Wingate will make its sixth post-season appearance in the last eight years when the NCAA Division II football playoffs start Saturday. The Bulldogs earned the No. 4 seed in Super Region 2 and will host Benedict at 1 p.m. inside Irwin Belk Stadium.
This is only the second-ever meeting between the programs. Wingate beat Benedict 23-6 in the second round of the 2022 playoffs — a season that ended with an 11-3 record and a berth in the national quarterfinals. That 2022 Benedict staff included then–West Florida offensive coordinator Ron Dickerson Jr., who now leads the Tigers.
🖥️ Game Vitals – How to Watch
Benedict Tigers (9-2) at Wingate Bulldogs (9-2)
📍 Irwin Belk Stadium – Wingate, N.C.
📅 Saturday, November 22, 2025 – 1:00 p.m. ET
📺 ESPN+
👉 Last meeting: Wingate 23, Benedict 6 (2022)
🏈 Matchup Breakdown
Coaching Snapshot
Wingate — Rashaan Jordan (2nd year):
The longtime Bulldogs defensive coordinator (2001-08, 2013-23) stepped into the big chair in 2024 after Joe Reich transitioned to athletic director. Jordan has guided Wingate to back-to-back playoff berths and a conference championship in 2024.
Benedict — Ron Dickerson Jr. (2nd year):
Arrived in February 2024 after helping West Florida reach national prominence. Inherited a roster short on numbers after consecutive SIAC titles. The Tigers went 4-6 during the rebuild last fall but surged this season behind a rugged defense.
We’re going to the playoffs baby!🔥🥳
For the second time in four years, the Benedict College Tigers will face the Wingate Bulldogs in the NCAA Division II football championship.#PlayoffsBound #GoTigers pic.twitter.com/weoiNGXCmp — BC Tigers Athletics (@benedict_tigers) November 17, 2025
🔍 Team Storylines
Wingate: Hot at the Right Time
Wingate’s two losses came in consecutive weeks during a stretch in late September and early October — a lightning-delayed 21-14 loss to Carson-Newman and an overtime heartbreaker at Newberry (43-42), the eventual SAC champion.
Since that Oct. 4 loss, the Bulldogs have reeled off six straight wins, including another OT thriller over rival Lenoir-Rhyne. The offense found balance behind breakout quarterback Elijah Holmes and 1,000-yard running back Xavier Pugh, while the defense continues to punish teams at the line of scrimmage.
Wingate ranks:
- 17th nationally in scoring offense (37.7)
- 9th in rush defense (89.4 ypg allowed)
- 5th in total red zone scores (48)
Benedict: Elite Defense, Narrow Championship Game Loss
Both Benedict losses came against SIAC champion Albany State, including last weekend’s 22-16 defeat in the conference title game — a near-miss decided by a contested fourth-down pass into the end zone with 12 seconds left.
The Tigers lean on one of the best front sevens in Division II and a ground game led by Triston Morgan. Their defense ranks:
- 9th in scoring defense (16.9 ppg allowed)
- 35th in rush defense (118.3 ypg)
Wingate and Benedict don’t have any common opponents this season, but the Tigers beat one North Carolina program earlier this season — a 10-0 opening-day shutout of Fayetteville State.
The winner of this playoff matchup gets either top-seeded Albany State or Valdosta State, last season’s national runner-up. If Wingate and Valdosta both win, the Bulldogs will host Round 2.
📊 Tale of the Tape
| Category | Benedict | Wingate |
| Points Per Game | 25.8 | 37.7 |
| Points Allowed | 16.9 | 19.9 |
| Rushing Yds/Game | 145.3 | 173.9 |
| Passing Yds/Game | 166.3 | 258.2 |
| Total Offense | 311.5 | 432.1 |
| Rush Defense | 119.3 | 88.7 |
| Pass Defense | 198.4 | 200.4 |
| Total Defense | 317.6 | 289.1 |
| Penalty Yds/Game | 72.9 | 69.1 |
| Time of Possession | 30:02 | 31:17:00 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 12-6 | 13-7 |
| Forced Fumbles-Recovered | 32-13 | 16-6 |
| Passes Had Intercepted | 11 | 4 |
| Passes Intercepted | 9 | 9 |
| Red Zone Att/Scores | 26-37 | 48-54 |
| Red Zone Defense/Scores | 20-27 | 27-33 |
🔥 Players to Watch
Benedict Tigers
- QB Darius Ocean: 1,641 yards, 13 TDs, 11 INTs (48.8% completions). Former Johnson C. Smith quarterback with dual-threat ability.
