By Jarrett Hoffman
HBCU Sports
https://hbcusports.com/
The Albany State Golden Rams are moving on to the Regional Final of the Division II Football Playoffs, following a 14-12 second-round victory over the Benedict Tigers.
As a result, the Golden Rams improve their overall record to 12-1, setting a new school record for wins in a season.
Albany State completes a three-game sweep against Benedict, having previously beaten them 31-3 in Week 9 of the regular season and 22-16 in the SIAC championship game.
All-SIAC quarterback Isaiah Knowles finished with 244 passing yards on 19-of-29 passing and a touchdown. He also recorded the team’s only rushing touchdown.
Jamill Williams was the Golden Rams’ leading receiver, catching six passes for 112 yards, accounting for the team’s receiving touchdown.
The Benedict defense delivered a big performance to give the team a chance to win, forcing six sacks and two turnovers.
After surrendering a touchdown on the Golden Rams’ second drive of the game, the Benedict defense’s swarming pass rush came through, hindering ASU’s offense to single-digit yardage on five of its next nine drives.
This included three possessions in which the Golden Rams surrendered the ball to the Tigers, having been limited to negative yardage.
However, offensive struggles plagued the Tigers all game, as they were limited to a season-low 46 passing yards on 29% completions.
On four offensive drives beginning in Albany State territory, Benedict only managed to score two field goals, including being forced to punt on its penultimate possession of the game.
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With 7:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, Knowles scored on a QB keeper to give the Golden Rams a 14-6 lead.
This score was set up in part by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Tigers, caused by a Benedict defender removing Williams’ helmet after making a tackle on a 15-yard reception.
Benedict’s ensuing offensive possession, dominated by running back David Smith, ended in a nine-yard touchdown run to trim the deficit to 14-12 with 3:49 remaining.
Going for a two-point conversion following the score, the Tigers went for a pass in the back of the endzone but fell incomplete.
This play was marred in controversy as head coach Ron Dickerson argued with referees that a pass interference penalty should have been called, but to no avail.
Albany State would get the ball back and not relinquish it, completing a 21-yard pass from Knowles to Omari Stewart before the two-minute timeout to give the team the first down and virtually end the game.
The Golden Rams will now advance to the National Quarterfinal of the Division II Playoffs, marking the fourth time they’ve done so in school history and the first time since 2010.
They will compete for a spot in their first-ever National Semifinal when they host three-seed Newberry, who beat two-seed West Florida 24-17 on the road in the second round.
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This is Newberry’s second Division II Playoff game against an SIAC opponent, having beaten Kentucky State 45-24 in the first round.
