2025 FINAL BCSP NCAA DIV. II / NAIA TOP FIVE

ALBANY STATE (12-2) – Third-year head coach Quinn Gray led the Golden Rams to their first SIAC title in his tenure knocking off Benedict 22-16 in the league’s championship game to complete an 8-0 run thru the conference. The Rams, as the top seed in the NCAA Div. Super Region II, got two playoff wins over Valdosta State (35-30) and Benedict (14-12), their third win of the season over Benedict, to advance to the regional final. There they fell to Newberry, 31-24. The only other loss was in the regular season at Florida A&M of the SWAC (33-25). Senior QB Isaiah Knowles, the SIAC offensive player of the year, and Div. II’s top defense (258.5 ypg., 1st and 14.4 ppg.,, 3rd) led their championship march.

JOHNSON C. SMITH (10-2) – Head coach Maurice Flowers led his alma mater to its first CIAA title since 1969 as they avenged their only regular season loss (28-10 at Virginia Union) by knocking off two-time defending champion VUU in the league’s title game, 45-21. The Golden Bulls, seeded second in Div. II’s Super Region I, lost in the first round on its home field to Frostburg State, 21-7. Senior QB Kelvin Durham and freshman running back Bobby Smith, both all-CIAA first team picks, led the Bulls.

VIRGINIA UNION (9-3) – Dr. Alvin Parker’s Panthers could not make it three CIAA titles in a row as they fell to J. C. Smith in the league title game, 45-21. They then bowed out of the Div. II Region I playoffs first round losing at home as a 3rd-seed to California (PA) 27-24. The Panthers also lost an early season match up at Edward Waters, 41-38. Senior running back Curtis Allen broke Jada Byers’ school rushing record and led all of Div. II in rushing (2,466 yards, 200.5 ypg.), touchdowns (30), all-purpose yards (205.8 ypg.) and scoring (180 points, 15.0 ppg.).

BENEDICT (10-3) – Ron Dickerson’s Tigers of Benedict defeated all comers except Albany State, who handed his squad all three of its losses – 31-3 in the regular season, 22-16 in the SIAC title game and 14-12 in the Div. II playoffs second round. Dickerson’s troops got closer each time. The Tigers had a miraculous throw-back kickoff return TD on the final play of the game to knock off Wingate 25-24 in a first round D2 playoff game. Sophomore RB Tiant Wyche ran for 1,051 yards and 12 TDs to lead the Tigers.

KENTUCKY STATE (9-3) Kentucky State, under third-year head coach Felton Huggins, was perhaps the surprise black college team of the season. The Thorobreds only had back-to-back losses to eventual SIAC champion Albany State (49-21) and SWAC member Grambling State (37-31) in the regular season. It was good enough to earn an NCAA Div. II playoff berth where they fell in the first round to eventual regional champ Newberry, 45-24. Freshman RB Chad Elzy (789 rushing yards, 13 TDs) was a standout performer.