Columbia, S.C.----The 22nd-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs won their second road play-off game in as many weeks on Saturday afternoon, led by yet another strong defensive effort in a 23-6 victory at top-seeded seventh-ranked Benedict College in NCAA Division II second round play-off football action. The Bulldogs improve to 11-2 overall and advance to next week's national quarterfinal, while the Tigers end their season at 11-1.
 
KEY STATS
 
- Wingate out-gained Benedict 372-332
- The Bulldogs piled up 140 rushing yards while adding 232 passing yards
- BC racked up 303 passing yards, but was held to just 29 yards on the ground
- Each team picked up 18 first downs in the game
- The Tigers were seven-of-17 on third downs, limiting the 'Dogs to just three-for-12
- Wingate sacked the quarterback seven times, while allowing just one sack offensively
- The Bulldog defense picked off BC twice in the first half; the Tigers intercepted WU once
- WU held a slight advantage in time of possession at 30:44
- The 'Dogs piled up 12 more tackles for loss and forced a safety for the second straight week
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Shaw Crocker completed 14-of-29 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns
- Alexander Wilson ran for 109 yards on 23 carries
- Trevor Grant had three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown
- Ra'Quan Simmons hauled in three catches for 51 yards and a score
- Kamal Desor added three catches for 44 yards and a TD
- Marquise Fleming racked up seven tackles, three for a loss with two sacks
- Sirod Cook also recorded two sacks in the win, adding a blocked field goal
- Justin Armwood led the team with eight tackles
- DJ Horne added 1.5 sacks
- Jordon Thomas had six tackles and a sack; Justin Rhodes added half a sack
- Tre Morrison and Jaheim Mullen each had an interception
- Quincey Spain added a blocked punt for a safety
- Ethan Evans averaged 43.5 yards per punt, including one over 50 yards and three downed inside the 20
 
NOTES
 
- Wingate's fourth play-off win in program history
- The Bulldogs advance to the national quarterfinals for the first time ever
- The 'Dogs have now won a program-record 11 games this year
- Ninth time the Bulldogs have held their opponents to single digits this year
- Wingate's 10.2 points allowed per game ranks second in the country; on pace for a program record
- The 'Dogs have allowed just 13 points in two play-off games, while the defense/special teams have scored 17 points
- Benedict entered Saturday's game averaging 38.3 points per game on the season and 53.7 over their last three
- The Tigers had not scored less than 20 points in a game since Sep. 10
- BC was one of four undefeated teams remaining in Division II; the Bulldogs broke the Tiger's nation-leading 13-game winning streak
- The Bulldogs move to 8-0 on the road this season
- Crocker now has 93 career TD passes, second-most in program history
- He has eight TD passes and a pair of touchdown runs his last three games
- Fleming becomes the third player in Wingate history with 20 TFLs in a season
- He ranks second on the single-season charts with 22 tackles for loss and third 12.5 sacks this year
- Horne ranks third with his 11 sacks this season
- Second 100-yard rushing game of the year for Wilson; fourth time going over 90 yards
- WU has adds to its program record with 139 TFLs and 60 sacks this season
 
FIRST QUARTER
 
- Wingate opened with an eight-play opening drive, but the field goal try missed wide left
- The Tigers went three-and-out in their opening possession
- WU's drive stalled, but Evans downed the punt at the Tigers' eight-yard line
- Cook and Fleming teamed for a third-down sack on the ensuing possession and a 17-yard Simmons return on the punt set up Wingate deep in BC territory
- Crocker found Simmons for the 27-yard TD on the first play of the drive to give WU a 7-0 lead
- The teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening quarter
 
SECOND QUARTER
 
- Benedict hit a 47-yard pass play on their first play of the quarter to get into the redzone
- Mullen intercepted Eric Phoenix in the end zone to keep the Tigers scoreless
- The Bulldogs then went on a seven-play, 85-yard drive
- Wilson started it with a 29-yard run, while a seven-yard run set the 'Dogs up inside the Benedict 30
- Crocker found Grant for a 27-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 with 9:29 to go
- Benedict's ensuing drive went nine plays, but was cut off by a Morrison interception deep in Wingate territory
- After Wingate punted, a Cook sack backed up the Tigers to their own five-yard line
- Spain blocked the punt, which resulted in a safety, as WU extended the lead to 16-0 with 2:09 left
- The Tigers' field goal attempt at the end of the half was blocked by Cook to keep the shutout alive through 30 minutes of action
 
THIRD QUARTER
 
- The Tigers opened the second half with possession, but immediately went three and out
- Daniel Morrison started the possession with a five-yard TFL, followed by a Rhodes and Cook sack
- Wingate drove the ball into BC territory, but a 48-yard field goal missed wide left
- Benedict could not take advantage, however, going three and out yet again capped by a Horne and Fleming sack
- The Bulldogs again drove the ball into Tiger territory, but came up incomplete on a fourth and one
- Benedict got on the board in their next drive, going 56 yards in nine plays, cashing in on a nine-yard pass from Phoenix to Elijah Watson
- The extra point was no good, as the Tigers cut the deficit to 16-6 with 2:21 left in the quarter
- Wingate's second play on their next drive was intercepted and a 38-yard return set BC up at the WU 35
 
FOURTH QUARTER
 
- On a fourth and one from the Wingate 26-yard line, BC chose to go for it and tackled for no gain by Justin Rhodes, giving it back to the 'Dogs
- The teams traded punts on their next two drives
- Wingate took over at its own 24 with 11:47 remaining
- Crocker hit Grant and Simmons to get it into Benedict territory
- A 25-yard strike to Myles Dillon set the Bulldogs up in the red zone
- Crocker hit Desor from 21 yards out to cap the 76-yard TD drive and make it 23-6
- The Tigers responded, driving down to a first and goal at the Wingate five-yard line
- Wingate pushed BC back one yard over the next four plays, turning the ball over back to their offense when a 4th and goal from the five-yard line came up short for the Tigers
- The Bulldogs proceeded to run the clock and out, advancing to their first national quarterfinal appearance in program history
 
UP NEXT
 
- The Bulldogs travel to Pensacola, Fla. next Saturday
- Wingate will face #6 West Florida in the Super Region 2 championship game
- The winner advances to the national semifinals