ATLANTA, Ga. – The Erskine College football team (2-0) remained unbeaten to start the 2022 season with a comeback win over Clark Atlanta University (1-1) by a score of 23-19 at Panther Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Erskine scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 54-yard catch and run from Trevarus Walker to earn the victory.
 
THE BASICS
Final | Erskine 23, Clark Atlanta 19
Records | Erskine 2-0, Clark Atlanta 1-1
Location | Atlanta, Ga. (Panther Stadium)
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Bryce Jeffcoat finished the afternoon 11-for-19 for 137 yards, but CAU outgained the Fleet through the air, 252 to 180.
• The Panthers' Darren Stephens finished with a game-high 209 receiving yards on 8 catches. Trevarus Walker paced the Fleet's receiving corps with 4 catches for 95 yards a touchdown.
• Erskine finished with 93 yards on the ground, led by Kaavon Parker's 80 yards. Parker and Catoe recorded rushing touchdowns for the Fleet.
• Caleb Gleason led the Fleet defense with a game-high 11 tackles and a second-quarter interception that he returned for 71 yards.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter:
The defenses dominated the first quarter as the game was scoreless after the first 15 minutes. But, Clark Atlanta had began a drive inside Erskine territory in the final seconds of the quarter and were threatening to break the deadlock.

Second Quarter:
On the first play of the second quarter, CAU scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead. The Fleet's offense continued to struggle to move the ball in the opening half, but Erskine's defense held the Panthers at bay and kept it just a one-possession game at the half.

Third Quarter:
Nolan Holloway injected some life into the Fleet just seconds into the start of the second half, as he forced and recovered a fumble, setting up the Fleet offense inside CAU territory. Trevarus Walker picked up an 18-yard rush on the first play of the drive as Korey Besse and company took advantage of the short field and Kevon Catoe punched it in from a yard out to tie the game at 7. But, the Panthers responded as they drove down the field into the redzone. The Erskine defense kept CAU out of the endzone and forced the hosts to settle for a field goal, giving them a 10-7 lead. 

Fourth Quarter:
Clark Atlanta added another field goal in the early stages of the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 13-7. Erskine's next possession saw them pick up a first down, but the drive appeared to have come to an end with the Fleet facing a 4th-and-9 right near midfield. Erskine chose to go for it, and their decision paid off in a big way as Bryce Jeffcoat connected with Trevarus Walker for a 54-yard touchdown. West Hiller's ensuing extra point put the Fleet in front for the first time all afternoon, 14-13. The Fleet defense forced a huge three-and-out on the following possession to keep momentum and chunk plays fueled Erskine's next drive. On second down, Jeffcoat found Walker again, this time for 30 yards and moved the ball into Panthers' territory. Kaavon Parker followed by breaking off a 38-yard touchdown run as the Fleet extended their lead to 21-13 with 4:32 remaining. Clark Atlanta responded with a touchdown drive of their own, but the Fleet defense stood tall on the would-be game-tying two-point attempt as they maintained a 21-19 lead with just over 2 minutes remaining. Erskine's offense was held in check on their next drive, but Hiller's punt pinned CAU inside their own 12-yard line with just 21 seconds remaining. A few plays later, on 4th-and-15, Clark Atlanta was called for intentional grounding in their own endzone on a last-ditch effort to keep the game alive, resulting in an Erskine safety and a 23-19 road win for the Fleet.

THE HEAD COACH
"It was a great team win today in Atlanta. The offense struggled a bit in the first half but came to life in the second. The defense was solid most of the day with a couple of miscues but overall a very good effort. Special teams were solid. West Hiller did a great job punting and Chad [Stark] did a great job with the kickoffs. Great team win. We kept composure even though we were down for most of the game. I'm proud of the team; not sure we win that game last year!" Head Coach Shap Boyd said following the win.
 
WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine begins their inaugural South Atlantic Conference play next Saturday with a difficult test at home against No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne University (1-1) at 4:00 p.m. at J.W. Babb Stadium.
 
Follow the Flying Fleet all season long to get schedule updates, scores, highlights, photo galleries, game notes and more at www.erskinesports.com.
 
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