BENEDICT TIGERS (3-0, 1-0 SIAC) AT TUSKEGEE GOLDEN TIGERS (1-2, 1-0 SIAC)
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Cleve L. Abbott Stadium — Tuskegee, Ala.
Watch: ESPN2
Live Stats: Benedict Live Stats
Series: Tuskegee leads, 12-2 (since 1997)
Last Meeting: Benedict 45, Tuskegee 24 (Sept. 18, 2025)
 
TUSKEGEE, Ala. – The 15^th-ranked Benedict College Tigers will be playing in one of the most hostile environments of all HBCUs, when they travel to take on the Tuskegee Golden Tigers at 7 p.m. Eastern on Thursday night in a nationally-televised contest.
 
Benedict has not played at Tuskegee since 2010, when the Golden Tigers took a 34-18 victory. Benedict is 0-7 all-time in Tuskegee, with available records back through 1997. What Tuskegee has that's different is the "Shed." The Shed is a covered student section on the home team sideline. The students and the Marching Crimson Pipers band get the pregame started with a custom version of "Ball N-Parlay," the unofficial Tuskegee anthem. From that point, they become one of the fiercest 12th man armies in Division II football, blasting music and cheers throughout the game in one of the most energetic rituals in college football. This will also be Tuskegee's first home game of the season, and a rare game under the lights for the Golden Tigers.
 
The Tigers, 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the SIAC, hit the road after a thrilling 34-33 overtime victory over Fort Valley State last Saturday. The Wildcats scored a touchdown with nine seconds left to tie the score, then missed the extra point. In overtime, FVSU scored a touchdown, but missed another extra point. Benedict then scored on their overtime possession and kicked the extra point to win.
 
Tuskegee enters the game at 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the SIAC. The Golden Tigers opened the season with a 10-point loss against a West Georgia team that has beaten two ranked opponents this season. Tuskegee then rallied from a 23-7 deficit to defeat Fort Valley State 24-23 in their SIAC opener. They lost to Division I Jackson State 41-7 last week.
 
Benedict is ranked No. 1 in a pair of Division II HBCU polls, while Tuskegee is ranked No. 10 in the D2 HBCU Coaches Poll, and received votes in the Black College Football Poll.
 
Benedict is coming off a season-high 494 yards of offense, the second time in three games the Tigers have surpassed 400 yards of offense. The Tigers have established a strong running game so far this season, averaging 217.7 yards per game. David Smith ranks second in the SIAC with 96.3 yards per game, but the Tigers utilize a deep stable of running backs, including Caleb Pearson, A'chean Durant and Christopher Johnson all averaging more than 33 yards per game.
 
Tuskegee ranks sixth best in the SIAC in stopping the run, holding opponents to 161.3 yards per game.
 
Defensively, Benedict is giving up 385.7 yards per game, but are third in the league in passing yards allowed per game, and are third in red zone percentage defense, allowing opponents to score just 63.6 percent of the time they cross the 20-yard line.
 
The Golden Tigers have struggled running the ball, averaging just 89.7 yards per game. They do average 185.7 yards per game through the air, and they like to go deep. Tuskegee leads the SIAC and ranks seventh in the nation in passing yards per completion, nearly 18 yards per completion.
 
Benedict has won the last two meetings with Tuskegee in the all-time series, with both games in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium. Benedict dominated the Golden Tigers, 58-21, to win their first-ever SIAC championship in 2022. Benedict won a regular-season game 45-24 last year in Columbia.