We Speak College Football

HBCU Roundup: Benedict Wins SIAC Title in Overtime Classic, Virginia Union Takes CIAA Crown as Alabama State Shakes Up the SWAC Race

Benedict rallied from 24 down to beat Kentucky State 52-45 in overtime for the SIAC title, Virginia Union edged Johnson C. Smith 15-14 for the CIAA crown, and Alabama State upset Jackson State 20-13 to shake up the SWAC race.

Published

6 hours ago

November 15, 2026

We Speak Media

Benedict head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. holds the SIAC Championship trophy after the Tigers' 52-45 overtime win over Kentucky State in Columbia, Nov. 14, 2026

Benedict head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. holds the SIAC Championship trophy after the Tigers' 52-45 overtime win over Kentucky State on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, in Columbia, South Carolina. Photo by Nathan Salley Photography.

Benedict staged one of the great comebacks in HBCU championship history to win the SIAC title in overtime, Virginia Union edged Johnson C. Smith for the CIAA crown, and Alabama State’s upset of Jackson State blew the SWAC East race wide open on a championship Saturday across HBCU football.

SIAC Championship: Benedict 52, Kentucky State 45 (OT). Benedict trailed 38-14 midway through the third quarter in Columbia before scoring 24 unanswered points to tie the game. Backup quarterback Glenn Foreman III, who entered the day with 76 passing yards all season, threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns, including the 25-yard overtime winner to Demetris McKelvey on the first play of the extra period. T.J. Hatch caught eight passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Kentucky State had a chance to win in regulation after recovering a muffed punt inside the Benedict 5 in the final minute, but could not get its field-goal unit on in time and a delay penalty with a 10-second runoff ended regulation tied. Benedict (10-1) wins its third SIAC title in five years and the conference’s automatic NCAA Division II playoff bid. Kentucky State (8-3), which got an 82-yard touchdown run from Tristan Thomas, remains a strong at-large candidate.

CIAA Championship: Virginia Union 15, Johnson C. Smith 14. Ramon Brown ran for 150 yards and the winning 69-yard touchdown with 12:37 left in the fourth quarter as Virginia Union won its second CIAA title in three years before 5,107 fans in Durham. Gage Miller kicked field goals of 37, 40 and 31 yards for the Panthers’ first nine points, and Derrick Burroughs intercepted a pass with one minute left to seal it after Virginia Union’s defense held Johnson C. Smith scoreless in the second half. The Golden Bulls led 14-9 at halftime on touchdown runs by Damien Mazil and Fabian Duncan. Virginia Union (10-1) earns the CIAA’s automatic Division II playoff bid.

SWAC: Alabama State 20, Jackson State 13. Aaron Frye ran for a 39-yard touchdown and Alabama State scored on a double-fumble return in the first quarter, then held on as Zamari Hall intercepted Jared Lockhart in the end zone with six seconds left. Andrew Abu-Akel kicked field goals of 47 and 40 yards late. Lockhart threw for 229 yards and a touchdown for Jackson State, which was held to 68 rushing yards.

SWAC: Alabama A&M 35, Texas Southern 6. Cornelious Brown threw two touchdown passes and ran for another as Alabama A&M built a 28-0 halftime lead and took sole possession of the SWAC East. Kolton Nero ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

SWAC: Southern 41, Alcorn State 28. Trey Holly carried 33 times for 154 yards and three touchdowns, and Southern closed the game with a 21-play, 89-yard drive that ate 11:49 of the fourth quarter. Jaylon Tolbert threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns for Alcorn State, including an 88-yarder to Jarvis Rush.

SWAC: Prairie View A&M 13, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 10. Ethan Eddins kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give Prairie View the outright SWAC West lead. Tevin Carter threw for 201 yards and ran for a touchdown, and the Panthers held the Golden Lions, the top rushing team in Division I HBCU football, to 107 rushing yards.

SWAC: Grambling State 32, Bethune-Cookman 21. Jacobe Robinson threw four touchdown passes, three of them to Lantavious Murphy, who caught six passes for 122 yards. Florida A&M 16, Mississippi Valley State 13: Gabriel Perez kicked the winning 30-yard field goal, and Mississippi Valley State missed a 42-yarder with 26 seconds left.

Celebration Bowl race: In the MEAC, South Carolina State beat North Carolina Central 38-24 on Saturday to win its third straight MEAC championship and lock up the MEAC’s Celebration Bowl berth. The Bulldogs will meet the SWAC champion in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 12 in Atlanta. In the SWAC East, Alabama A&M (5-2) clinches with a win at Mississippi Valley State next week, while Jackson State (4-3) needs a win at Alcorn State and an Alabama A&M loss. In the West, Prairie View A&M (5-2) clinches with a win at Alabama State, with Southern (4-3) the only other team still alive. The SWAC Championship Game is Dec. 5.

