leads the SIAC averaging 226.4 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 19^th best in the nation.
 
The Tigers are successful due to a quartet of talented running backs and a veteran and experienced offensive line. True freshman Christopher Johnson was named the SIAC Newcomer of the Week after last week's impressive performance of 111 yards on just 14 carries with two touchdowns. A'chean Durant also broke the century mark with 102 yards and one touchdown on just six carries. David Smith leads the team overall in rushing with 399 yards, averaging 79.8 yards per game. Caleb Pearson is dangerous as a rusher and as a receiver out of the backfield.
 
Benedict finished with a season-high 301 yards rushing in last week's 31-3 victory over Clark Atlanta, and 500 yards of total offense. Benedict ranks second in the SIAC and 26^th in the nation in total offense, averaging 434.2 yards per game.
 
Allen, meanwhile, ranks third in the SIAC in rushing offense and boasts the league's top individual rusher in Javis Floyd, whose 118.8 yards per game ranks ninth best in the nation. The Yellow Jackets also average 35 points per game, second in the SIAC and 30^th in the nation.
 
With two high powered offenses, the key will be which defense steps up. Benedict has the top scoring defense in the SIAC, allowing opponents just 17.2 points per game. They also have given up the fewest passing yards, allowing just 165.2 yards per game through the air. They also have the league's best red zone defense, allowing opponents to score just 62.5 percent of the time they are inside the 20-yard line, which ranks eighth best in the nation. But the Tigers have struggled against the run, giving up an average of nearly 200 yards per game.
 
Allen's defense has been giving up an average of 386.6 yards per game in total offense and 177.4 yards rushing per game.
 
This rivalry dates back to 1946, the oldest record available. The Benedict vs. Allen game was one of the highlights in Columbia during the 1940s and 1950s. The Yellow Jackets dominated the series in the 1950s, winning five straight from 1954 through 1958. The series ended in 1966 after Benedict dropped its football program.
 
The Tigers resumed football in 1996, but football at Allen didn't return until 2018. The two next door neighbor rivals didn't revive their football series until 2021, after Allen returned to the SIAC. Since then, Benedict has won all five meetings.