Clark Atlanta University celebrated their season home opener with a narrow 26-22 win over the Allen University Yellow Jackets, on Saturday at the newly red-turfed Panther Stadium.
Allen, with its rebuilt offense, came out the gate blazing. Quarterback Jamir Dismukes recognized the Panthers’ defense left slot receiver Kaleb Commings uncovered and delivered a strike for a 48-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, leaving Allen with an early 6-0 lead.
The Panthers responded with a 46-yard field goal from freshman kicker Leonardo Cabrera, cutting the deficit in half.
Cabrera added three more field goals before the end of the half. The first from 36 yards out to tie the game and the second from 29 yards to give the Panthers a 9-6 lead.
A fumbled kickoff return by Allen gave the ball back to the Panthers with three minutes to go before the half. N’Zoyn Poole recovered the loose ball for CAU. The Panthers picked up 17 yards to set Cabrera up for a 30-yard field goal. The freshman from Forest Park stayed true splitting the uprights and extending the Panthers’ lead to 12-6 as they headed into the locker room.
CAU built on the momentum of the second quarter. David Wright III scored on a 1-yard run, extending the lead to 19-6 early in the third quarter.
The Yellow Jackets cut into the Panthers lead on an 11-yard run by Dismukes.
Both teams struggled to find the end zone for the remainder of the third quarter.
Sam Herman cut the Panthers lead to four with a 34-yard field goal to cap a 9-play, 61-yard drive.
Allen regained the lead following a well-orchestrated 10-play, 80-yard drive. Dismukes found Nanders Lawrence for a 24-yard touchdown.
The Panthers, down 19-22, were left with three minutes to find the magic they found against Fort Valley State.
Former Allen Head Coach Teddy Keaton gave Wright the green light. The junior from Tampa marched the offense 65 yards in 9 plays capping it off with a 7-yard pass to Armone Harris in the end zone to retake the lead for good.
With 43 seconds remaining, Dismukes replicated Wright and the Panthers drive with a 6-play, 69-yard drive. Yellow Jackets running back Michael Reese had his eyes on the end zone but Jona Singleton punched the ball out. James Summerset recovered it to seal the Panthers win.
Key Highlights and Statistics
CAU outgained Allen 446 yards to 387. Dismukes led the Yellow Jackets with 263 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Wright threw for 276 yards and one touchdown, though he also had two interceptions. On the ground, CAU amassed 170 rushing yards, with freshman Trayvon Pinder contributing 64 yards on 17 carries.
Defensively, both teams had standout performances. Allen’s Kirkland Boone and Andre Phillips were instrumental in stopping CAU’s offensive advances, while Clark Atlanta’s defense, led by players like Williams and Cleveland, made crucial tackles for loss.
GAME PHOTOS
All photos by Jason McDonald, JM Photography for CORE360 Sports