October 22, 2011 – ATLANTA – David Carter scored his third touchdown of the game, with 19 seconds remaining, to help lift Morehouse to a 37-31 Homecoming victory over the Benedict Tigers.
The Maroon Tigers survived three lost fumbles and two interceptions, to pull out the come-from-behind win that had nearly 24,000 fans dancing in the stands and tail-gaiting area.
Morehouse improved to 6-2 (4-1 SIAC). Benedict, which scored 18 points via turnovers, fell to 2-6 (1-4 SIAC).
The most costly Morehouse turnover was a fumble returned 73 yards by Justin Shaw, at the 3:53 mark in the fourth quarter. The miscue put Benedict ahead, 31-29.
But the “Cardiac Cats” bounced back with a 12-play, 48-yard drive for the game's final score.
The drive included six Carter carries for 28 yards and completions of six and seven yards to wide receivers Derrick Hector and Darquan McCain. But the saving play was a third-and-13 narrow escape from a sack by Ingram, who picked up 17 yards and a crucial first down.
Carter, the SIAC's leading rusher and scorer, polished off the drive, with an 11-yard scamper off right tackle. Carter finished with 112 yards on 31 carries.
Wide receiver Derrick Hector also had a big day, hauling in six passes for 118 yards. His biggest catch came during the final drive when he hauled in a leaping catch for seven yards, on fourth-and-six.
Scoring his first Morehouse touchdown, senior Justin Thomas put the Maroon Tigers on the board first, with a 43-yard pass from Byron Ingram.
Ingram completed 12-of-25 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. His second TD strike was a 2-yarder to Khamarr Smith, near the end of the first half. The ensuing snap for the extra-point attempt was fumbled by Morehouse and returned by Benedict's Jeremy Vaughn 90 yards for a two point PAT return.
To compensate for the turnovers, the Morehouse defense stiffened, holding Even after the turnover touchdown, the Maroon Tigers responded with two blocked extra points – one by Justin Oliver, the other by Darrius Williams. Benedict gained 52 yards on the ground and 255 total yards.
Brandon Houston spearheaded the Morehouse defense, which recorded 14 tackles-for-loss and five sacks. In addition to seven tackles, Houston picked off two interceptions that he returned for 29 yards.
Houston's second interception at the end of the third quarter, led to a Brandon Hoffman 23-yard field goal that put Morehouse up 29-25.
Scottie Williams led the Morehouse sack attack with three quarterback sacks. He barely missed on four other attempts, hurrying the quarterback into errant passes each time.
Freshman receiver Khamarr Smith accounted for eight Morehouse points, catching a 2-yard touchdown pass, in the second quarter, and hauling in a two-point conversion pass, after the winning touchdown.
Prior to the game, 14 Morehouse seniors – Frederick Anderson, Chigbo Anunoby, Jarvis Canty, Samuel Gilmore, Mykel Green, Mychal Harrison, Derrick Hector, Benjamin McKinnon, Justin Murray, Paul Parker Jamar Rodriguez, Justin Thomas, Darrius Williams, and Charlie Wilson – and their guests were celebrated on the field, for their outstanding contribution to the Morehouse football program.
The seniors, playing in their last regular-season home game, accounted for half of the team's 72 tackles.
Morehouse will hit the road for the final two games of the season, going first to Fort Valley, Saturday, at 6 p.m. and to Kentucky State, the following week for a 1 p.m. game.
