Charles Stafford threw for 397 yards and two touchdowns, but a late Clark Atlanta field goal that would have tied the game was blocked as the Panthers fell to Benedict College 27-24 Saturday.
 
The Panthers (2-5, 1-2 SIAC) outgained Benedict (5-1, 3-0 SIAC), a team that sported one of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's top defenses, 482 yards to 269, but missed some key opportunities – the Panthers reached the red zone seven times but came up with only three scores, and missed five of six field goals, two of them blocked within the game's final five minutes.
 
The last one was a 32-yard try by Carlos Saldana that would have tied the game at 27-27 in CAUs homecoming game.   But Benedict's Christian Taylor blocked with 1:50 remaining.  Benedict ran out the clock to make it final.
 
"Homecoming loss, bitter. And we all have to drink from the same cup," said CAU Head Coach Kevin Ramsey.   "Most disappointing is points, opportunities – four of seven in the red zone, one of six field goals.   That's the most disappointing.
 
"Carlos had his misses, but more of the blocks," Ramsey said.  "Those were the killers.  To get those blocked and not protect, that's very disappointing because the kids played well.  They played with some heart.  We kept the ball moving around.  Defensively, we were scrappy.  They were three-of-ten on third down, so we got the ball back to the offense to get points on the board at the end there.  But we came up short."
 
The festive homecoming crowd had a lot to cheer about early.  The Panthers got on the board first after Johnathan Sanders caught a 5-yard TD pass from Elijah Odom early in the first quarter.   Benedict countered with a 6-yard TD pass from Dominique Harris to pull to 7-6 before the first quarter ended.
 
Early in the second quarter, Harris hit Danye Washington on a 53-yard pass for another Benedict touchdown to put them up 13-7.    That lead didn't last long as Charles Stafford threw a 22-yard touchdown strike to Caleeb Roberson to give Clark Atlanta a 14-13 advantage.
 
The two teams traded touchdowns before halftime – Harris had a 20-yard touchdown run, followed by Stafford's second TD toss, this one to Corey King Jr. – as CAU went into halftime leading 21-20.
 
Both defenses stiffened in the second half as Harris' 2-yard TD run midway through the third quarter was the only touchdown for either team in the second half.  
 
With 10:14 left in the game, Saldana hit a 31-yard field goal to pull CAU to within three at 27-24.  But even as the Panthers drove down field twice in the fourth quarter to potentially tie or win the game, Benedict blocked two field goal attempts within the game's final four minutes to seal the game.
Stafford was 21-of-36 for 397 yards and two touchdowns.  He threw one interception and was sacked five times.   Benedict slowed down the CAU running game that had been churning the past two weeks.  Odom led CAU with 58 yards rushing, mainly from one 48-yard run.  Roger Thomas rushed 16 times for 35 yards.
 
Josh Banks had a big receiving day, hauling in eight passes for 137 yards, while Felix Jones also had a big day with four receptions for 110 yards, including a 59-yarder.  Sanders had six catches for 40 yards.
 
On defense, four CAU defenders finished with six tackles – Kameron Rogers, William Profit, Jeramie Tate, and Raeshawn Walton.   Walton also had two tackles for losses and a sack.
 
Harris led Benedict in passing (188 yards and two touchdowns) and rushing (37 yards and two touchdowns). 
 
Next week, the Panthers head to southwest Georgia where they will take on Albany State.  While the Benedict loss hurts the Panthers' East Division title hopes, the race hasn't been decided as division teams are now battling each other the rest of the season.
 
"We have to jump on it tomorrow," Ramsey said.  "We go to Albany State, and we have to gird up and go down there and play a fine football team down there next week.  We just have to take them one game at a time. We have to bounce back and give an extraordinary effort next week."