Under the direction of Chennis Berry & Teddy Keaton, Benedict College & Allen Univeristy have become kings in the SIAC football landscape. For years, the SIAC has been largely dominated by three powers: Tuskegee University, Albany State University, and Fort Valley State University. The three programs have been led at one time or another by legendary coaches who set the programs on the path to success. All three of the “bluebloods” in the conference have flanked themselves with NFL-ready talent and an expectation of greatness demanded upon them by their loyal alumni bases.

However, Allen & Benedict have surged in their level of competitiveness within the past few years. Benedict is one of the best teams in Division II football, led by a dominant defense that is prolific in its skill in keeping opposing teams out of the endzone. Meanwhile, Allen deploys a high-octane pass-heavy attack that leaves defenses on their heels.

This weekend, the two South Carolina-based black college programs will meet up for what might be the game of the weekend and a matchup that could shift the championship conversation in the conference.

Benedict College is on the verge of a second undefeated season but they face in-state rival Allen University, who has a prolific offense.

How Chennis Berry Built a Division II Superpower

When Berry & Keaton took over their respective programs, they were tasked with rebuilding their programs into contenders in the conference. Although Benedict found some level of success in the 2017 (7-2) and 2018 (6-3) seasons, the program went 1-9 before hiring Berry in 2020.

After the 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Berry led the Tigers to a 5-5 season in 2021. They secured a big win over SIAC Championship finalist Miles College 24-21, signaling a change in pace for the Columbia, South Carolina squad. Coaches, fans, and prognosticators knew to expect more from Benedict College, but no one expected them to go undefeated.

2022 was a banner year for the Tigers. They had the best season since the football program restarted in the 1990s and beat all three perennial conference superpowers along the way. They ruined Fort Valley State & Albany State's homecomings with dominant wins and then vanquished Tuskegee in the SIAC championship en route to a Division II Playoff birth.

Many wondered if Benedict could duplicate the previous season's success in 2022. Expectations were high for the Tigers entering the 2023 season and benchmarks were applied to every game they played throughout this season.

“Can they contend against an improving Shaw University team? How will they fair against an adept Edward Waters passing attack? How will they fare in an out-of-conference matchup against Chowan University? How will they handle the physicality of Miles College? Can they contend with an improved Fort Valley State squad on ESPN2?”

Berry and his Benedict College squad have answered every test and have exceeded every expectation. Now, they find themselves poised to make history once again.

Teddy Keaton has made Allen University must-see TV

Keaton's Allen University Yellowjackets have truly been a must-watch team. They've embraced a heavy air raid offense that bewilders opposing teams. Led by star quarterback David Wright, Allen is averaging 35 points per game and 332 yards per game. Allen has solidified themselves as worthy contenders as well, beating Albany State during their homecoming and nearly beating Miles College who have been dominant in the conference.

Allen has had a tremendous turnaround since the restart of the program in 2018. After going 2-8 in 2022 with four narrow losses to Fort Valley State, Tuskegee, Central State, and Clark Atlanta, the team is now 7-2 heading into their matchup with Benedict College on Saturday afternoon.

Styles Make Fights: Allen's Aerial Attack vs. Benedict's Balanced Defense

Benedict has averaged 40 points per game this season, including a 63-point game by the offense versus Kentucky State during their homecoming. However, the defense has been the star of the show. The Tiger's defense only gives up 8.2 points per game, which is the best in Division II football overall, and has only allowed 8 touchdowns overall this year.

Benedict's heavy pass rush has disrupted the passing attacks of opponents all season. The secondary has only allowed 116 passing yards a game this season, has sacked the opposing team's quarterback 34 times, and has nabbed 13 total interceptions.

Allen is tasked with continuing its high-level passing attack against a ferocious Benedict College defense. Wright put up great stats against a Fort Valley State team with a dominant pass rush similar to Benedict (366 yards, 2 touchdowns) but threw four interceptions and was sacked three times. Wright had a similar game against Miles College's tenacious defense a high upside as far as passing yardage (315 yards, 1 touchdown) but had 2 interceptions and was sacked 3 times.

The game will rest on the chess match between Allen's offense vs. Benedict's defense, leaving the game as one of the SIAC's games of the week. The game will kick off at 2 PM EST and will be streamed on Black College Sports Network.