We did one for the CIAA; now it’s time to shine a light on some of the spectacular football action from the SIAC during the 2025 season.
Here is each SIAC team’s Best Performance from the 2025 HBCU football season.
Albany State: vs Benedict (Regular Season)
The 2025 season was historic for the Albany State Golden Rams, who not only claimed their first SIAC championship since 2021 but also advanced to the Regional Final of the Division II Playoffs.
Their season was filled with impressive performances, including four wins by a margin of over 40 points.
However, it was their regular season encounter with Benedict that stood out among a sea of arguably more dominant victories.
For context, Benedict entered this game undefeated, having just narrowly kept its streak intact with a go-ahead score in the final minute against Edward Waters the previous week.
Meanwhile, Albany State endured a defensive struggle with Tuskegee, coming away with a 7-3 win. Not to mention they had been without their starting quarterback Isaiah Knowles for the previous three games due to injury.
In Knowles’ return to the lineup, the Golden Rams put an emphatic end to Benedict’s undefeated streak with a 31-3 win.
Benedict was smothered by the Albany State defense, being limited to a season-low 59 rushing yards in their only game of the season in which they didn’t score a touchdown.
Allen: vs Clark Atlanta
Sometimes a team’s best performance comes in a dominant effort in which they completely shut down their opponent, preventing them from executing their game plan at a high level.
In the case of Allen’s showcase against Clark Atlanta, they took all they could handle from their opposition and found a way to come away with a 49-38 victory.
In a game that spelled disaster for Clark Atlanta, with starting quarterback Zy McDonald going down with an injury, the team got a spark from an unlikely source in freshman quarterback Xzavier Jackson.
Jackson was sensational, doing all he could to give his team a chance to win by producing 244 passing yards on 65% shooting and scoring four touchdowns.
However, in the face of adversity, trailing 38-35 in the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets responded with two unanswered touchdowns to escape with the win.
Allen quarterback Jamir Dismukes, who scored the game-sealing touchdown, reached the end zone four times, including three through the air to go along with 237 passing yards on 67% completions.
On the other hand, SIAC MVP Fabian Duncan outdid both men, setting a new standard with a school-record 229 rushing yards on 46 attempts and three touchdowns.
Benedict: vs Wingate
Benedict’s historic win against Wingate in the opening round of the Division II Playoffs was arguably the most impressive performance of any team in HBCU football in the 2025 season.
Not only did this mark the Tigers’ first Division II playoff win in school history, but they had to overcome a 24-0 deficit on the road in the second half to do it.
Benedict’s defense played an integral role in the comeback bid, forcing three turnovers in the second half, the last of which led to their first touchdown of the game.
The special teams unit also played its part with a 95-yard touchdown on a blocked field goal attempt.
Ultimately, the Tigers sealed the win with an 86-yard hook-and-ladder play as time expired.
Central State: vs Edward Waters
Central State boasted one of the top defensive units in all of Division II football in 2025, ranking fourth in the country with 28 takeaways (tied with Benedict).
Their most stingy performance came in their season finale against Edward Waters, forcing five turnovers in a 21-17 win.
Marauders’ defensive back Dylan Purry accounted for three of the team’s five interceptions, including the game-sealing interception in the final minute.
An argument could be made that the win over Lane was better, but considering Edward Waters is a higher quality opponent, and the turnovers forced in this game were more consequential, which is why it gets the nod.
Clark Atlanta: vs Morehouse
The Battle of the AUC was one for the history books that saw Clark Atlanta outduel its regional rival in a 48-45 track meet.
In a game that Clark Atlanta led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, peaking with a 45-21 lead in the third quarter, Morehouse refused to lay down, launching a late rally to trim the deficit to three with less than three minutes remaining in the contest.
However, Clark Atlanta did just enough to hold on, sitting on the ball to prevent Morehouse from having an opportunity to win the game.
This was one of only two games for the Panthers in which they rushed for over 100 yards and threw for over 200 yards. Their 8.5 yards per play average marked their highest of the season in a game they won.
Edward Waters: vs Virginia Union
Edward Waters put its name on the map to begin the season with a pair of blowout wins against Savannah State and Miles.
However, in their third game of the year against reigning CIAA champion Virginia Union, they truly let everyone know they arrived, pulling off the upset after kicking a game-winning field goal as time expired.
After surrendering a 51-yard fumble return for a touchdown, which accounted for VUU’s second straight score to tie the game at 31-31, the Tigers got a huge 90-yard kickoff return from Kieren Jackson to help set up the game-winning score.
