Benedict To Face Wingate In NCAA D2 Playoffs, Newberry to face Kentucky St.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the second time in four years, the Benedict College Tigers will face the Wingate Bulldogs in the NCAA Division II football championship.
The Tigers were selected to the NCAA championship in Super Region Two, the NCAA announced Sunday evening, and will travel to Wingate, N.C., to face the fourth seed Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 22 in the first round. Kickoff will be 1 p.m. Benedict is making the postseason for the third time in the last four years.
Benedict, 9-2 overall, was seeded fourth last week, but dropped one spot after a close loss to Albany State on Saturday in the SIAC championship game. Benedict’s only two losses this season came at the hands of Albany State, which received the top seed in the region, and will host eighth-seed Valdosta State, who earned the Gulf South Conference automatic bid with an upset over West Florida on Saturday.
Benedict and Albany State are joined in the postseason by the Kentucky State Thorobreds, who will play at third-seed Newberry. Second seed West Florida will host North Greenville, which won the Conference Carolinas title and automatic bid with an upset over UNC Pembroke on Saturday.
Wingate defeated Benedict 23-6 in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, which was Benedict’s first-ever trip to the Division II championship.
Wingate went 9-2 on the season, and 7-2 in the South Atlantic Conference, losing to Carson-Newman, and to SAC champion Newberry 43-42 in overtime. Wingate enters the playoffs on a six-game winning streak.
The Bulldogs rank 15th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 37.7 points per game. Defensively, they rank fourth in the nation in tackles for loss, averaging 3.18 per game, and rank 13th in total defense, allowing teams 289.7 yards per game.
