CANTON, Ohio – The Ron Dickerson Jr. era of Benedict College football debuted on Sunday with a 23-7 loss to the Virginia State University Trojans, as the Tigers were the victims of numerous penalties and mistakes in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in the Tom Benson Stadium.
“This team is brand new,” Dickerson said. “This is the first time these guys have ever played together. This is the first time this team has ever traveled and done anything together. And we beat ourselves tonight. That’s a good team over there, but the Benedict Tigers beat themselves tonight.”
Benedict committed six penalties for 63 yards, threw a pair of interceptions, and gave up a pair of big plays that resulted in Virginia State touchdowns.
“The excuse is, we’ve got to get better,” Dickerson said. “As a coaching staff, I’ve got to get better.”
Benedict got on the board first. The Tigers attempted a 27-yard field goal by Lucas Wynn, but the Trojans blocked the kick. Long snapper Jesse Bradberry IV picked up the loose ball, and since the ball never advanced past the line of scrimmage, Bradberry was able to advance the live ball and scored on a 10-yard return. Wynn kicked the extra point to give Benedict a 7-0 lead with 10:59 left in the first quarter.
“You have to play until the whistle blows,” Dickerson said. “He said, ‘Coach, I felt it hit the back of my leg. If it’s in front of me, I have to tackle. If it’s behind me, we can scoop and score.’ That was very smart. Those are scenarios we go through during the week and talk about.”
Later in the first quarter, the Trojans tied the game on a 51-yard pass from Romelo Williams to Kevin Gayles. Virginia State added a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter to take the lead, then Jimmyll Williams slipped through Benedict’s defensive front and outran the secondary for an 82-yard touchdown run to give the Trojans a 16-7 lead at the half.
Virginia State took the opening drive of the second half and marched 75 yards, with Benedict giving up a 24-yard pass on third-and-three, and a 21-yard pass on second-and-nine. Williams scored on a nine-yard touchdown run to make it 23-7.
Benedict finished with 233 yards of total offense, while the Trojans finished with 384. Williams finished with 150 yards rushing with two touchdowns for VSU. Benedict’s Jalen Leary broke the century mark, finishing with 109 yards on 14 carries. Quarterback Charles “Tre” Simmons completed 11-of-24 attempts for 28 yards with two interceptions and was sacked three times. Isaiah Stephens led the defense with eight tackles.
Benedict will have a bye week this week, and will play their home opener on Sept. 14 against Lane College at 6 p.m. in Charlie W. Johnson Stadium.
