Benedict Mauls Edward-Waters, 44-3
Eric Phoenix was 11-of-18 for 292 yards and four touchdowns over the Edward-Waters porous defensive secondary, helping the Benedict gain a 44-3 victory in SIAC play Thursday night. He connected with his receivers on 60 yards, 51 yards, and 44 yards on three big plays.
The Tigers logged 478 yards of total offense in front of 3,730 fans at Charlie Johnson Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
Benedict opened the game with a seven-play, 60-yard drive in 2:58 minutes to lead 7-0 over Edward-Waters.
The EWU would answer with a 14-play, 40-yard drive, which stalled at the Benedict 13-yard line. Kicker Angel Sevier booted a 30-yard field goal to closed the deficit to four points, 7-3. Unfortunately for his second attempt was blocked, and Edward-Waters would not score again on the evening.
Benedict's defense controlled the contest and limited Edward-Waters to 175 total yards of offense. EWU quarterbacks David Johnson (76 yds) and Cedric Smith (21 yds) amassed 97 passing yards from 14 completions and two interceptions. The Waters rushing attack recorded 33 attempts for 103 yards but lost 25 yards on TFLs.
Running backs Jayden McCloud (44 yds) and Omarion Coleman (25 yds), along with quarterback Eric Phoenix (41 yds), were Benedict's leading rushers.
The Benedict Tigers' wideout Darius Philon delivered with four catches for 150 yards and a 60-yard touchdown reception. Receivers Jayen Thomas, Te'Sean Pressley, and Steven Campbell found the endzone off Phoenix's passes in the game.
The game would end 44-3 in a tilt that Benedict dictated from the opening kickoff to the final horn.
Inside the Game
- Kickoff: 7:30 PM ET
- End of Game: 10:31
- Duration: 3:01
- Temperature: 77
- Weather: Partly Cloudy
Interesting Facts
- Benedict punted once.
- Benedict had 376 kickoff return yards.
- Time of Possession: Benedict-23:22, EWU-36.38
- First Downs: Benedict-18, EWU-13
Next Games
- Benedict vs. Savannah State - Sept. 18 @ 6 PM
- Edward-Waters vs. Tuskegee University - Sept. 18 @ 2 PM