Benedict Football Knocks Off Top-Ranked JCSU in Opener

The Tigers generated 433 yards of offense and scored the final 16 points to secure a 32-10 season-opening victory.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Benedict College opened the 2026 HBCU football season with a statement.

The Tigers scored 16 unanswered points after Johnson C. Smith pulled within one possession, defeating the Golden Bulls 32-10 in the Battle of the Border Classic on Saturday at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.

The victory came against a JCSU team that entered the HBCU football season ranked No. 1 in the Division II Black College Football Poll. Benedict controlled the second half and finished with 433 yards of total offense in front of 3,617 fans.

Quarterback Jett Peddy threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Running back David Smith added 117 yards on 14 carries and earned Battle of the Border Offensive MVP honors.

Benedict’s defense forced two turnovers and kept JCSU off the scoreboard over the final 26 minutes. Linebacker Corion Powers led the Tigers with 11 tackles and was named the game’s Defensive MVP.

Benedict lands the first big play

Benedict took control early after A’chean Durant scored on a one-yard run with 8:23 remaining in the first quarter.

Kicker Zane Spires extended the lead with a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Tigers then produced the game’s biggest play from deep inside their own territory.

Peddy connected with Zackery Watkins on a short pass that Watkins turned into a 97-yard touchdown. The explosive play gave Benedict a 16-0 advantage with 9:53 remaining in the first half.

Watkins finished with 129 receiving yards.

JCSU answered behind Fabian Duncan. The transfer running back broke free for a 36-yard touchdown, completing a 72-yard drive that reduced Benedict’s lead to 16-7.

Duncan was the most productive player in the Golden Bulls’ offense. He rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown while adding 43 receiving yards.

JCSU closes the gap

The Golden Bulls carried some momentum into the third quarter.

JCSU drove 56 yards on its opening possession of the second half before Alexis Rosario-Beltran connected on a 42-yard field goal. The kick brought the defending CIAA champions within 16-10.

That was as close as the Golden Bulls would get.

Benedict answered with consecutive field goals from Spires, who converted attempts from 30 and 29 yards. Those kicks rebuilt the Tigers’ advantage to 22-10.

Peddy then found Donnavan Wilmore for a one-yard touchdown with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Spires added a 21-yard field goal in the fourth to complete the scoring.

Spires made four of his five field-goal attempts and accounted for 14 points.

Tigers capitalize on JCSU mistakes

The final margin overshadowed a productive JCSU running game.

The Golden Bulls rushed for 243 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per attempt. However, they managed only 94 passing yards and went 0-for-3 on fourth down.

Parker McQuarrie completed nine of 18 passes for 94 yards in his first start at quarterback for JCSU. He threw one interception and was sacked twice.

Benedict forced both of the game’s turnovers during the first half as JCSU advanced into scoring territory.

The Tigers recovered a fumble at their own 18-yard line in the opening quarter. Caleb Riggs later intercepted McQuarrie at the Benedict 25-yard line during the second quarter.

JCSU also committed 11 penalties for 93 yards and failed to score on either of its two official red-zone opportunities.

Benedict was perfect on its six trips into the red zone, coming away with two touchdowns and four field goals. The Tigers finished with 24 first downs and averaged seven yards across their 62 offensive plays.

The Tigers improved to 1-0 and will travel to face Shorter University next Saturday in Rome, Georgia. Shorter opened its season with a school-record 65 points in a 65-6 victory over Andrew College.

Johnson C. Smith fell to 0-1 and suffered its first regular-season loss since a 28-10 defeat at Virginia Union on Sept. 20, 2025.

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