PROFILE ON SATURDAY'S GAME

SEE Football Summaries

SIAC

Benedict College Tigers (1-1, 0-1)
vs.
Miles College Golden Bears (0-2, 0-2) 

September 8, 2007

Charles W. Johnson Stadium - 6 p.m.-Columbia, SC

Returning from an impressive 43-6 victory over Livingstone at the Palmetto Capital City Classic Game, it's evident that first year head coach Stan Conner will be looking for his team to keep the momentum up Saturday when the Tigers face SIAC conference foe Miles College. Over the years the two schools have endured a sea-saw battle, with BC taking the last meeting 17-16 on a late field goal at Alumni Stadium in Fairfield, Ala.

Benedict's defense redeemed themselves after a dismal performance against Morehouse by setting the tone for the win against Livingstone. The defense allowed only 13 yards rushing in the game and set up the team's first three scores to put the game out of reach early to secure first year head coach Stan Conner's first win of his career. The offense was anchored by Capital City Classic MVP Markus Webb's 140 yards passing and two rushing touchdowns on the day. John Pitt's garnered defensive MVP awards with a 10 tackle performance.

For Miles, an 0-2 start on the season has been a drastic nightmare. The latest blow came when the Golden Bears lost to defending SIAC champions and in-state rival Tuskegee 40-6 at the Annual Tuskegee-Miles Classic in Birmingham. The Golden Bears could not find a rhythm on offense and the defense had no answer for Tuskegee's high powered offense. Offensively Miles was only able to muster 85 yards on 45 plays, while allowing over 400 yards on defense.

The team's lone score came on a 56-yard interception return by defensive back Vincent Hill. Veteran head coach Wade Streeter will look to rally his troops out of the nightmare with a victory over the Tigers.  Although the record details a horrid start, the schedule notes other wise after opening up the season against two perennial powers.

Series Record: Dating back to the first meeting in 1956, Benedict leads the series with nine wins and five losses.

Scouting Report
Both teams are seeking their first conference win. After a strong second half against Livingstone, Benedict will look to continue to make strides in the new run-n-shoot option offense implemented by Conner. Expect more pressure from the Tigers defense against a Miles offense vulnerable to turning the ball over. If the Tigers can shift the momentum from last week into the first two quarters against Miles, it should be enough to give the Tigers their first conference win of the season.

Players to Watch

Benedict-Fr. WR Cory Gardhigh, Soph. Verna Naismith, R-Jr. SS David Smith, R-Sr. FS Carl Spellman, Jr. QB Marcus Webb, Jr. LB John Pitts

Miles-Jr. QB George Eillis, Sr. RB Jeremy Spears, Jr. LB Brandon Parnell, Jr. DB Vincent Hill
Prediction: BC 27, Miles 16

Coming Up (Sept. 15)

Benedict College will be back at home next week in a pivotal match-up against SIAC co-champion Tuskeegee. Miles will continue its road trip with a conference match-up against Fort Valley State.

Team Leaders

Benedict                                                                       Miles

Passing: Webb-7-18-1/160 yds 0 TD's                      Ellis-25-49-3 1TD

Rushing: Nesmith 7-86 1 TD                                         Spears-10-37 1TD

Receiving: Gardhigh-8-164 0TD's                              Darrell LaBeux-8-58 1TD

Team Rankings

Offense

Benedict: 28.5 ppg.                                                      Miles:   6.8 ppg. (10th)

Total: 360.0 (4th) 201 rush (2nd), 159 pass                  Total: 83 (10th), rush 9.0, pass 74.0 (10th)

Defense

Benedict: 14.8 ppg. (5th)                                              Miles: 32.0 ppg (10th)

Total: 283.0 (6th), rush 75.0(2nd), pass 208.5 (9)         Total: 392.5 (6th), rush 143.0 (6th), pass 179.5 (7th)

Source: BC Sports Information (SID)

Previous Page