You’ll be able to draw it up, however will it work? It definitely did for Benedict School on Saturday.
Malik Mullins scored on an 86-yard landing on the ultimate play — a cross-field lateral from teammate Charles Simmons — because the Tigers surprised the Wingate Bulldogs 25-24 within the first spherical of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
It was Benedict’s first-ever victory within the Division II playoffs.
The execution was good, not less than from the Benedict facet. With three seconds left, the Tigers have been at their very own 14-yard line and trailed 24-19. It was apparent to everybody within the stadium {that a} trick play was coming. Quarterback Jackson Jensen took the snap and threw a go to Simmons alongside the left sideline on the 20. Simmons initially faked a cross-field lateral and began operating upfield, which drew in all of the safeties who have been enjoying deep.
That left Mullins uncovered over alongside the best sideline. Simmons fired the lateral over to Mullins, who raced down the best sideline and previous desperately chasing Wingate defenders — together with a would-be tackler on the 10 — for the rating to win the sport.
This #Benedict vs. Wingate ending was pure cinema! Tigers win! pic.twitter.com/42DSRFxk0t
— HBCU Alum (@hbcualum) November 22, 2025
“I knew I needed to step up and make a giant play for the crew,” Mullins stated. “Being who I’m, I really feel that if it involves me, I’ve to attain. I did what I needed to do to get ultimately zone.”
Benedict coach Ron Dickerson Jr. was thrilled, however most likely not that shocked, by the ending.
“That’s what we do every single day. They play till the final play in observe, and so they by no means hand over,” stated Dickerson, now in his second 12 months as head coach. “All season we’ve been in video games like this once we’ve needed to come again. However the one factor about them is that they consider in one another, and they don’t hand over. They’re going to battle if there’s one second left on the clock, and it confirmed at the moment.”
“They do name me Riverboat Ron. Once you consider in your guys, if we now have to, we’ll draw one thing up. And the best factor about it’s, these guys say they consider in us. So, if we draw it up, they know we’re going to place them in a state of affairs to win, and actually that’s what we did, is that they put themselves in a state of affairs to win.
“To be in that state of affairs, it was religion. Have I ever been in that the place it occurred? No. However these guys put themselves in an awesome state of affairs and so they believed, and that’s what it comes all the way down to — perception.”
The Benedict-Wingate playoffs end — UNBELIEVABLE 😤😤😤
Benedict strikes on to face Albany State for the third time this season 🤯
Stats: https://t.co/9sX4VhOoHP pic.twitter.com/mAjGg84ffN
— HBCU Gameday (@HBCUGameday) November 22, 2025
For many of the sport, it didn’t look as if Benedict would actually have a probability on this one. Wingate took a 24-0 lead within the first minute of the second half when Omar Ba intercepted Jensen’s go and returned it 17 yards for a landing.
However Darius Ocean handed to Malaqhi Jones for a 5-yard rating, and Isaiah Isidore returned a blocked field-goal try 95 yards with 10:05 remaining within the sport to make it 24-13. A number of minutes later, Jensen linked with Simmons for a 4-yard landing to convey Benedict to inside 24-19 with 3:36 left.
Benedict of Columbia, S.C., may have an opportunity to maintain up the magic in opposition to top-seeded Albany State on Saturday. The D-II bracket is proven right here.
