BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. - The Allen University football team ran into a buzzsaw of a team on Saturday falling 54-21 to undefeated rival Benedict College from Westwood HS in Blythewood.

BC improves to 10-0 on the year and will now host Tuskegee next week in the SIAC Championship Game.

Benedict totaled 467 yards of offense on 23 first downs while Allen managed 264 yards with 13 first downs. Freshman QB Daniel Plummer threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns along with two interceptions while sophomore RB Beau Herrington rushed for 60 yards on 15 carries.

Sophomore WR Jayden Horace led the receiving corps with 93 yards on 4 receptions and a touchdown on a 76-yard pass from Plummer in the first quarter that trimmed BC's lead down to five at 12-7. On BC's next series, their QB threw an interception to freshman linebacker Kayleb Pierce that gave Allen prime field position in Tiger territory. However, Plummer then threw an interception himself on the very next play to give the ball right back to Benedict and they then added their third touchdown of the first quarter to lead 19-7 after one.

Allen then held Benedict to only 7 points in the second quarter as BC would lead 26-7 at halftime. BC then started the third quarter with a 51-yard TD pass before sacking AU punter Damir Wilkins at AU's own 15-yard line to give BC great field position again. They then used that for another score and go up 40-7. The Tigers then increased their lead to 47-7 with a mammoth 79 yard TD pass before adding their final touchdown late in the third.

Allen then scored their second touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter as RB Travis Gammage caught a 9-yard pass from Plummer to complete a 10-play 75-yard drive in four minutes. AU then forced Benedict into a punt while freshman DB / Punt returner Kevin Graham then returned it 93 yards for the final Allen touchdown to make the final 54-21. Graham also had three tackles and a pass breakup.

Defensively, Allen was led by 8 tackles from sophomore DB Dahlil Wilkins and six tackles each from junior DB Reginald Jones and junior LB Gary Bourrage. Pierce added 5 tackles and a QB hurry to go along with his interception while sophomore DE Justin Eaton also recorded a sack and two tackles on the day. Sophomore Linebackers Marquavious Henderson and Kirkland Boone also combined for 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Allen falls to 1-7 on the year and 0-6 in the conference and will next go on the road to close their season with a game at Edward Waters College next Saturday at 2:00 PM.