Morehouse defeated Clark Atlanta 40-0 on Saturday at B.T. Harvey Stadium in the annual rivalry between the two southwest Atlanta neighbors.
Here are five observations from the game:
Morehouse sets a mark dating to 1923
Morehouse’s margin of victory is the largest it’s managed in the rivalry with Clark Atlanta since 1923, when it won 52-0. Also, this was the first time the Maroon Tigers shut out the Panthers since a 7-0 victory in 1993.
Morehouse took control of the game from the first play. Clark Atlanta fumbled on the opening offensive snap after receiving the kickoff, and Morehouse turned the play into three points with a 37-yard field goal from Fernando Sdelamora.
Clark Atlanta punted on its next possession, and the Tigers went 61 yards in seven plays, finishing with a 15-yard pass from Kivon Taylor to Santo Dunn for a touchdown.
With two touchdowns in the second and third quarters, Morehouse took an easy 37-0 lead.
Maroon Tigers defense stands strong
For a defense that allowed 57 points just a week earlier, Morehouse came ready to play in its final game of the season. Clark Atlanta finished the game with minus-14 yards rushing on 17 carries thanks to an array of sacks from the Tigers’ pass rush. Even on positive running plays from the Panthers, they gained only 33 yards before the 47 yards lost were subtracted. Clark Atlanta ran 54 offensive plays and averaged 3.7 yards per play.
When Clark Atlanta did move into Morehouse territory, the Tigers held with a couple of forced turnovers and self-inflicting penalties from the Panthers.
David Smith shows out in final game
The Morehouse senior linebacker saved his best for last in a standout performance on Senior Day. Already one of the key players on Morehouse’s defense, he spent most of the day in the Clark Atlanta backfield, as he finished with 14 tackles, three sacks, five tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He added a pass breakup and another quarterback hit for good measure. The Newport News, Va., native finished the season with 88 tackles and 16 tackles for loss. In the third quarter, he had two sacks on one possession to completely halt Clark Atlanta moving the ball into Morehouse territory.
Isaiah Hicks leads Maroon Tigers running attack
Another senior — this time on offense — waited for his final game to have his best showing of the season. On a Morehouse offense that has struggled to run the ball consistently this season, Hicks came into the game with 51 yards rushing on the season. He got 12 carries Saturday and turned them into 97 yards and a touchdown. Hicks showcased a burst of speed and elusiveness any time he got in the open field and gained yards on every one of his touches. Hicks picked a nice time to have his best game and catapult up as the second leading rusher on the season for Morehouse.
Both teams got chippy, but Morehouse maintains better composure
It was a choppy game at times, demonstrated by the amount of flags thrown throughout. At the end, the final tally of penalties accepted was 34 for 295 yards — 18 for 162 from Clark Atlanta and 16 for 133 from Morehouse. While both teams received a few dead-ball flags, Clark Atlanta began losing control in the second half and had multiple drives killed because of personal-foul and unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties. Two Panthers players were ejected in the second half.
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