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.
Benedict Athletic Director Willie Washington, Head Coach Ron Dickerson Jr., and Benedict College President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis pose with the Battle of the Border Championship trophy. Photo: Nathan Salley Photography
Battle of the Border Classic Offensive MVP David Smith poses with Benedict Athletic Director Willie Washington, Head Coach Ron Dickerson Jr., and Benedict President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis. Photo: Nathan Salley Photography
Battle of the Border Classic Defensive MVP Corion Powers poses with Benedict Athletic Director Willie Washington, Head Coach Ron Dickerson Jr., and Benedict President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis. Photo: Nathan Salley Photography
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.