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We Speak College Football

Benedict Rallies From 24 Points Down to Beat Kentucky State 52-45 in Overtime and Win the SIAC Championship

Published

41 minutes ago

November 15, 2026

KJ Butler

A Benedict receiver in a purple jersey leaps high above a Kentucky State defender to catch the football during the SIAC Championship game.

A Benedict receiver climbs above a Kentucky State defender to pull down a catch during the Tigers' 52-45 overtime win over Kentucky State in the SIAC Championship. Photo by KJ Butler.

Benedict College is a champion again. The Tigers came back from 24 points down on Saturday in Columbia, beating Kentucky State 52-45 in overtime to win the SIAC Championship, the third conference title in program history, and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs came with it.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — November 14, 2026

What started as a competitive conference championship matchup turned into an unforgettable day at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, as Benedict College delivered a remarkable comeback to defeat Kentucky State 52-45 in overtime, capturing its third conference football championship in program history.

With the SIAC Championship on the line, both teams came out ready to compete. The opening quarter featured an evenly matched battle, with both offenses finding opportunities while the defenses worked to establish control. Benedict struck first, taking a 14-7 lead into the second quarter.

Kentucky State Takes Over

However, the momentum quickly shifted in favor of Kentucky State.

The Thorobreds delivered a dominant second quarter, outscoring Benedict 17-0 before continuing their offensive surge in the third. Kentucky State eventually built a 24-point lead after putting together 31 unanswered points, leaving the Tigers with a mountain to climb.

The Comeback

But Benedict wasn’t ready to surrender its championship hopes.

Benedict's quarterback in a purple No. 3 jersey leaps over a diving Kentucky State defender while carrying the football. — *Benedict’s quarterback hurdles a diving Kentucky State tackler as the Tigers rally in the SIAC Championship. Photo by KJ Butler.*

The Tigers found another gear in the fourth quarter, putting together a furious comeback and scoring 24 points in the final period to pull even at 45-45. After trailing by as many as 24 points, Benedict had turned what appeared to be a comfortable Kentucky State victory into a championship thriller.

A Wild Final Minute

The final minute of regulation brought even more drama.

With approximately one minute remaining, Kentucky State punted the ball to Benedict, but the Tigers muffed the return, giving the Thorobreds another opportunity to steal the game. Kentucky State moved into position to score, but Benedict’s defense came up with a crucial stop, keeping the Thorobreds out of the end zone.

Benedict's No. 13 in a purple jersey leaps to catch the football with two Kentucky State defenders closing in and fans behind the sideline wall. — *Benedict’s No. 13 pulls down a catch between two Kentucky State defenders during the championship game. Photo by KJ Butler.*

With Kentucky State out of timeouts, clock management became critical. A delay-of-game penalty with nine seconds remaining resulted in a 10-second runoff, sending the game into overtime. The sequence proved costly for the Thorobreds, as a late-game miscommunication and clock-management mishap ended their opportunity to attempt a field goal before regulation expired.

Overtime Decides It

One more possession would determine the championship.

In overtime, Benedict wasted little time making its opportunity count. Quarterback Glenn Foreman connected with Demetris McKelvey on a touchdown pass, giving the Tigers the advantage and putting the pressure squarely on Kentucky State.

Two Benedict defenders collide with a Kentucky State ball carrier in the end zone, knocking the carrier's helmet into the air, with the Benedict band in the background. — *Benedict’s defense delivers a hit that knocks a Kentucky State helmet loose in the end zone during the SIAC Championship. Photo by KJ Butler.*

The Thorobreds were unable to match the score, and Benedict’s sideline erupted in celebration.

After overcoming a 24-point deficit, surviving a dramatic final minute, and finishing the job in overtime, the Tigers walked away with a 52-45 victory and their third conference football championship in program history.

At Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, fans witnessed a comeback that will forever be remembered.

What Is Next

Benedict’s season rolls on into the NCAA Division II playoffs. The SIAC championship carries the conference’s automatic bid, and the Tigers entered the weekend as the No. 1 team in Super Region Two. Benedict learns its first-round opponent at the NCAA Division II selection show on Sunday, November 15 at 6 p.m. ET, with first-round games set for Saturday, November 21.

Kentucky State’s season is not finished either. The Thorobreds close at 8-3 after their first SIAC title game appearance since 2016, and they are expected to land an at-large playoff berth when the bracket is revealed on Sunday night. If their name is called, their first-round game is also Saturday, November 21.