CHARLESTON, S.C. – Bart Blanchard passed for 370 yards and three touchdowns and Tory Cooper rushed for another three touchdowns as The Citadel staved off No. 19 Elon 42-31 in the Southern Conference season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
The Phoenix (6-4 overall, 4-3 SoCon) dropped from a month-long first-place tie to a third-place tie with No. 11 Georgia Southern (7-3, 4-3) and The Citadel (6-4, 4-3) in the conference standings, behind No. 15 Wofford (8-3, 5-2) and No. 7 Appalachian State (8-2, 4-2). Furman (5-5, 3-3), Chattanooga (2-8, 2-4) and Western Carolina (1-9, 0-6) make up the rest of the standings.
“We’re a little disappointed with the result,” Elon coach Pete Lembo said. “We’re not playing our best football right now for a lot of different reasons. We’re not the same team we were a month ago. That’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it is.”
Elon’s Scott Riddle established new Southern Conference single-season records for the most completions (322), most touchdown passes (29) and most plays of total offense (585). Chattanooga’s Chris Sanders held the previous top marks of 297 completions and 524 total plays since 1999 while Marshall’s Todd Donnan posted the previous milestone of 28 touchdown tosses in 1994.
Riddle tied the league’s single-season record for the most touchdowns responsible for by passing for three and scoring another to equal the 38 touchdowns accounted for by Georgia Southern’s Chaz Williams in 2004. Riddle passed for 381 yards versus the Bulldogs to extend his own SoCon plateaus for the most games passing for 300 or more yards in a single season and the most consecutive games passing for 300 or more yards to nine contests.
With his nine catches against The Citadel, the Phoenix’s Terrell Hudgins shattered the SoCon single-season record for the most receptions of 103 set by Appalachian State’s DaVon Fowlkes in 2004. Hudgins, who is now up to 108 catches on the year, pulled into a tie with East Tennessee State’s B.J. Adigun (1997) and Fowlkes (2004) for the most games receiving for 100 or more yards by a SoCon player in a single season at seven contests.
Elon’s Michael Mayers (2004-07) broke the conference record for the most passes caught in a career, set at 209 by Marshall’s Mike Barber (1985-88). Mayers is now up to 214 career receptions.
With a collective 189 receptions for the year, Hudgins and Mayers broke the NCAA record for the most passes caught by two teammates in a single season. Jerry Rice and Joe Thomas hauled in 183 catches for Mississippi Valley State in 1984 to establish the previous plateau.
The Hudgins/Mayers duo also set a new SoCon milestone for the most receiving yards by two teammates in a single season, amassing a combined 2,294 yards for the year. The Marshall tandem of Mike Barber and Sean Doctor piled up 2,241 receiving yards in 1987 for the old conference record.
By converting his 36th career field goal in the second quarter, Andrew Wilcox (2005-07) tied the Elon milestone for the most field goals made in a career. Phil Renn (1979-82) was the first Elon player to amass 36 field goals.
The Bulldogs’ Andre Roberts caught eight passes for 180 yards and a touchdown as The Citadel clinched its first winning season in 10 years. Roberts set a new Bulldog record on his seventh catch of the day for receptions in a season with 70, breaking Scooter Johnson’s record of 69 in 2002.
Blanchard connected on 22 of his 29 passes as The Citadel racked up 513 total yards of offense to 451 by the Phoenix. Riddle completed 30 of his 53 passes with one interception while Hudgins received for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Mayers hauled in nine receptions for 90 yards. Elon's Brandon Wiggins led all defenders with a career-high 19 tackles.
The Phoenix struck first on its second offensive possession. After a 27-yard punt return by cornerback Karlos Sullivan put Elon at The Citadel 31-yard line, Riddle found Mayers two plays later at the four-yard line. Riddle then found Hudgins two plays later on a fade route from four yards out for the score. Wilcox added the extra-point for a 7-0 lead with 7:49 left in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs came right back to tie it on their next drive as they drove 84 yards in six plays. On a third-and-five play from The Citadel 32, Blanchard swung a screen pass to Roberts who then raced 68 yards for the score, the longest play of the season for the Bulldogs. Mike Adams hit the extra-point to tie the contest at seven.
