Benedict set to face Kentucky State on homecoming
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The biggest football game on every HBCU campus is Homecoming. Saturday, the eighth-ranked Benedict College Tigers will entertain their largest crowd of the season when they take on the Kentucky State Thorobreds at 2 p.m.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required). Live stats are available here. Tickets will be available at the gate.
Benedict, 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the SIAC, will put the nation’s best defense on display for the alumni and fans who wait all year to celebrate, tailgate and reminisce with old friends and classmates. The Tigers rank first in the nation in total defense, scoring defense and sacks per game.
The Thorobreds, 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the SIAC, are coming off a 21-14 victory over Lane College last week. Kentucky State jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first half and held on for the win to snap a five-game losing streak. Isaiah Saleem had a career high night of 138 rushing yards on 28 attempts that included a long of 85 yards.
The Benedict Purple Swarm defense loves to attack opposing quarterbacks. Benedict ranks first in the nation in sacks, and second in tackles for loss. Loobert Denelus is first in the nation in sacks, while Jayden Broughton is eighth. Broughton is second in the nation in tackles for loss, while Denelus is third.
The Thorobreds have had trouble protecting their quarterbacks this season. Kentucky State ranks last in Division II in sacks allowed, and 158th out of 161 teams in tackles for loss allowed.
