When Clark Atlanta running back Winston Thompson scampered into the end zone late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's CSRA Capitol City Bank Classic, he not only sealed a winning season for his Panthers, he secured the game's MVP honors.

The 5-foot-9 sophomore scored untouched to cap a 14-3 victory and back-to-back Classic wins over Benedict College.

"I've just got to give credit to that line. If they didn't give me that key block, I wouldn't have made it into the end zone. I would have never seen it," said Thompson, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's leading rusher.

Thompson carried the ball 28 times and gained 60 of his game-high 73 yards in the second half.

Clark Atlanta (6-5, 5-4 SIAC) struggled to move the ball early. The Panthers managed 34 yards of total offense in the first half.

Clark Atlanta didn't reach the red zone until the final seconds of the third quarter, when Benedict quarterback Robert Rowe botched a pitch on an option play at his own 16. On the ensuing drive, Antwan Bell would snag a deflected pass from Cedric Johnson for what proved to be the game-winning score.

The Panthers were carried once again by their defense, one of the best in Division II. Coming into the Classic, Clark Atlanta ranked 18th in the nation in total defense. The Panthers held Benedict's strong rushing offense to just 3.5 yards per carry and forced the Tigers into a season-high four turnovers.

"The defense has been huge since I've been here," Panthers head coach Ted Bahhur said. "Everyone did good, including the coaching staff, to game plan and shut down the option, which is really hard to shut down. I can't say anything else except for I'm proud of these guys."

Benedict (5-6, 4-5 SIAC) took the field at Laney Memorial Stadium without coach Stanley Conner, who had a heart attack during last week's game. Assistant coach Brian Wajert took over for Conner.

The Tigers were hurt by mistakes in key moments. During a drive late in the first half, Benedict reached the Clark Atlanta 3-yard line. After two false starts and a sack, the Tigers missed a 27-yard field goal attempt. Later in the game, a personal foul on the defense for unsportsmanlike conduct after a third down stop inside their 10-yard line helped lead to the Panthers' first score.

"It's tough. They're a good team so it's really hard to overcome all of the penalties," Wajert said.