ATL layover 1:17?

I'm requesting some advice please, for our Charleston to Milan flight. Delta has kept pushing our CHS to ATL flight later, to now we only have 1:17 layover at the Atlanta airport! I'm familiar enough with ATL to know we will be running! There is an earlier flight that day, which would leave us with a 5 hour layover, which my husband does not want to do. Should we request the earlier flight, or will Delta make sure we make the tight connection? Thank you!