In his first game at quarterback for Clark Atlanta University, Charles Stafford threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns and had a big pass to set up a go-ahead fourth-quarter TD, but Drake McCarter's 18-yard field goal with 3:58 left lifted Mississippi College to a 31-30 win over CAU Thursday in Clinton, Miss.

With CAU (0-1) down 28-23 early in the fourth quarter, Stafford threw a high-arching, 45-yard dart to Drakar Jerry to the Mississippi College 1-yard line.  Two plays later, Stafford lost his helmet and had to exit the game for a play. Elijah Odom replaced him and then carried the ball into the end zone, putting the Panthers up 30-28 with 10:15 left in the game.

On the next drive, Mississippi College had a 10-play, 69-yard drive that ended with McCarter's field goal with 3:58 left.  The drive was anchored by a Detric Hawthorn 15-yard completion on a third-and-10 play and a 33-yard run by Tiberias Lampkin to the CAU 9. 

Stafford drove the Panthers down the field on the next drive. His 4-yard pass to Johnathan Sanders put CAU at the Choctaw 28-yard line with a fourth-and-1 situation as 49 seconds were left in the game. 

CAU went for it, but Stafford threw his third interception as the Choctaws' Elijah Rogers stepped in front of the pass at the 5-yard-line, allowing Mississippi College to salt away the win.

In a game that was close throughout, CAU out-gained Mississippi College 416 yards to 349, while the Panther defense forced two fumbles and picked off a Hawthorn pass.  They only allowed 111 passing yards.

Stafford led CAU with 69 yards rushing, while Roger Thomas had 60 yards on 15 carries.  Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pre-season All-Conference pick Johnathan Sanders had a huge game as he caught 14 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown.  Josh Banks also caught a TD pass from Stafford.

On defense, Amon Crumpton led CAU with seven tackles, all of them solo, a sack and one tackle for loss. Ezekiel Edmonds had six solo tackles and a pass break-up, while Justin Wade, Kameron Rogers, and Kenneth Morgan each had five tackles. Morgan had the Panthers interception.

While Hawthorn only had 111 yards passing for Mississippi College, he had a big day on the ground, rushing for 141 yards and three touchdowns.  Lampkin finished with 89 yards rushing. Jaylan Hassell had a game-high nine tackles, seven solo, for the Choctaws.

The Panthers are back on the road next week when they visit SIAC foe Central State on Saturday, Sept. 8.