ELON, N.C. -- With its fifth consecutive winning season on the line, the Elon Phoenix football team will play host to the eighth-ranked Appalachian State Mountaineers in a 3 p.m. game on Saturday afternoon.  Elon (5-5, 3-4 SoCon) is coming off of a 41-34 victory over 17th-ranked Furman last week.  ASU visits Rhodes Stadium with a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 league mark.

Site: Elon, N.C.
Stadium: Rhodes Stadium
Surface: Natural Grass
Capacity: 11.250
Radio: WPCM 920 AM – David Hibbard (play-by-play) and Taylor Durham (color)
TV: PBS (SoCon TV)
Series: Elon trails 9-29-1

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Did you Know?
• The Elon defense has 16 sacks through 10 games, besting the team total from 2010 by three.
• Nine of Elon’s last 19 games have been decided by eight points or less.  The Phoenix has won six of those nine.
• Elon has had four consecutive winning seasons, a first for the program since a stretch of nine straight winning years from 1980-88.

Connections
• Two members of Appalachian State’s coaching staff have also served as members of the football staff at Elon.  Mark Speir was at Elon from 2000-02, serving as the recruiting coordinator and coaching running backs and the defensive line in that time.  Brad Glenn was Elon’s tight ends coach in 2001.

The Coaches
• Elon’s Jason Swepson is in his first season as a collegiate head coach. He has gone 5-5 this season.
• Appalachian’s Jerry Moore has compiled a career record of 233-130-2 in 29+ seasons.  This is his 23rd year with the Mountaineers where he has gone 206-82.

Notable Numbers From Furman
6 - Consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving by Aaron Mellette.  He has 14 career 100 yard games.

13 - Total tackles by linebacker Joshua Jones, the sixth 11+ tackle game of the season for the senior.

31 - Carries by #A.J. Harris#, matching a career-high.  Harris finished with 111 yards on the ground.

101 - Jones’ tackles on the season following the win, the first 100-plus tackle season of his career.

With a Win...
...The Phoenix would secure its fifth consecutive winning season.
...Jason Swepson would pick up the sixth win of his career.
...Elon would claim its 483rd victory in program history.

Oh Captain, My Captain
At the start of preseason camp, the Elon players, coaches and support staff voted on the 2011 team captains. Selected were senior offensive linemen Rodney Austin and Ned Cuthbertson, senior linebacker Joshua Jones and junior defensive back Blake Thompson.

Rookie Coach
New Elon head coach Jason Swepson is the 20th coach in the history of the program. It is Swepson’s first head coaching job. Now in his 20th season as a collegiate coach, Swepson spent the previous four seasons as the running backs coach at North Carolina State.

Here is a look at how the 20 Elon coaches fared in their first campaigns at the helm of the maroon and gold:

Coach (Season) Record
Reddie Rowe (1909) 4-1
Jack Johnson (1919) 1-2
Frank Corboy (1920) 3-4
A.R. VanCleave (1926) 0-10
D.C. “Peahead” Walker (1927) 3-4-1
Horace Hendrickson (1937) 7-1
Hap Perry (1946) 4-5-1
James Mallory (1948) 4-5-1
Sid Varney (1953) 1-6-1
George Tucker (1960) 4-6
Gary Mattocks (1965) 2-8
“Red” Wilson (1967) 5-3-1
Jerry Tolley (1977) 9-2
Wright Anderson (1982) 7-3
Mackey Carden (1984) 7-3
Leon Hart (1989) 1-9
Al Seagraves (1996) 4-7
Paul Hamilton (2004) 3-8
Pete Lembo (2006) 5-6
Jason Swepson (2011) 5-5

Mellette Added to Walter Payton Award Watch List
A standout season by Elon junior wide receiver Aaron Mellette has landed him a spot on the Walter Payton Award Watch List.

Mellette has caught a touchdown in all but one of Elon’s 10 games this season.  He currently ranks second in the FCS with 99 receptions, first in the country with 1,403 receiving yards and rates 17th nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 146.10 yards per contest.

Mellette is one of just three wide receivers on the 20-member watch list.  He is also one of just three SoCon players on the list.

Elon has had at least one player finish in the top 20 of the Payton Award voting in each of the past four seasons.

Sit Tight
Elon has been in a number of tightly contested games over the past two seasons.  In fact, of the last 19 tilts, nine have been decided by seven points or fewer.  The Phoenix has gone 6-3 in those games.

Sacked Out
The scheme of new defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham has led to increased pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2011.  Through 10 games the Phoenix has amassed 16 sacks and 73 tackles for a loss.  The 2010 squad finished the year with 13 sacks and 51 tackles for a loss.  Elon is currently on pace for 18 sacks and 80 tackles for a loss.

Opening Statement
A year ago Elon was definitely a first half team as the Phoenix outscored its opponents by a margin of 197-139, including 83-38 in the first quarter.  Elon headed into halftime trailing in just three games in 2010.

