The Benedict Tigers secured their third program championship by defeating the Kentucky State Thorobreds in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game.
The matchup reached overtime after a chaotic conclusion to regulation play, according to Yahoo Sports.
Kentucky State appeared poised to win the game after recovering a muffed punt at the 17-yard line.
The team advanced to the 4-yard line with 56 seconds remaining in a 45-45 tie.
However, the Thorobreds failed to execute a game-winning field goal attempt following a series of errors.
The team showed little urgency while walking around the field after a first-down rushing attempt resulted in a 2-yard loss.
Head coach Felton Huggins Jr. eventually realized his team needed the kicking unit on the field with no timeouts remaining.
The offense had already lined up for another play, which delayed the substitution until only six seconds remained on the play clock.
The resulting delay of game penalty triggered a 10-second runoff that ended the regulation period.
This sequence prevented the team from attempting a winning kick, as noted by reports.
Benedict initially led 14-7 in the first quarter before Kentucky State rallied with 31 consecutive points to build a significant lead.
The Tigers eventually tied the game at 45 with 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.
After the regulation stalemate, Benedict scored a touchdown in the overtime period.
Kentucky State was unable to match the score, cementing the Tigers’ victory.
This championship game followed a busy weekend of college football action, as covered by Yahoo Sports.
Other notable results from the league included Georgia Tech defeating Clemson and ongoing discussions regarding scheduling changes for Ole Miss.
The SIAC title remains a landmark achievement for the Benedict program following this dramatic finish.