Jacksonville, Florida-After a disappointing home loss to rival Florida Memorial last Saturday, Edward Waters will look to rebound in their next action as the Purple & Orange host the defending SIAC and HBCU Division II National Champion Benedict Tigers in the conference opener on Saturday at Glover Community Field & Stadium. The contest will be broadcasted to a national audience on ESPN+
GAME INFORMATION:
Benedict (1-0, 0-0 SIAC) vs. Edward Waters (0-1, 0-0 SIAC
Saturday, September 9th
Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium | Jacksonville, FL
Kickoff: 4:00pm
Weather: 88° Scattered T-Storms, 43% Chance of Rain, Wind: SE 8 mph
GAME NOTES:
https://ewutigerpride.com/documents/2023/9/8/EWU_Football_Game_Notes_vs._BC__23.pdf
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets must be purchased online at
http://EWUTigerPride.com/Tickets.
STADIUM INFORMATION:
Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium is a smoke-free facility. Umbrellas are not permitted inside of the stadium.
CLEAR BAG POLICY:
In An Effort To Create And Maintain A Safe And Enjoyable Gameday Environment, Edward Waters University Athletics Is Adhering To A Clear Bag Policy.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Live Stream: ESPN+ | Play-By-Play: James Verrett, Color Commentary: Sylvester Williams
Live Stream Link:
https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/9537d407-4378-46ae-87fd-083686a6abcf
Live Stats Link:
https://ewutigerpride.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
COACHING MATCHUP:
Benedict: Chennis Berry, 3rd Season (17-6)
Edward Waters:
Toriano Morgan, 3rd Season (9-14)
SERIES HISTORY:
Benedict 2, Edward Waters 1
Year Site Final
2001 | Jacksonville, FL | BC 46, EWU 0
2002 | Columbia, S. C. | EWC 6, BC 0
2021 | Columbia, S. C. | BC 44, EWU 3
PREVIEWING EDWARD WATERS:
LAST TIME OUT: Edward Waters opened the 2023 season last Saturday at home against rival Florida Memorial in the Big Cat Classic. It was a classic case of the Tigers beating themselves as EWU came out on the short end of a 38-21 loss to the Lions. EWU was their own worst enemy in the contest, surrendering 12 penalties for 139 yards to the Lions. The EWU defense had issues getting off of the field on third down as FMU went 10-12 last week. The Tigers offense was able to post 404 yards in the contest last week (271 passing, 133 rushing).
Jyron Russell finished 27-41 passing for 252 yards, one TD, and one INT. Sophomore WR
Johnny Jones finished with a game high 11 receptions for 88 yards, while
Greg Mango posted 10 carries for 73 yards and a TD. Defensively, Widmyer Garcon led the Tigers with 11 tackles, while
Kam Thomas posted his first interception of the season.
PREVIEWING BENEDICT:
ABOUT THE TIGERS: Benedict comes in to Saturday's action with major momentum after their dominant 52-0 home victory over Shaw last week in the Carolinas Classic. The Tigers accumulated 451 yards of total offense, with a balanced combination of rushing (196 yards, three touchdowns) and passing (284 yards, three touchdowns). The defense did not miss a beat from last year's formidable unit, holding the Bears to 169 yards of offense. Shaw star running back Sidney Gibbs rushed for 75 yards, but the Bears as a team finished with just 77 yards on the ground. Quarterback Aeneas Dennis completed 18-of-27 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his BC debut.
BENEDICT NATIONALLY RANKED: The Tigers come in ranked in several polls across the country. In the AFCA poll, they are ranked #16, D2Football.com #21, Ranked #1 in both the HBCU D2 Coaches and All-HBCU Football D2 Polls, and #3 in the HBCU Media Poll.
DENELUS RECEIVING NATIONAL PRAISE: Senior defensive end Loobert Denelus returns to anchor the Tiger defense after a spectacular junior season in 2022. Denelus was named the SIAC Defensive Player of the Year, and multiple All- American teams, including being named to first team of the AFCA All-America Team, becoming the first Benedict player in school history named to the first team. He was named the 2023 SIAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and selected to the watch list for the Black College Player of the Year and the preseason All-South Carolina team. He was also named a finalist for the AFCA Good Works Team.
Follow the Tigers
For complete coverage of Edward Waters University Athletics, follow the Tigers on social media @EWU_Athletics (Twitter), /EWUTigers (Facebook) and @EWU_Athletics (Instagram) or visit the official home of Edward Waters Athletics at EWUTigerPride.com
