COLUMBIA, S.C. – Tuskegee opened strong under the lights on Thursday night but could not sustain the momentum, falling 45–24 to Benedict at Charles W. Johnson Stadium.
With the loss, the Golden Tigers dropped to 2–2 overall and 1–1 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, while Benedict remained unbeaten at 3–0 (2–0 SIAC).
The Golden Tigers came out firing, putting together a 96-yard drive on their opening possession, capped by a 32-yard touchdown strike from
Raequan Beal to
EJ Hall.
The duo connected again late in the first quarter on a 20-yard score, helping Tuskegee build a 14–7 lead. Early in the second quarter,
Lorcan Ryans added a 25-yard field goal to stretch the advantage to 17–7.
Benedict responded with three unanswered touchdowns before halftime, taking a 28–17 lead into the locker room. Quarterback Darius Ocean accounted for three first-half scoring passes and running back David Smith added a 26-yard rushing touchdown to help swing the momentum.
After the break, Tuskegee's defense held Benedict to a field goal on its first drive, but turnovers and stalled possessions limited the Golden Tigers' chances to close the gap.
Ocean added his fourth touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, and Josef Manley sealed the contest with a late rushing score.
Hall continued to shine for Tuskegee, finishing with 246 all-purpose yards. He recorded 117 receiving yards on four catches with two touchdowns and electrified the crowd with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the closing seconds.
Johnny Morris anchored the running game with 80 yards on 14 carries, while Beal passed for 209 yards and two scores.
Defensively,
Kaquan Kimber led Tuskegee with eight total tackles and a tackle for loss, while
Caleb Harrell and
Masiah Wells chipped in six and five stops, respectively.
Tuskegee finished with 296 total yards of offense, including 209 through the air, but was hampered by eight penalties and a pair of stalled red-zone opportunities. Benedict outgained the Golden Tigers 380–296 and held the ball for nearly 34 minutes.
Up Next
The Golden Tigers will look to bounce back quickly as they return home next week to face conference rival Fort Valley State on Sept. 27, at Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. with coverage available on ESPN+.
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