By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

It's Homecoming Week at Clark Atlanta University and today the football Panthers will be hosting Benedict College at 2 p.m. at Panther Stadium in the annual Homecoming Game.
 
"The juices flow a little different," said CAU Head Coach Kevin Ramsey. "The crowd and the support we get at homecoming is definitely that 12^th man on the field after we put our 11 out there."
 
But this game isn't a big one solely because of the huge Homecoming environment of alumni, students and supporters.
 
It's a huge contest in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's East Division as Benedict is 2-0 in conference play while CAU is 1-1.  A CAU win would keep the Panthers in the middle of a crowded chase for the East Division crown and the Division's berth in next month's SIAC Championship game.  Benedict, Morehouse and Albany State all have 2-0 records, with Morehouse hosting Albany State Sunday.
 
"Three of our next four games are against an East Division opponent, but it's one game at a time, so right now we have the biggest game in front of us today," Ramsey said.  "Each week it's going to get tighter and tighter. That's what competition is about."
 
The Panthers will be facing one of the SIAC's top offenses as Benedict sports the conference's second-best pass offense and fourth-best run units. They are second in total offense (Morehouse is first) as they average 346 yards of offense per game (1,046 passing, 688 rushing).
 
They are led by quarterback Dominique Harris, who is ranked second in passing in the SIAC as he averages 179 yards per game and has thrown ten touchdown passes.  His top targets have been Drelon Freeman and Danye Washington, both of whom three TD passes this season.
 
However, they face a CAU defense that has the SIAC's top pass defense, allowing opponents just 121 passing yards a game.
 
The Panther secondary is led by Ezekiel Edmonds, the team's leading tackler (38 tackles), Kenneth Morgan (31 tackles), and a feisty core of linebackers led by William Profit (35 tackles) and Justin Wade (25 tackles).  Kameron Rogers has led the upfront pressure on the defensive line with 37 tackles, a team-leading five sacks, and three forced fumbles.
 
Offensively, CAU's Roger Thomas is coming off his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game after rumbling for 144 yards and two touchdowns at Fort Valley State last week.  Thomas, the SIAC's second-ranked rusher, had 115 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers' win over Allen two weeks ago.
 
At quarterback for Clark Atlanta will be Elijah Odom, who has started the past two games in which the Panthers have won both.  But Charles Stafford, who has thrown for 666 yards and four touchdowns, will also get a lot of playing time.
 
They face the SIAC's No. 1 defensive unit in Benedict, which has only allowed opponents 209 yards a game and 3.7 yards a play.  The Tigers have given up just 19.4 points a game, second only to Tuskegee.
 
CLARK ATLANTA PANTHERS (2-4, 1-1 SIAC)
Head Coach – Kevin Ramsey

Offensive Leaders
Passing - #3 Charles Stafford (66-of-135 for 666 yards, 4 touchdowns, 7 interceptions)
                 #10 Elijah Odom (12-of-42 for 175 yards, one touchdown, 5 interceptions)
Rushing - #22 Roger Thomas (98 rushes, 454 yards, three touchdowns, 4.6 yards per carry, long of 45 yards)
Receiving - #1 Johnathan Sanders (28 receptions, 284 yards, 10.1 yards per catch, long of 29 yards, two touchdowns)
Defensive Leaders
Tackles – #7 Ezekiel Edmonds (38 tackles, 30 solo, 8 assisted, 2.5 tackles for loss)
                 #8 Kameron Rogers (37 tackles, 26 solo, 11 assisted, 11 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery)
                 #20 William Profit (35 tackles, 24 solo, 11 assisted, 6.5 tackles for loss)
                 #24 Kenneth Morgan (31 tackles, 17 solo, 14 assisted, 1.5 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery)
                 #5 Justin Wade (25 tackles, 20 solo, 5 assisted, 4 tackles for loss)
                 #23 Amon Crumpton (21 tackles, 15 solo, 6 assisted, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery)
Sacks –    #8 Kameron Rogers (5 sacks)
                 #7 Ezekiel Edmonds (2.5 sacks)
                 #25 Tyrone Mixon (1.5 sacks)
                 #5 Justin Wade (1 sack)
                 #9 Breante Glover (1 sack)
                 #23 Amon Crumpton (1 sack)
                 #56 Joseph Culpepper (1 sack)
Interceptions - #24 Kenneth Morgan (1 interception)
                        #7 Ezekiel Edmonds (1 interception)
                        #25 Tyrone Mixon (1 interception)
Special Teams
Field Goals - #39 Carlos Saldana (4-of-4 field goals, long of 43 yards)
Punts - #38 Ty Woods (32 punts, 1157 yards, 36.1 avg., long of 60 yards)
Kickoff Returns - #21 Jaha McCray (11 returns, 208 yards, 18.9 avg., long of 33 yards)
Punt Returns - #80 Jarel Henry (4 returns, 61 yards, 15.2 avg., long of 21 yards)
 
Benedict Tigers  (4-1, 2-0 SIAC)
Head Coach – Mike White
Offensive Leaders
Passing – #2 Dominique Harris (68-of-118 for 896 yards, ten touchdowns, four interceptions)
                #4 Philip Brown (6-of-11 for 150 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions)
Rushing    #22 Raheem Jennings (44 rushes, 222 yards, one touchdown, long of 27 yards)
                 #4 Phillip Brown (24 rushes, 187 yards, three touchdowns, long run of 72 yards)
Receiving - #8 Drelon Freeman (14 receptions, 284 yards, three touchdowns, long of 80 yards)
                     #12 Danye Washington (17 receptions, 282 yards, three touchdowns, long of 40 yards
Defensive Leaders
Tackles - #40 Amari Andrewws (28 tackles, 21 solo, 7 assisted)
                #18 Shaquille Husser (19 tackles, 16 solo, 3 assisted)
Sacks - #92 Rickym Holmes (four sacks)
Interceptions - #7 Robert Cummings (four interceptions)
                           #1 Traviontae Brown (four interceptions)
Special Teams
Kicking – #33 Rigoberto Tinoto (2-of-6 field goals, long of 33 yards)
Punting - #23 Mario Trejo (13 punts, 363 yards, 27.9 avg., long punt of 46 yards)
Kickoff Returns - #8 Dreion Freeman (8 returns, 148 yards, long return of 26 yards)
Punt Returns - #8 Dreion Freeman (4 returns, 35 yards, long return of 30 yards)