In 2011, Elon has been outscored by its foes 182-122 in the first 30 minutes and has trailed eight times (at Vanderbilt, vs. The Citadel, vs. Georgia Southern, at Western Carolina, at Samford, vs. UTC, at Wofford, at Furman) at the break.

A Tough Start
In 11 games in 2010, Elon allowed an opponent to score on its opening drive on just three occasions.  The teams to accomplish it were Duke, Appalachian State and Chattanooga.

Elon’s 10 opponents in 2011 have combined for three scores on their first possession.  Samford scored a field goal on its first drive of the game while Wofford and Furman found the end zone for a TD on their first drive.  Two of the 10 foes have gone three-and-out on their opening drive of the game.

Mellette In SoCon Top 10
In only his junior season, wide receiver Aaron Mellette has moved into the SoCon’s top 10 all-time touchdown reception leaders.  Mellette hauled in two TD passes at Furman to up his career total to 25 and move into a tie for sixth in league history.  He finished that game with 144 receiving yards, the 14th 100-yard game of his career which is fifth in the history of the league.

Tackling Machine
Senior linebacker Joshua Jones has amassed a team-leading 88 total tackles through nine games.  Of those, 49 have been of the solo variety. 

Against Georgia Southern, Jones finished with a career-best 13 tackles and notched six solo stops for the third time on the year.  He was named an honorable mention choice as College Football Performance Awards’ Linebacker of the Week.

Jones has also worked his way onto Elon’s career tackles chart.  His 332 total stops rank fifth in program history and are the third-most by a Phoenix player since the move to NCAA Division I play.

Four Straight
With its 41-34 win at Furman, Elon posted its fourth consecutive victory over the Paladins.  Each of the last three have been tightly contested games with the largest margin of victory being just seven points.  Elon began the streak with a 31-10 decision in 2008.  Furman’s last win over the Phoenix was a 52-49 game in 2007.

Running Hard
In Elon’s victory over 17th-ranked Furman, the Phoenix ran for 163 yards, the most for the maroon and gold against a Division I foe this season.  Leading the way was senior #A.J. Harris# who matched a career-high with 31 carries that gained 111 yards.  It was the first individual 100-yard rushing game for an Elon player this season and the fourth of Harris’ career.

Pick Six Leads to POW
In the fourth quarter of Elon’s win at Furman, senior linebacker Joshua Jones picked off a pass and returned it 40 yards for a score.  It was the second pick-six of Jones’ career and the second of the season for Elon.  This is the first time since 2006 that the maroon and gold has had multiple interceptions returned for TDs.  In 2006, the Phoenix did it four times.  Jones also had 13 tackles (4.0 TFL) and was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week.

Another POW
Junior quarterback Thomas Wilson also picked up SoCon honors after the Furman game.  Wilson was named the league’s offensive player of the week after throwing for a career-high four touchdowns in the win.  He completed 20 of his 26 pass attempts for 279 yards.

Driving 99
Elon put together a 17-play, 99-yard drive that ate up 7:19 off the clock and was capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Dontay Taylor early in the fourth quarter against Chattanooga.  The last 99-yard drive for the Phoenix came on Nov. 8, 2008 when 11th-ranked Elon drove the length of the field in a 33-14 win over Western Carolina.  The second quarter drive went 99 yards on 11 plays and took 5:04 to complete.  It ended when Scott Riddle completed a three-yard TD pass to Lance Camp to go up 10-0.

Peterson With a TD Grab
Jeremy Peterson’s touchdown catch against Chattanooga was the first of the year for the junior who missed the first three games of the season with an injury.  It was his first TD catch since last year’s game at Georgia Southern (Sept. 25).  Against UTC, Peterson matched his career-high with nine catches.

TD Streak Snapped
Wide receiver Aaron Mellette saw his streak of games with a touchdown catch halted at eight when he failed to find the end zone against Chattanooga.  In that contest, he did make eight catches for 107 yards, the fourth consecutive 100-yard performance for the junior and the 12th of his career.

Since then, Mellette has posted four TDs in two games.

Record-Setter
Against Samford, quarterback Thomas Wilson attempted 60 passes, completing 35.  The 60 attempts marked an Elon single-game record.  The previous mark of 55 was first set by Heath Hewitt against Catawba in 1990 and later matched by Scott Riddle at Richmond in 2010.

Good From 50
Junior kicker Adam Shreiner made his lone field goal attempt at Samford, but it was a big one.  With just nine seconds remaining in the first half, Shreiner connected from 50 yards out.  With the career-long kick, Shreiner became just the fourth Elon kicker to ever hit from 50 or more yards.  Three previous kickers were good from 52 yards on four occasions – Mitch Rippy vs. Gardner-Webb in 1977, Phil Renn vs. Presbyterian in 1982 and Paul Mullen at Presbyterian in 1985 and again vs. Presbyterian in 1986.  The 50-yarder was also the second-longest in Samford’s Seibert Stadium history.

