An early-season HBCU football crowd filled the stands at B.T. Harvey Stadium on Saturday as Clark Atlanta defeated Morehouse 31-21 in the ATL Labor Day Classic.
The victory gave first-year Clark Atlanta head coach Terry Sims his first win with the Panthers. It also moved Clark Atlanta to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in SIAC play. Morehouse fell to 0-2 and 0-1 in the conference.
Clark Atlanta needed the answer after a 49-7 opening loss at Grambling State. The Panthers found it immediately. Trayvon Pinder broke a 94-yard touchdown run less than two minutes into the game, setting the tone for an explosive afternoon.
Morehouse took a 9-7 first-quarter lead behind a Davis Rowe field goal and a 30-yard Chase DeVaughn touchdown run. Clark Atlanta reclaimed control before halftime. Kelan Anderson scored from 39 yards, and Joseph Wright added a 23-yard field goal for a 17-9 advantage.
Explosive plays decide the Atlanta rivalry
The HBCU football matchup tightened twice in the second half. Savion Red pulled Morehouse within 17-15 on a six-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. DeVaughn later cut Clark Atlanta’s lead to 24-21 with a 10-yard score early in the fourth.
Each time, Xzavier Jackson and Chry’shawn Sellers answered.
Jackson found Sellers for a 14-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. The pair connected again for a 51-yard score with 11:40 remaining, producing the final margin and the game’s knockout play.
Jackson completed 13 of 22 passes for 135 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Sellers caught four passes for 83 yards and both scores. Dae’Jeaun Dennis added 104 rushing yards, helping Clark Atlanta finish with 259 yards on the ground.
Terry Sims earns his first Clark Atlanta victory
The box score showed why this HBCU football result reached beyond possession time. Morehouse held the ball for 35:05, ran 23 more plays and earned 25 first downs. Clark Atlanta still produced 394 yards on only 50 snaps, an average of 7.88 yards per play.
The Panthers also avoided turnovers while Morehouse threw one interception. That combination of ball security and explosive offense allowed Clark Atlanta to overcome Morehouse’s longer drives.
For Sims, the result supplies an early marker in his Clark Atlanta tenure. He took over the football program in January after previously leading Bethune-Cookman, and his first Panthers victory came against the school’s closest rival.
Clark Atlanta has now won three consecutive meetings with Morehouse. That streak adds another chapter to an Atlanta rivalry whose roots reach more than a century and whose meaning extends well beyond the SIAC standings.
Both programs return home Sept. 12. Clark Atlanta hosts Kentucky State, while Morehouse faces Central State.