Clark Atlanta came out of its conference-opener unblemished, scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the game’s final two minutes to take down Fort Valley State 26-21.
The Panthers have now claimed two straight victories over the Wildcats previously lost 10 of their last 11 against them, dating back to 2012.
In addition, this marks the first time Clark Atlanta has beaten Fort Valley State in consecutive years since 1991.
With both teams starting the game slow, Fort Valley State broke the ice as the first quarter came to a close, driving the ball down field on an extended drive capped by a touchdown as the second quarter began.
Fort Valley State quarterback Don Hudson, who ended with 142 passing yards and two touchdowns, connected with T.J. Pendleton for the first score of the game.
Hudson’s run game was a big part of the Wildcats’ ability to move the ball down field. He accounted for 56 rushing yards on five attempts during the drive, including a nine-yard run that set up the touchdown pass (ended with a game-high 119 rushing yards on 23 attempts).
After the Fort Valley State defense forced Clark Atlanta to punt on a three-and-out, the Panthers’ defense put the team’s first points on the board, securing a safety on a Eric Searcy pressure.
This ignited the Clark Atlanta offense to score touchdowns on their next two offensive possessions, taking a 16-7 lead at halftime.
Fort Valley immediately responded in the third quarter, scoring on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Hudson to Pendleton on its first offensive drive of the second half.
After the Wildcats’ defense dispatched the Panthers’ offense, FVSU took back the lead, capping a five-minute drive with a two-yard touchdown run by Michael Cabellero.
Clark Atlanta then methodically drove the ball down the field as the fourth quarter came to an end, beginning the final period connecting on a 35-yard field goal to make the score 21-19 with Fort Valley State still leading.
The next drive provided a critical turning point in the contest on the Wildcats’ next possession, ending with a failed fourth-down conversion, surrendering the ball back to Clark Atlanta with 7:50 remaining.
This was followed by a drive that saw the Panthers convert two key third downs on their way to score a go-ahead six-yard touchdown pass from McDonald to Armone Harris (his first touchdown of the season) to take a 26-21 lead with 2:50 to go.
In their last chance to win the game, Fort Valley State called its last timeout with 42 seconds left, facing a fourth-and-three from the Clark Atlanta 12-yard line.
Dropping back to pass, Hudson took off looking for the first down but was tackled near the line. With no replay at their disposal, the referees ruled the quarterback did not reach the line to gain, resulting in a turnover on downs and a victory for Clark Atlanta by virtue.
As a result, Fort Valley State drops to 0-2 on the season. This marks the first time they has lost its first two games of a season since 2019.
Meanwhile, Clark Atlanta improves to 2-1, making this the first time they have started consecutive years winning two of their first three games since 1997.
Should the Panthers win their next game against Allen next Saturday, it would be the first time in 62 years that they have won three of their four games in consecutive seasons.
