Tigers down Golden Bulls in Battle of The Border Classic

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College Tigers scored 16 unanswered second-half points to defeat Johnson C. Smith 32-10 in the Battle of the Border Classic on Saturday in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, opening the 2026 season with a strong performance against the No. 1-ranked team in the D2 Black College Football Poll.

The Tigers finished with 435 yards of total offense, including nearly 200 yards rushing, led by 117 yards from David Smith. Jett Peddy finished with 227 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns, including a short throw to Zackery Watkins, who turned it into a 97-yard touchdown that gave Benedict a 16-0 lead.

The Golden Bulls scored a touchdown late in the first half and added a 42-yard field goal early in the third quarter to cut the lead to 16-10. The Tiger defense shut down the Golden Bulls for the rest of the game, added three field goals from Zane Spires and a short 1-yard touchdown pass from Peddy to Donnavan Wilmore. Spires finished with four field goals on the night.

Corion Powers led the defense with 11 tackles and was named the Battle of the Border Defensive MVP. Smith, who finished with 117 yards on just 14 carries, was named the Offensive MVP.

The Tigers forced a pair of Johnson C. Smith turnovers in the first half as the Golden Bulls were driving into Benedict territory – recovering a fumble at their own 18-yard line in the first quarter, and Caleb Riggs picking off a pass at the Benedict 25 in the second quarter.

The Tigers, now 1-0, will travel to Rome, Ga., next week to take on the Shorter Hawks, out of Conference Carolinas. Shorter opened the season on Saturday with a 65-6 victory over Andrew College, setting a school record for points in a game. Kickoff from Shorter’s Barron Stadium is 3 p.m.