Box Score In a rainy, windy game where the center of the McPherson Stadium grass turned to mud, Clark Atlanta out-gained Central State, but couldn't convert on early opportunities in falling to the Marauders 7-0 Saturday.

After the Panthers (0-2, 0-1 SIAC) couldn't convert on a fourth-and-1 play early in the third quarter, Central State's Trent Mays hit Robert Corbin Jr. on a 30-yard pass play to set up the game's only score, a Jerry Lanier 4-yard TD run to put them up 7-0.

With ball handling an issue for both teams, neither Central State (1-1, 1-0 SIAC) nor CAU could generate much offense before or after that score.

CAU outgained Central State 155 yards to 100 yards and had ten first downs, versus four for Central State.  The Panthers forced CSU to punt 12 times, while CAU punted only five times.

But CAU got inside the Marauders' 30-yard line four times – including reaching the Central State 15 with just less than five minutes remaining – but didn't come up with scores, which CAU head coach Kevin Ramsey said was huge.

"We've got to take advantage of opportunities in a game like that, a field position game," he said.  "We had our opportunities early and we didn't take advantage of them.  "Hats off to them. But it was a field position game.  We kind of busted coverage and they hit the one play on us and scored right after that.

"I can't question the kids' effort, but it's about execution," Ramsey said.  "They played out there in the same conditions, so you can't put it on the weather… You have to execute.  You have to score. I thought our execution was poor and we had too many holding penalties.  Penalties will get you beat. You can't beat yourself.  And in a field position game, you go backwards, it hurts." 
 
CAU's Charles Stafford completed 10-of-26 passes for 81 yards.  Johnathan Sanders caught four of those passes for 39 yards. Felix Jones had two receptions for 30 yards, while Josh Banks grabbed a couple of passes for 21 yards.  Roger Thomas led the rushing attack with 47 yards while Elijah Odom ran 13 times for 23 yards. 
 

On defense, CAU only allowed Central State 58 yards passing and 42 rushing, forced a fumble, and sacked Mays three times.
 
Kameron Rogers had nine tackles – six of them solo – forced a fumble, made 3.5 tackles for loss, and had half a sack for CAU.  William Profit made nine stops, had three tackles for losses and also had half a sack.  Kenneth Morgan also had nine tackles, half a sack, a pass break-up, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Breante Glover had four tackles, a sack, two tackles for losses.

Central State had three players with double-digit tackles – Rashaun Searles (13 tackles), Kailen Abrams (11), and Javion Williams (10).

Next Saturday, Clark Atlanta returns to the friendly confines of Panther Stadium for the home opener against defending SIAC champions, Tuskegee.  Kickoff is at 7 p.m .