HEMPSTEAD, NY -- Rocky Butler completed 17-of-30 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, and Trevor Dimmie carried 11 times for 107 yards and three scores as Hofstra rallied from a 7-6 halftime deficit to capture a 42-21 Homecoming win over Elon on Saturday afternoon at Hofstra Stadium.
The Phoenix (1-6) held Butler, the NCAA-IAA leader in passing efficiency and in the Walter Payton Award standings, to 112 aerial yards with no touchdowns in the first half. For the game, Elon out-performed the Pride (6-1) in possession time (40:27-19:33), first downs (22-18) and total offensive plays (76-52).
Kahmal Roy led three Hofstra receivers with 100 or more yards, tallying 125 yards on four receptions, including a pair of third quarter touchdowns. Charlie Adams tallied 112 yards on eight catches, leaving him four yards shy of the school's career receiving record of 2,561 yards, set last year by Stephen Jackson. Tom Kemper added five catches for a career-high 110 yards.
Elon looked for a while like it might spoil the Homecoming festivities for the Pride, taking a 7-6 lead into halftime. The Phoenix jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 6:06 left in the first quarter on a seven-yard scoring run from Martin Swindell. The Pride finally broke through on the scoreboard with 8:17 left in the second quarter, when Adams scored on a 67-yard punt return. However, Brett Harbach's extra point attempt was blocked and Elon held on to the narrow 7-6 lead heading into intermission.
Hofstra took its first lead of the game on another big play 5:53 into the third quarter, when Butler found Roy with a 65-yard scoring strike. The two players hooked up again on the ensuing two-point conversion, giving the Pride a 14-7 advantage.
Elon, though, evened the score back up with 3:20 left in the third quarter when Rashaud Palmer scampered in from 15 yards two plays after the Phoenix recovered a Hofstra fumble deep in Pride territory. However, Roy answered back again, this time catching a nine-yard touchdown strike from Butler with 1:35 left in the third to put the Pride back ahead 21-14.
Hofstra took advantage of an Elon miscue on the ensuing kickoff, recovering a fumble on the Phoenix 24-yard line. After Butler threw a six yard-pass to Adams on 4th-and-5, Dimmie scampered in from 13 yards to put the Pride ahead 28-14.
The Phoenix bounced back with an eight-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a one-yard touchdown run from Palmer with 10:16 left to pull within 28-21. That touchdown came on fourth-and-goal after the Pride stopped Elon on its first three tries from inside the one. However, Butler threw a 50-yard pass to Adams on the first play of Hofstra's ensuing drive, and Dimmie rushed in from 18 yards on the following play to give Hofstra back a 14-point lead at 35-21 with 9:28 left in the contest.
Dimmie capped off the scoring when he cashed in on a 31-yard run with 7:45 left in the contest, giving Hofstra a commanding 42-21 lead. Dimmie scored all three of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter on three consecutive carries, covering a span on 7:05.
Defensively, Hofstra was led by Ryan Fletcher with 18 tackles (four solo) and Todd DeLamielleure with 17 tackles (six solo). Elon, which threw the ball only four times, had 326 rushing yards on 72 carries, led by Swindell's 127 yards on 17 carries. Hofstra outgained the Phoneix in the air 347 yards to 54 for the afternoon.
The Pride continued its high-scoring ways, as Hofstra scored 34 or more points for the fifth time in a row and the sixth time in its seven games this season. The only exception was a 35-26 loss to Rhode Island on Sept. 8.
Swindell (127 yards on 17 carries, one TD) and Palmer (83 yards on 12 carries, two TD) paced the Elon offense while Eddie Bell (seven tackles, including one for a loss, one sack) led the Phoenix defense.
Of Elon's six losses, five have come to teams currently ranked among the country's top 25 NCAA-IAA programs. All six setbacks have been to squads that have been receiving votes for top 25 consideration at one time this season.
The Phoenix will next play Saturday against fellow independent Charleston Southern in Rhodes Stadium's first-ever night game, beginning at 7 p.m. With a victory over Gardner-Webb last month, Elon is 1-0 vs. Independents so far this season.
Game Box Score
--ELON--