The Citadel took advantage of an Elon turnover early in the second quarter as Andrew Rowell intercepted a Riddle pass at the Phoenix 17-yard line and returned it to the three. After Elon’s defense stuffed the Bulldogs on three straight runs, The Citadel went for it on fourth-and-one at the one-yard line and Cooper barreled his way into the end zone. Adams knocked the point after through to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 advantage with 13:03 remaining in the second quarter.
Elon came right back to tie the game with a 66-yard, seven-play drive. Riddle scrambled into the end zone from seven yards out for the Phoenix score. Wilcox nailed the extra-point to tie the contest at 14.
The Bulldogs quickly answered with a scoring drive of their own. On a third-and-11 play from the Elon 49, Blanchard hit Tim Higgins down the middle and Higgins raced for the 49-yard score. Adams added the point after for a 21-14 lead.
The Phoenix cut into the lead with a 66-yard, nine-play drive. After driving to the eight-yard line, The Citadel defense was able to hold Elon out of the end zone after Riddle’s pass for Bo Williamson was incomplete on third-and-goal. Wilcox hit a 28-yard field goal to make it 21-17 with 4:31 remaining until halftime.
The Bulldogs added to their lead just before the half as they drove 62 yards in 11 plays. Cooper added his second one-yard touchdown run of the game to cap the drive and extend the Bulldog advantage. The touchdown broke the school’s single-season touchdown record at 17. The previous record of 16 was set in 1994 by Terrence Rivers. Adams hit the extra-point to make it 28-17 heading into the locker rooms.
Elon grabbed the momentum in the second half, scoring two touchdowns to take the lead back. The Phoenix’s third drive of the second half ended with a touchdown as after a 30-yard pass from Riddle to Hudgins put the Phoenix at the Bulldogs' 30, Riddle threw another 30-yard strike to Hudgins for the score. Wilcox’s extra-point made it 28-24.
Elon regained the lead with a 95-yard, eight-play drive on its next possession as Riddle beat the Bulldog blitz on a screen pass to Hudgins, who raced 43 yards for the score. Wilcox knocked the point after through to give the Phoenix a 31-28 edge with 3:09 left in the third quarter.
But it was all Bulldogs after that as they took the lead for good on their next possession. After a third-down pass from Blanchard to Alex Sellars put The Citadel at the Elon 10-yard line, Blanchard found Taylor Cornett on third-and-goal for a four-yard touchdown. Adams hit the extra-point for a 35-31 lead.
The Bulldog defense made a key stop on the next Elon possession. After driving to the Bulldog 10-yard line, Elon was stuffed on two straight runs to surrender the ball. Trevar Broughton and Dewitt Jones hit T.J. Clegg for a four-yard loss on fourth-and-two.
The Citadel took over and drove 86 yards in seven plays to put the game away. On third-and-one from the Bulldog 37, Blanchard hit Roberts with a pass down the sideline for a 50-yard gain to the Elon 13-yard line. Two plays later, Cooper ran it to paydirt from four yards out for his third score of the game. Adams’ extra-point made it 42-31 with 6:02 left in the contest.
The Phoenix made one more attempt to get back into the game, driving to the Bulldog 15-yard line. After a third-down pass attempt from Riddle to Clegg fell incomplete, Elon’s final hopes to get back into the contest ended after Rowell blocked a 32-yard field goal by Wilcox with 3:42 left.
“To win a championship and make the playoffs, you’ve got to be peaking in November and we haven’t done that,” Lembo said. “It’s important that we regroup and find a way to bounce back this week against a good Stony Brook team.”
The Phoenix will attempt to become the first Elon team to post a 7-4 record since 2000 when Stony Brook visits Rhodes Stadium at 3:30 p.m. next Saturday. The Citadel will look to cap its season by hanging onto the Silver Shako when it visits VMI at noon next Saturday in the annual Military Classic of the South.
–ELON–
