A last-minute drive by Clark Atlanta fell short as Allen won a close, back-and-forth game 16-10 in Winnsboro, S.C. Saturday.

CAU (0-2) quarterback Charles Stafford came back from an earlier injury to rally the Panthers after Andre Felder forced an Allen (1-0) fumble at the Clark Atlanta 25-yard line with 1:31 remaining in the game.

Stafford completed a 15-yard pass to Darrell Nichols, a 16-yarder to Johnathan Sanders, and another 15-yard pass to Nichols to get the Panthers to the Allen 24 with less than five seconds left to play.  But on the game's final play, Allen's Kerry Thompson Jr. ran down a scrambling Stafford and stripped the ball out of his hands.  Allen's Richard Hayes recovered the fumble, ending the game.

The win is Allen's first over an NCAA-sanctioned football team after the school reinstituted football in 2018.  The Yellow Jackets, who restarted their football program last year, won two games in 2018 as they defeated Columbus State (who operates football as a club sports program), and fellow NAIA member Middle Georgia State University.  

With four lead changes in three quarters, the game was close throughout.  Clark Atlanta opened the scoring, notching a 42-yard field goal to go up 3-0 in the first quarter.  Allen answered with a seven-play, 95-yard drive culminating in Jermaine Alston's 2-yard touchdown run to go up 7-3 at the end of the quarter.

Kenneth Morgan's interception – one of three the Panthers nabbed Saturday – put Clark Atlanta deep in Allen territory late in the second quarter.  Stafford then hit Trey Wilson on a 12-yard TD pass to put CAU back up 10-7.

But Allen picked off a Stafford pass deep in Clark Atlanta territory early in the third quarter, capitalizing on the turnover with two-play TD drive that put them up 13-10.  Allen missed the point-after conversion.

Allen's defense stiffened in the third quarter, forcing the Panthers into three punts and only allowing CAU 13 yards of offense in three series.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Clark Atlanta's offense perked up, driving down to the Allen 28-yard line.  But Fernando Lobo failed to connect on a 45-yard field goal, keeping the deficit at three points.  Allen then drove down the field and connected on a 27-yard field goal to extend their lead to 16-10 with 1:31 left.

Stafford, who had missed the previous two CAU drives, returned to complete a pass to Felix Jones on the next drive.  But Allen's Marvin Maddox forced Jones to fumble, seemingly putting the game away.   But two plays later, Andre Felder forced and recovered an Allen fumble to set CAU up for the final drive.  

Stafford and P.J. Johnson combined to go 23-of-37 for 258 yards.  Stafford had one TD pass and two interceptions.   Darrell Nichols caught five passes for 101 yards, while Sanders and Jones each also had five catches.

On defense, Breante Glover led CAU with ten tackles – all solo – one sack and three tackles for losses.  Terrance Harris, Jaquez Jackson, Joshua Washington, Kevin Williams and Jujuan White all had four tackles each.   Morgan, Johnny Sharp, and Tyrese Ross each had an interception.

Allen's Diquan Brown had six catches for 100 yards, while Karon Johnson came off the bench to go 10-of-15 for 176 yards and a touchdown for the Yellow Jackets.

Clark Atlanta returns home next weekend, Sept. 21, when the Panthers host Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Central State at 6 p.m.