Benedict Downs Central State, advances to SIAC Championship game

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College Tigers punched their ticket for a return trip to the SIAC football championship with a 45-38 victory over the Central State Marauders on Saturday in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

The 20th-ranked Tigers, now 9-1 overall and 7-1 in the SIAC, will face Kentucky State (8-2 overall, 7-1 in the SIAC) at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 in Charlie W. Johnson in an ESPNU televised game. Benedict will be playing in the championship contest for the second year in row. The Tigers lost to Albany State 22-16 in last year’s title contest.

Against the Marauders, Benedict amassed a season-high 517 yards of total offense, including a season-high 290 passing yards. Quarterback Jett Peddy had his best game of the season, completing 24-of-32 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. The 45 points for Benedict matched their season-high that they scored in their victory over Edward Waters.

The Tigers jumped out to an early 17-0 lead in the first quarter and extended the lead to 38-14 at the half. The Marauders staged a second-half rally to cut the lead to 38-31 in the fourth quarter, but Benedict answered with a 70-yard drive that ate more than three minutes off the clock. Glenn Foreman III finished the drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Donnavan Wilmore to give the Tigers a 45-31 lead with 4:23 left in the game.

Central State scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 2:26 left to play to cut the lead to 45-38. Benedict was forced to punt on fourth down on their next series, but an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Marauders gave the Tigers an automatic first down and the Tigers were able to run out the clock to secure the victory.

The high-octane Marauder offense finished with 329 passing yards, but the Tigers intercepted CSU quarterback Jackson Wasik three times, a season-high, and sacked him another three times. Ethan Nation recorded all three interceptions, which tied for the most by a Division II player in a single game this season. The Tigers also limited Central State to just 70 yards rushing on 27 carries.

Logan Karwacki opened the scoring on Benedict’s first series of the game with a 36-yard field goal. Later in the first quarter, Nation intercepted his first Wasik pass. Christopher Johnson capped off a short drive with a four-yard touchdown run for a 10-0 lead.

On Central State’s next drive, punter Carson Goulet mishandled the snap and Joshua Stephens scooped up the loose ball and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to put Benedict on top 17-0.

The Marauders returned a fumbled punt 48 yards for their first score early in the second quarter. Benedict answered with a seven-play, 70-yard drive that finished with a 26-yard touchdown run by A’chean Durant.

After a seven-yard touchdown run by the Marauders, the Tigers went on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ate nearly six minutes off the clock. Peddy threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Demetris McKelvey to give the Tigers a 31-14 lead. Peddy threw another seven-yard touchdown pass to McKelvey with 45 seconds left in the first half for a 38-14 halftime lead.

Central State got a 36-yard field goal and a 13-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to make it 38-24. A 69-yard pass play in the fourth quarter set up a two-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 38-31.

Joshua Lee led the Benedict defense with seven tackles. Ty’Metrius Patterson added five tackles, including one sack, and had one quarterback hurry.