Albany St. Shuts Down Benedict, 37-13

ALBANY, Ga. (BC SID) -– The Benedict College Tigers were held to a season-low 72 yards of total offense and couldn’t stop the Albany State offensive attack and fell 37-13 to the Golden Rams on Saturday at the ASU Coliseum in an SIAC football game. The Golden Rams jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead and cruised in the second half in front of crowd of nearly 10,000 in their Homecoming contest. The Rams improved to 7-2, 5-1 in the SIAC, and moved one step closer to a bid in the SIAC Championship. The Tigers dropped to 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the SIAC. The Golden Rams finished with 465 yards of total offense, and picked up 21 first downs compared to four for the Tigers, and just one in the first half. “We got down early. Offensively, we’re struggling,” said interim head coach James Woody. “Defensively, we played well at times. I’m proud of the guys. We were down 31, and they kept fighting and battling.” Albany took the opening-game kickoff and drove to the Benedict 11-yard line, where Cordell Rodgers intercepted Albany State quarterback Stan Jennings at the 1-yard line and returned it to the 6-yard line. But the Tigers couldn’t move the ball and were forced to punt, and Albany State’s Orion Ponder returned the kick 53 yards for the Golden Rams’ first touchdown. The Tigers fumbled on their next possession, and the Rams got a 40-yard field goal from Brand Hamilton for a 10-0 lead. Albany had three long second-quarter drives, going 53, 71 and 81 yards for three more touchdowns. Jennings had touchdown passes to Ronnie Tubbs for 21 and 12 yards and Luther Edwards had a nine-yard touchdown run after a fumble that at first appeared to be Benedict ball, but was then ruled that Albany State recovered. The Tigers opened the second half with a nice drive, moving to near midfield. Orion Ponder fumbled the punt, and Kendariss Brown recovered at the 10-yard line, and Thomas McBride ran the ball in on the next play to make the score 31-6. Benedict cut the lead to 31-13 with 3:09 left in the third quarter when Anthony Davis grabbed a fumble from Albany State’s Adrian Alexander and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown. The Golden Rams punted on their next possession, and DeQuan Starling returned it 61 yards to the Albany State 9-yard line, but the Tigers couldn’t capitalize on the good field position. The Golden Rams sealed the game on a one-yard run by Nathan Hoyte with 2:21 left in the game, after Hoyte gained 52 yards on four carries on the drive. “Albany State is a great football team and I think they’ll go far in the playoffs,” Wood said. Carson completed 11-of-26 passes for 63 yards and had two interceptions and was sacked three times. Thomas McBride was the leading rusher with 17 yards. Hoyte led the Golden Rams with 118 yards rushing and Jennings was 19-of-34 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Starling and Jamaa Massaline led the Benedict defense with eight tackles each. Benedict closes out the 2011 football season next week at home against Lane. Kickoff at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium is 2 p.m.