Edward Waters’ big play ability was on full display with three of its five touchdowns in the game being over 50 yards.
The Tigers’ pass offense, led by Noah Bodden, was electric as he accounted for 308 of the team’s 323 passing yards in the game.
Edward Waters’ 55-41 win over Clark Atlanta, during which they scored 28 points in the fourth quarter, also warrants mentioning among its best performances of the season.
Fort Valley State: vs Tuskegee
Despite finishing 2025 with a record below .500 for the first time since 2018, it was a season of progress for Fort Valley State in a year filled with competitive bouts.
Only one of Fort Valley State’s 10 games ended in a margin of over 10 points (win or loss), including seven games being broken up by one score.
The Wildcats’ first win of the season against Tuskegee was their best two-way performance, notching season-highs for points, total yards, and forced turnovers.
This was highlighted by an extremely efficient passing attack from quarterback Jai’que Hart, completing 14 of his 16 pass attempts for 271 yards.
Kentucky State: vs Grambling State
In a season in which Kentucky State won the most games since 1935, the one they nearly won ranks atop the list of their best performances of the season.
The Thorobreds’ near-upset against Grambling State came down to a controversial overtime ruling in which a fumble was called against them even though forward progress appeared to have been achieved.
The final result overshadows the fact that Kentucky State dominated for much of the game, leading for the entirety of the first half and in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
A sequence in the fourth quarter saw the Thorobreds hold the ball for eight straight minutes, including a muffed punt by Grambling (which scored a touchdown on the following play) and recovering an onside kick.
Honorable mention to their 42-14 win over Edward Waters, in which they recorded a season-high 509 yards from scrimmage, or their 55-0 shutout win over Lane.
Lane: vs Fort Valley State
The 2025 season was forgettable for the Lane Dragons, who finished with a winless 0-10 record for the first time since 2010.
Of their 10 losses, only three came in single-possession deficits, averaging a 20.8 margin of defeat against Division II opponents (also lost by 42 against Alabama A&M).
The closest the Dragons came to winning was against Fort Valley State, leading up until the final three minutes of the fourth quarter before giving up the go-ahead touchdown.
Lane produced a season-high 353 offensive yards, including 173 rushing yards, and only committed one turnover in the game.
Miles: vs Clark Atlanta
Miles’ 2025 campaign was a tale of two halves, marred by immense struggles in the first half and improved performance in the second half.
The Golden Bears’ final five games, in which they finished with a 3-2 record, featured three of those coming within one possession.
While their best offensive performance objectively came against Central State, their win over Clark Atlanta showcased their two-way potential.
This was Miles’ best run game of the season, producing a season-high 157 rushing yards, allowing them to win the time of possession battle (which only happened twice during the year).
Meanwhile, the Golden Bears had their best effort defensively, producing three turnovers, including two key takeaways that set them up for the field goal that helped put the game away.
Morehouse: vs Tuskegee
As great as Morehouse played in the Battle of the AUC, that game was only deceptively close, with the final score an indication of great effort down the stretch but not an indication of their having a chance to win.
Their performance against Tuskegee, on the other hand, featured a strong effort down the stretch in a game that was much more competitive and resulted in a win.
Trailing 20-6 in the third quarter, Morehouse scored three unanswered touchdowns in the remaining time, with the last two set up by forced turnovers, followed by another that sealed the win.
Quarterback Miles Scott was key in the Maroon Tigers coming out with the win, throwing for 326 yards and scoring four touchdowns.
Savannah State: vs Morehouse
Savannah State’s win over Morehouse was the team’s strongest showcase of potential to be a future contender in the SIAC.
This game was all about the Savannah State defense, limiting Morehouse to just 103 scrimmage yards, including -20 rushing yards.
They obliterated the Maroon Tigers at the line of scrimmage, breaking through for a season-high 10 sacks (5.0 by Xavier Esquillen).
They also forced four Morehouse interceptions (all coming from different defenders).
Tuskegee: vs Central State
Tuskegee picked the right time to have its best performance of the season, shutting out Central State 34-0 in its first home game at night in the school’s history.
The Golden Tigers’ defense was the star of the show, only allowing the Central State offense past midfield on three drives.
This includes Central State’s final offensive drive of the game, which Tuskegee put an emphatic end to with an 88-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Tuskegee has had more impressive games statistically, but nothing beats the only shutout win of the season.
