The first round of the Division II Football Playoffs has come and gone, bringing about mixed results for the five HBCUs selected to the championship field.
Albany State 35, Valdosta State 30
Super Region Two number-one seed and SIAC champion Albany State survived a hard-fought battle with Division II powerhouse Valdosta State, coming away with a 35-30 win.
This is the Golden Rams’ fourth Division II playoff win in school history and their first since 2010.
SIAC Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Knowles finished with 264 passing yards on 24-of-37 passing and two touchdowns, adding 92 rushing yards on 16 attempts and a touchdown.
Top receiver Jamill Williams caught seven passes for 87 yards and accounted for the team’s two receiving touchdowns. Tiant Wyche rushed for 134 yards on 20 attempts and a touchdown.
For the first time this season, Albany State found itself trailing against a Division II opponent after an interception on the first play from scrimmage led to a Valdosta State field goal.
After a string of stalling offensive drives from both sides, the scoring began to pick up as the first quarter came to a close.
Both teams combined for six straight touchdown drives, ending with Valdosta State taking a 23-21 lead at halftime, following a missed field goal by Albany State before the end of the first half.
Valdosta State would extend its lead to 30-21 on the opening kickoff of the second half, returning it 95 yards for a touchdown.
Faced with its largest deficit of the season, Albany State’s defense came through with two big fumble recoveries on consecutive possessions, the latter of which set up a 21-yard rushing touchdown by Knowles to trim the deficit to 30-28.
In the fourth quarter, the Golden Rams would take the lead back, capping a 77-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass connection from Knowles to Williams.
Forcing a three-and-out on Valdosta State’s next offensive possession, ASU regained possession with 7:26 remaining in the game and used its run game to bleed the clock and secure the win.
Benedict 25, Wingate 24
Benedict’s rollercoaster, first-round matchup against Wingate saw them battle back from a 24-0 deficit and come away with a miraculous 25-24 win.
Trailing 24-0 in the third quarter after giving up a 17-yard pick-six at the beginning of the period, Benedict finally put up its first points toward the end of the stanza thanks to a boost from its defense.
Faced with the Wingate offense at midfield with a chance to extend the lead, the Tigers got a big play from Isaiah Isidore, picking off a pass and returning 28 yards to plus territory. This led to a 5-yard touchdown pass, making the score 24-7.
Perhaps the biggest play of the game, up until the game-winning touchdown, came with 10 minutes remaining when Isidore once came through for the Tigers, blocking a Wingate 21-yard field goal attempt and returning it 95 yards for a touchdown.
With 3:36 remaining, Jensen Jackson connected with Charles Simmons on a four-yard touchdown pass to make the score 24-19.
The Benedict defense would give the offense a chance to get the win, keeping Wingate from getting a first down in the final seconds to get the ball back with 19 seconds remaining.
Following three incomplete passes, the Tigers needed a miracle play, 86 yards away from the end zone.
They would get it in the form of a hook-and-latter play that began with Jackson passing to Simmons. He then threw a lateral to Malik Mullins, who found a lane down the sideline for the touchdown to secure the win.
In addition to claiming their first Division II playoff win in school history, it also marks the first time two HBCUs from the same conference advanced past the first round in the same year.
This sets up a second-round matchup between Albany State and Benedict, serving as a rematch of the SIAC Championship game and the third game between these two teams this season.
It will be the first time two HBCUs have played against each other in the Division II playoffs since Hampton played against Albany State in the opening round of the 1993 tournament.
Johnson C. Smith 7, Frostburg State 21
Johnson C. Smith’s first-ever Division II playoff appearance ends anti-climactically, following a 21-7 loss to Frostburg State.
Golden Bulls receiver Deandre Proctor shines despite the loss, accounting for 14 of the team’s 18 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown.
It was a rough start for the Golden Bulls’ offense, throwing interceptions on two of their first three possessions, the latter of which set up Frostburg State’s first touchdown.
Trailing 14-0 at halftime, JCSU made it a one-possession game in the third quarter, capping an 80-yard offensive drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Kelvin Durham to Proctor.
They would keep the game close entering the fourth quarter, giving themselves a chance to take the lead at one point.
However, a third turnover and a Frostburg State touchdown in the final seconds spelled the end for Johnson C. Smith’s playoff hopes.
Virginia Union 21, California (PA) 24
Virginia Union’s national championship hopes were put on hold for another year after succumbing to a 24-21 loss in the first round against California (PA).
CIAA Player of the Year Curtis Allen’s magical season comes to an end with another strong performance, rushing for 128 yards on 21 attempts and a touchdown.
Virginia Union dug itself a hole early as California capitalized on a pair of turnovers, including a muffed punt and an interception, to take a 14-0 lead.
The Panthers’ offense would settle in, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, ending the first half trailing 20-17.
In the fourth quarter, after surrendering a one-yard touchdown run, Zyaire Tart turned the momentum back to VUU on the ensuing kickoff, returning it 95 yards to bring the score to 27-24 with 9:41 remaining.
Virginia Union would keep its winning hopes alive as the game wound down, getting a chance to kick a game-tying 46-yard field goal in the final minute, but could not connect.
Kentucky State 24, Newberry 45
Kentucky State’s remarkable 2025 season came to an end in South Carolina, suffering a 45-24 loss to Newberry.
Chad Elzy produced a game-high 96 rushing yards on 14 attempts and a touchdown for the Thorobreds.
Despite giving up touchdowns to Newberry on its first two offensive drives, Kentucky State kept equal footing with them early, putting up two scores of its own to end the first quarter down 15-10.
However, a Newberry touchdown to begin the second quarter was compounded by two Thorobred turnovers, each leading to scores that created separation at the end of the first half.
Trailing 31-10 and appearing to be down and out in the third quarter, the Thorobreds got two forced turnovers from the defense that led to a pair of offensive touchdowns, trimming the deficit to one score.
However, Newberry answered the latter touchdown with one of its own, with another score in the final two minutes, putting the finishing touches on the opening-round matchup.
