COLUMBIA, S.C. — Another week, another win — and still, Benedict College keeps doing it quietly. The Tigers, under second-year head coach Ron Dickerson Jr., improved to 6–0 overall and 5–0 in the SIAC, remaining the only undefeated team in HBCU football after a hard-fought 14–7 victory over Fort Valley State on Saturday at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t easy. But it was Benedict football — tough, poised, and powered by one of the best defenses in the SIAC.
Lightning Start, Defensive Finish
The tone was set immediately. All-American returner Jaxon Williams — already the nation’s leader in kickoff return average — opened the game with an 88-yard touchdown return, his second of the season, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Fort Valley State, just 1–5 on the season, showed more fight than its record suggests. The Wildcats tied the game late in the second quarter on a 46-yard touchdown strike, forcing Benedict to lean on its discipline and defense for the rest of the day.
Benedict’s offense was limited to a season-low of 169 total yards, but its defense responded in kind — holding Fort Valley to just 78 rushing yards and 222 total yards, which was only five shy of the Wildcats’ season low.
Trick Play Tilts the Game
With the score locked at 7–7 midway through the third quarter, Dickerson’s staff dug into the playbook. On a double-reverse pass, quarterback Darius Ocean found Williams again, this time on a short screen that turned into a 29-yard touchdown after a convoy of blockers paved the way.
That was all Benedict would need. The defense clamped down — as it has all season — holding Fort Valley to four straight three-and-outs to start the second half and never allowing them past midfield.
Defense Wins Again
Veteran linebacker Israel Nwokocha led the charge with 10 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks, while defensive end Isaiah Stephens sealed the game with back-to-back plays that defined the Tigers’ grit: a 16-yard sack on third down and an interception on the next series to close it out.
Punter Kolten Ford was quietly clutch, averaging 42.2 yards on eight punts, including a booming 66-yarder and four that pinned Fort Valley inside its own 20. In a field-position game, Ford’s leg was a weapon.
“We Just Had to Be Who We Are”
After the win, head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. praised his team’s toughness but made it clear — they weren’t satisfied with simply staying unbeaten.
“We just had to calm down and play our brand of football,” Dickerson said. “Fort Valley’s a good team, but we had to stop playing their style and get back to who we are — disciplined, physical, and focused.”
That identity has carried over seamlessly in Dickerson’s second season at the helm, keeping Benedict among the most consistent programs in all of Division II.
“It’s about four quarters,” he added. “We condition for it, we prepare for it, and when the fourth quarter comes, we want to be the team still standing strong.”
Despite being the lone undefeated team in HBCU football, Benedict College continues to fly under the radar nationally — something that doesn’t seem to bother Dickerson in the least.
“Rankings don’t win games,” he said. “Our players, our coaches, and the work we put in every week — that’s what matters.”
The Road Ahead
Next up, Benedict College heads to Jacksonville to face Edward Waters (4–2, 3–1 SIAC) in what could be one of the season’s defining matchups in the SIAC and DII HBCU football.
“We’ll correct what we need to from this game,” Dickerson said, “and get ready for a great football team. The mission stays the same — go 1–0 every week.”
At 6–0, the Tigers aren’t just chasing a conference crown — they’re building a winning culture under coach Dickerson. And while the spotlight still hasn’t found them, HBCU football’s last undefeated team doesn’t need it. Their record speaks loud enough.