- RB Triston Morgan: 726 yards, 6 TDs, steady 66.0 ypg.
- WR Malaqhi Jones / WR Jaxon Williams: 703 combined receiving yards, 7 TDs.
- DL Israel Nwokocha: One of the nation’s best disruptors — 21.0 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, No. 3 in D2 in TFLs.
- LB Ty’Metrius Patterson: 13.5 TFLs, 9.5 sacks — top-15 nationally in TFLs.
- LB Isaiah Stephens: Team’s leading tackler with 77 stops and three takeaways.
- DB Cam Williams: 11 PBUs, two interceptions.
- P Kolten Ford: SIAC leader in coffin-corner punts (22 inside the 20).
- KR Jaxon Williams: No. 2 in D2 in kick return average (39.0), two kick-return TDs.
Wingate Bulldogs
- QB Elijah Holmes: Breakout star and first-year starter from Charlotte (Olympic HS) — 2,776 passing yards, 22 TDs, only four INTs. Also 271 rushing yards and three scores.
- RB Xavier Pugh: Former Millbrook High standout now with 1,008 yards with 21 touchdowns — one of our state’s most productive college backs.
- WR Jaylen Himes: Freshman revelation from Providence Day School — 1,036 yards, 9 TDs.
- WR Xavier Jackson: Big-play threat (20.6 ypc).
- DE Elihu Lipscomb: Freshman phenom from Kings Mountain — three SAC Defensive Player of the Week honors in the last month. Seven sacks, nine TFLs and two scoop-and-score TDs.
- LB Ryan Green: Team’s leading tackler (71).
- DL Mandjou Berte / DL Jonathan Cross: 20.5 combined TFLs, constant backfield pressure.
Thousand-yard season ❌ 2️⃣ ‼️
For the first time since 2010, @WingateFb has a thousand-yard rusher & receiver in the same season!
Xavier Pugh went over 1K rushing yards Saturday; Jaylen Himes went over 1K receiving yards#OneDog pic.twitter.com/8c4UddZGti — Wingate Bulldogs (@WU_Bulldogs) November 16, 2025
🔑 Key Matchups
1. Wingate’s Explosive Offense vs Benedict’s Defense
The Bulldogs score nearly 38 points per game. Benedict rarely gives up more than two touchdowns. Something has to give.
2. Can Wingate Contain the Edge Rushers?
Nwokocha + Patterson = 20 sacks and 34.5 TFLs. Holmes has been steady under pressure, but this is one of the best pass-rush duos he will face.
3. Special Teams — a Hidden Tilt
Benedict’s Jaxon Williams is a game-changer. Wingate cannot afford to give him space on kickoffs. Meanwhile, Wingate has a reliable veteran place-kicker in Caleb Bonesteel who hit five field goals in the 2024 SAC championship game and is 12-for-17 this season (44-for-44 on PATs).
4. Third Down & Red Zone Efficiency
Wingate ranks among the nation’s best at finishing drives. Benedict’s defense stiffens near the goal line (just 27 red-zone trips allowed).
📈 Fast Facts
- Wingate is 9-2 and winners of six straight.
- Benedict is 9-2 and seeking its first playoff win since 2022.
- Wingate has played in the postseason six times since 2017.
- This is Wingate’s third-straight time opening in the playoffs against an HBCU (lost to Virginia Union in 2024).
- No common opponents this season.
🧭 What’s at Stake
A trip to face Albany State or Valdosta State in Round 2 — and for Wingate, the opportunity to host if Valdosta advances. For Benedict, it’s a chance to prove its turnaround season is no fluke while chasing the program’s first deep playoff run.
