Sept. 8, 2007

Tuscaloosa, Ala. - After the Shorter College Hawks used some last-minute heroics to take their season opener, it was a heroic team effort that they took away from their game Saturday.

Playing Division II Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Shorter (1-1) held the lead for the majority of the game before a late touchdown lifted the Tigers to a 27-24 win.

With the Hawks up 24-14, Stillman drove down the field and completed the third of four touchdown passes with 2:29 left in the game to make it 24-21.

The Tigers recovered the onside kick to put their offense back on the field and then, after receiving a new set of downs on fourth-and-goal due to a personal foul call on Shorter, scored their final touchdown.

The Hawks, who begin their home schedule next Saturday by hosting LaGrange College at Barron Stadium, rolled ahead 14-0 in the first five minutes of the game.

Former Adairsville standout Drew Elrod took control early in his second game as Shorter's starting quarterback.

Elrod ran the ball 56 yards into the end zone with 13:28 left in the first quarter and Lukas Gonzalez added the point after, his first of three.

Just over two minutes later, Elrod capped off Shorter's next drive with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Chris Chapman.

Elrod finished the game with 162 yards in the air on six passes and 68 yards on the ground.

Stillman (3-0) got on the board with 5:59 to go in the first with a nine-yard pass to make it 14-7 and then tied it before the half with a 74-yard touchdown completion in the second.

Bud Keith picked off two interceptions in the third and Dennis Stanley scored from seven yards out.

With no time left in the quarter, Gonzalez kicked a 44-yard field goal to put them up 24-14.

Shorter ran for 250 yards on the ground for a total of 412 yards of offense.