Miles College had 449 yards of total offense and converted on eight of their 12 third downs as the Golden Bears defeated Benedict College 26-14 on Saturday in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, spoiling the Tigers’ Homecoming.
The Tigers started off the game with an electrifying 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Jaxon Williams, but struggled the rest of the game offensively. Benedict finished with a season-low 210 yards of offense against one of the SIAC’s top defenses and converted on just four of 14 third downs.
Benedict falls to 3-5 overall and 3-3 in the SIAC. Miles moves to 6-2 overall and 6-0 in the SIAC.
After Williams started the game with the long kickoff return, the Bears quickly tied the game, needing just six plays to travel 66 yards, and scoring on a 22-yard run.
Miles capped off an 80-yard drive in the second quarter to score on a 12-yard run. The Bears missed the extra point to take a 13-7 lead.
After Miles blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt by the Tigers, the Bears put together another 80-yard drive and scored on a four-yard pass to make it 20-7 with four minutes left in the first half.
Benedict came out in the second half and drove 84-yards, scoring on a 15-yard pass from Charles “Tre” Simmons to Troy Hillman and
cut the lead to 20-14.
Miles was pinned deep on the ensuing kickoff, but a 55-yard run by Bears quarterback Kamren Ivory, followed by a 26-yard pass, gave the Bears a first-andgoal. A penalty and a sack pushed the Bears back, but Miles scored on third-andgoal from the 22 on a 22-yard pass. The PAT was blocked to make it 26-14.
Benedict had a late drive in the fourth quarter, but the Golden Bears intercepted Simmons with less than a minute and a half remaining in the game.
Benedict is on the road next week to take on the Fort Valley State Wildcats at 1 p.m. That game will be broadcast on HBCU Go.
