SAVANNAH, Ga. -- For a half, there wasn't any difference between two-win Savannah State University and the undefeated, No. 5 team in NCAA Division II.

But SSU couldn't keep up with Benedict College in the second half, starting with the kickoff. A 93-yard kickoff return by A'chean Durant jumped started the visitors to a 38-17 victory over the upset-minded Tigers on Saturday at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.

It was Senior Day and SSU honored its 20 seniors who finished their eligibility with a small, pregame ceremony.

It was also Band Day and several high school marching bands in the area joined SSU for an entertaining halftime show.

"I've enjoyed my time here," Tigers senior wide receiver Da'Shun Mitchell said. "I loved the sport and I loved being here.

Coach Kelton kept telling us all week, just win, win for the seniors. We have talent, we just have to finish."

Mitchell was part of an impressive second quarter offensive outburst when SSU scored 17 points against Benedict's Division II-leading scoring defense (7.1 points a game).

Mitchell out-jumped a defender in the endzone for a 7-yard touchdown pass play, tying the game 10-10. About three minutes later, tight end Julian Roberts slipped behind the secondary and hauled in a 37-yard TD pass to give SSU a 17-10 advantage.

It was a surprising turn of events for the Tigers (2-7, 1-6 SIAC), who have lost six games in a row.

"We have good football players, but our record doesn't show how good we are," SSU coach Aaron Kelton said. "We haven't closed some games out and that's part of it."

That was a part of it again Saturday and Benedict, the No. 5 team in Division II according to the American Football Coaches Association's Top 25 rankings, pulled away after surviving the Tigers' best punch.

"We wanted to be the first team (in the SIAC) to beat them in two years," said quarterback Jadon Adams, who threw for 109 yards and two scores and ran for another 109 yards. "We put the effort out there. We just fell short."

It was a nice bounce-back performance by Adams who committed four turnovers a week earlier in a loss to Tuskegee.

For most of the day against Benedict, Adams was on the run trying to make something happen. He had 218 of the team's 301 offensive yards.

"He rebounded well," Kelton said. "He's our quarterback and we believe in him."

SSU trailed 7-0 less than six minutes into the game. The offense went three and out and Benedict marched 66 yards on 10 plays, culminating the touchdown drive with a 19-yard pass from Dennis Aeneas to Jalen Jones.

The Tigers couldn't generate a first down on their next possession and Benedict needed just one play – a 20-yard pass play from Aeneas to Jones – had the visitors back in SSU territory at the 48.

But the defense held and Adams engineered a 74-yard drive resulting in Kenneth Lockhart's 35-yard field goal to make it 7-3 on the first play of the second quarter.

"We wanted to stay calm, knowing that the game isn't won or lost in the first quarter, but after 60 minutes," Adams said.

Benedict matched SSU's field goal with Tom Piccirillo's 31-yard boot to make it 10-3.

The Tigers retaliated with Adams' TD passes to Mitchell and Roberts and it looked as if an upset was brewing.

But Benedict (9-0, 7-0 SIAC) has won 20 of its last 21 games for a reason.

The Columbia, S.C., school tied the game with a 75-yard touchdown drive 36 seconds before halftime. Aeneas went 5-for-5 for 59 yards and on the 10th play of the drive, running back Jaylen Taylor powered into the endzone from the 3.

Benedict's momentum continued at the start of the second half with Durant's kickoff return.

Benedict scored on its next two offensive possessions – a 1-yard run by Deondra Duehart and a 26-yard TD pass from Aeneas to Caden High.

Dennis finished with 18-of-29 passing for 228 yards and two scores. Jones caught seven passes for 104 yards and a score and High added seven receptions for 94 yards and a score.

Defensively for SSU, defensive back Deandre Creary had a team-leading seven tackles and recorded an interception.

"All hats off to them. They have a good football team and they have a lot of positive things happening," Kelton said. "Some great things are going to happen here at Savannah State too."

SSU will finish the 2023 football season next Saturday against Lane College in Jackson, Tenn.