Benedict Looks To Snap Losing Streak At Homecoming

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Benedict) – The Benedict College Tigers will look to snap a three-game losing streak, and the timing is perfect. It’s Homecoming.

The Tigers return home after three weeks on the road. For the last two weeks, Benedict has experienced the gala and excitement of Homecoming at Lane and Clark Atlanta, and the Tigers have experienced firsthand the emotional lift a large and vocal crowd can bring to a football team. Benedict coach Mike White hopes the Benedict alumni on campus for Saturday’s game against Morehouse can provide that same type of boost for the Tigers.

“It’s a huge deal,” White said about Homecoming. “Usually out of all your games, that’s the one game you have targeted that you need to play well in front of all your alums, your friends, your families. This is the last Homecoming for the seniors. You just want to put on a good show for the crowd. This will be one of our biggest crowds and you like to hear the roar of the fans. It’s just an important game all the way around for us. Inside the stadium is packed, outside the stadium is packed, and it’s a good feeling to win with the football team playing well.”

White said he believes both Lane and Clark Atlanta benefited from an emotional lift by playing their Homecoming games. “That’s the kind of effort we’re going to have. Somebody will have to make plays this week and get us out on a good vibe, especially early, so we can continue to play and play well,” White said.

The Maroon Tigers are 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the SIAC and have dropped five games in a row. But White said Morehouse is a dangerous team that can’t be overlooked. Morehouse lost a close game to Albany State last week, and was edged by Clark Atlanta by one point on a last-second field goal three weeks ago.

“Morehouse is another good football team in the SIAC,” White said. “We’re going to have to play some really good football, offensively and especially defensively to slow these guys down, to give ourselves a chance and have a good weekend. They’re very explosive, and we can’t allow them to jump on us like that. We have to play solid football.”

The Maroon Tigers have one of the top defenses in the SIAC, allowing opponents just 76.3 yards per game on the ground. The Maroon Tigers have allowed just three of their seven opponents to rush for more than 100 yards, and Albany State rushed for 184 yards last week, the most Morehouse has given up this season. Benedict averages more than 150 yards per game on the ground, and George Myers Jr. has two games with more than 200 yards by himself.

Morehouse junior linebacker David Smith has been named SIAC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season. He is coming off a career-high 19-tackle performance last week against Albany State. He leads the SIAC in tackles and tackles for loss, and is second in sacks.

White said the Tigers will have to avoid some of the mistakes that have plagued the team the last few weeks. As injuries have mounted this season, the Tigers don’t have the roster depth to compensate for turnovers or blown assignments.

“It seems like when we make that mental mistake, there’s a penalty or a turnover and it’s hard for us to recover from that,” White said. “Two penalties and two turnovers, and now we’re really digging a hole for ourselves, and now we’re out of our game plan and we’re fighting from behind. That’s what we have to stay out ofSaturday, getting behind, both in down and distance or in the scoreboard. That’s important for us to get out to a good start.”

Despite the three-game losing streak, only one of those losses was to an SIAC East Division opponent. Benedict is in third place in the SAIC East standings with a 1-1 record. With East Division games left against Morehouse and Albany State, the Tigers are still in contention to win the division and advance to the conference championship game.

“I’ve talked to them many times about the old days (at Albany State). Maybe about three or four years ago we were 1-4 and we won the conference. We just won all our games on the East side and won the conference championship. We’re right there. We can do it. But first we’ve got to believe and we’ve got to start playing some good football. East division games are super important. This time of year, you’re thinking about winning championships, you’re thinking about winning rings, you’re thinking about a lot of different things. But this game, more than anything, is Homecoming, and we need to play well and come up with a victory.”