You can draw it up, but will it work? It certainly did for Benedict College on Saturday.
Malik Mullins scored on an 86-yard touchdown on the final play — a cross-field lateral from teammate Charles Simmons — as the Tigers stunned the Wingate Bulldogs 25-24 in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
It was Benedict’s first-ever victory in the Division II playoffs.
The execution was perfect, at least from the Benedict side. With three seconds left, the Tigers were at their own 14-yard line and trailed 24-19. It was obvious to everyone in the stadium that a trick play was coming. Quarterback Jackson Jensen took the snap and threw a pass to Simmons along the left sideline at the 20. Simmons initially faked a cross-field lateral and started running upfield, which drew in all the safeties who were playing deep.
That left Mullins uncovered over along the right sideline. Simmons fired the lateral over to Mullins, who raced down the right sideline and past desperately chasing Wingate defenders — including a would-be tackler at the 10 — for the score to win the game.
This #Benedict vs. Wingate ending was pure cinema! Tigers win! pic.twitter.com/42DSRFxk0t
— HBCU Alum (@hbcualum) November 22, 2025
“I knew I had to step up and make a big play for the team,” Mullins said. “Being who I am, I feel that if it comes to me, I have to score. I did what I had to do to get in the end zone.”
Benedict coach Ron Dickerson Jr. was thrilled, but probably not that surprised, by the ending.
“That’s what we do every day. They play until the last play in practice, and they never give up,” said Dickerson, now in his second year as head coach. “All season we’ve been in games like this when we’ve had to come back. But the one thing about them is they believe in each other, and they do not give up. They’re going to fight if there is one second left on the clock, and it showed today.”
“They do call me Riverboat Ron. When you believe in your guys, if we have to, we’ll draw something up. And the greatest thing about it is, these guys say they believe in us. So, if we draw it up, they know we’re going to put them in a situation to win, and literally that’s what we did, is they put themselves in a situation to win.
“To be in that situation, it was faith. Have I ever been in that where it happened? No. But these guys put themselves in a great situation and they believed, and that’s what it comes down to — belief.”
The Benedict-Wingate playoffs finish — UNBELIEVABLE 😤😤😤
Benedict moves 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 most of the game, it didn’t look as if Benedict would even have a chance in this one. Wingate took a 24-0 lead in the first minute of the second half when Omar Ba intercepted Jensen’s pass and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.
But Darius Ocean passed to Malaqhi Jones for a 5-yard score, and Isaiah Isidore returned a blocked field-goal attempt 95 yards with 10:05 remaining in the game to make it 24-13. Several minutes later, Jensen connected with Simmons for a 4-yard touchdown to bring Benedict to within 24-19 with 3:36 left.
Benedict of Columbia, S.C., will have a chance to keep up the magic against top-seeded Albany State on Saturday. The D-II bracket is shown here.