SAVANNAH, Ga. – Kye Hamilton passed for a career-high 293 yards and Michael Mayers hauled in a career-high 139 receiving yards as Elon came away from Savannah State with a 48-14 non-conference road win in NCAA-IAA football action Saturday night at T.A. Wright Stadium.
Hamilton connected on 19 of 28 passes (.689) – including his first six in a row – with one touchdown and no interceptions as the Phoenix (1-1) tamed the Tigers (0-2), stretching a 31-0 halftime advantage into a 41-0 cushion midway through the third quarter.
For the first points of the night, Hamilton hit Jarrett Meadors for a three-yard touchdown strike. Reggie Hall and Kevin Bailey accounted for five of the Phoenix six touchdowns while Elon kicker Andrew Wilcox connected on field goal attempts from 30 and 41 yards.
Hall finished with two scores, including a career-long 53-yard blast into the end zone that put Elon up 14-0 in the first quarter. Bailey had a game-high three touchdown runs, all for two yards apiece.
On a night of firsts, Bailey, Hall and Meadors all scored touchdowns for the first time in their young careers as the Phoenix avenged a 34-10 season-opening home loss to the Tigers – the last meeting between the two programs – back on Sept. 9, 1989.
SSU quarterback Clyde Tullis got the start, but it was rookie Garrett Williams that finished up. Tullis played the entire first half, but only completed five of 18 passes for 112 yards. In his collegiate debut, Williams looked like an up-and-coming star as he completed 12 of his 19 passes for 114 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown toss to Michael Hicks.
Tiger running back Myshun McAlpine turned in a solid performance with 11 carries for a team-high 37 rushing yards, including a three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for SSU's first points.
Elon finished the contest with advantages in total offensive yards (398-269), first downs (22-13), rushing yards (105-43), passing yards (293-226), turnovers (0-2), penalties (4-13) and third-down conversions (9-3).
Next weekend, the Phoenix will host unbeaten Presbyterian (3-0) in the 2005 Elon University Homecoming Game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Rhodes Stadium.
Meanwhile, SSU will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio for the first of three classics this season. The Tigers will take on the Bears of Morgan State in the Procter and Gamble Ohio Classic at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
– ELON – Game Box Score
