The Benedict College Tigers, as they sit at 8-1 on the season, are looking to bring another SIAC Football Championship home to Columbia.

After being handed their first loss of the season by Albany State University on Oct. 25, the Tigers got back in the win column with a 42-10 win against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Nov. 1.

Tigers Head Coach Ron Dickerson Jr. said the loss was the wake-up call the team needed to get back on track.

“I’m not saying I wanted to lose, but the way we lost was from us hurting ourselves against a good team,” Dickerson said. “When you have two good teams and one plays good and one plays average, the good team is going to win, and that’s what happened on Saturday.”

Dickerson has led his team to the best start in recent program history following a 4-6 season in his first year with the Tigers.

“We were in foreign territory, starting the season 7 and 0,” Dickerson said. “It’s a bitter taste, but it happened at a good time.”

Senior quarterback Darius Ocean said the loss didn’t lower team morale.

“Our mentality hasn’t changed at all,” Ocean said. “Every day we come out here, our goal is to dominate.”

The Tigers hit the field full of energy against VUL, with David Smith and A’chean Durant both scoring rushing touchdowns in the first six minutes of the game. The running game proved to be the dominant force for the Tigers as they accumulated a season-high 239 rushing yards while holding VUL to 12. Triston Morgan was the leading rusher with 103 yards and two rushing touchdowns, which came in the second and third quarters.

The game was also Benedict’s Homecoming and Senior Day. Players’ families and Benedict alumni were welcomed to Charlie W. Johnson Stadium by extravagant performances by the Benedict marching band and cheer squad. Ocean’s grandfather, James Best, attended the game and said he was grateful to see his grandson getting a chance to be a leader on a successful team.

“This is the last straw of his collegiate career, and it’s happening in a great place,” Best said. “Hopefully, it ends in a championship.”

The Tigers are now ranked third in the NCAA Super Region 2 Rankings. The team is also ranked fourth in the nation’s HBCU Coaches Poll. 

Tiger’s Head Coach Ron Dickerson Jr. said the team’s championship aspirations are still in sight.

“Our vision and our end goal is still in our hands,” he said.

The Tigers will face off against Savannah State on the road Nov. 8 as they wrap up the regular season and hope to book a trip to the championship game.

The Benedict Tiger Marching Band of Distinction performed in the stands all game for Homecoming and on the field during halftime. Photo by Giovanni Cusatis/Carolina Reporter