Blocked Again
Freshman Gary Coates recorded his third blocked punt in two games when he knifed through and got a hand on a Samford punt in the third quarter.  The block was picked up by #A.J. Harris# who returned it 16 yards for a touchdown.  It was the second blocked punt returned for a TD by Harris this season and the third of his career.

Six in a Row
Elon’s 38-31 victory over Western Carolina improved the maroon and gold to 23-16-2 all-time against the Catamounts.  The Phoenix has now won six consecutive games in the series.

Doubling Up
In the win at Western Carolina, the Phoenix defense forced four turnovers.  That doubled the amount of turnovers created by the maroon and gold on the year.  Elon picked off the Catamounts three times and recovered one fumble.

A Day of Firsts
Red-shirt freshman linebacker Jonathan Spain made his first career start a memorable one.  In the win at Western Carolina, Spain made a personal-best six tackles, intercepted his first pass and recovered the first fumble of his career.

True freshman Gary Coates also made his presence felt as he blocked two punts in the first quarter of the game.  They were the first blocked punts of his career and gave the Phoenix three on the season.

Welcome Back Jeremy
The Phoenix welcomed wide receiver Jeremy Peterson back to the lineup for the first time this season in its 18-15 win against The Citadel and the junior did not disappoint.  Peterson set career highs with nine receptions and 88 receiving yards in the OT victory.

Legging it Out
Elon’s Adam Shreiner banged home a career-best four field goals, including the overtime game-winner, in the Phoenix’s 18-15 win over The Citadel.  Shreiner connected on field goals of 25, 19, 36 and 33 yards.  The four field goals were one shy of the Elon single-game record of five accomplished twice by Andrew Wilcox (against Georgia Southern in both 2007 and 2008).  Shreiner was honored as the SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week.

Winning SoCon Opener
Elon defeated The Citadel 18-15 in overtime to win its Southern Conference opener for just the third time in its nine seasons in the league.  All three have come in the last four seasons.

Dynamic Duo
Elon quarterback Thomas Wilson connected with wide receiver Aaron Mellette on 16 pass attempts in the win at North Carolina Central.  The 16 completions went for 237 yards and one touchdown.

The 237 receiving yards for Mellette are the most by an Elon receiver since the move to NCAA Division I play for the 1999 season.  It was the fourth 200+ yard receiving game for an Elon wide out since 1999.  The other three were all by Terrell Hudgins who finished his career as the all-time receiving leader in NCAA Division I history.  For the second time this season, Mellette earned co-National Wide Receiver of the Week honors from College Football Performance Awards.  He was also chosen as the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week.

Wilson’s 416 passing yards (on 34 completions) tied for the 19th-best passing performance in SoCon history with former Elon QB Scott Riddle.  Riddle tossed for 416 yards vs. Samford last season.

4th Quarter Comebacks
Quarterback Thomas Wilson has made 11 career starts and has guided five fourth quarter comebacks for the Phoenix.

In his first career start, Elon trailed The Citadel 16-14 entering the final 15 minutes, but Wilson led two scoring drives in the period as the Phoenix won 27-16.

His second came at N.C. Central this year.  The Phoenix fell behind 22-17 before  Wilson led the team to the game-winning touchdown and a 23-22 victory.  The second this season came against The Citadel as Elon trailed 15-12 in the fourth quarter before rallying for an 18-15 overtime victory.  The next came when Elon and Western Carolina were deadlocked at 31 with 4:05 left in the fourth quarter in a game the Phoenix won 38-31.  The latest came at Furman when the teams entered the final 15 minutes even at 20.  The Phoenix then scored 21 points to win 41-34.

Bitten by the Turnover Bug
Elon’s victory over North Carolina Central was impressive if for no other reason than the Phoenix overcame five turnovers.  The five TOs were the most for the team since turning the ball over six times against Wofford on Oct. 9, 2004 in a loss.

Elon has turned the ball over 33 times while creating 12 takeaways for a -21 turnover margin this year.

Where's the Oxygen?
In the fourth quarter of Elon’s victory over Concord, senior defensive back Jonathan Conner snared the first interception of his career.  Conner made it a memorable one by returning the pick 99 yards for a touchdown.  It was the second-longest interception return in program history, falling one yard shy of the 100-yard return by Roosevelt Brooks against Mars Hill in 1991.  It was the longest interception return in Rhodes Stadium history.  For his efforts, Conner was selected as the national defensive player of the week by FCS Football Network and was an honorable mention Defensive Back Performer of the Week by College Football Performance Awards.

Here is a list of the top five interception returns in Elon history:

1. Roosevelt Brooks - 100 vs. Mars Hill (10.12.91)
2. Jonathan Conner - 99 vs. Concord (09.10.11)
3. Tim Woodle - 97 at Presbyterian (10.14.89)
4. Carroll Reid - 93 at Emory & Henry (09.15.51)
5. Laconial Esters - 92 at Catawba (10.22.88)

Score on the Block
For the second time in his career, Elon running back #A.J. Harris# returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.  Harris grabbed the ball and brought it back 11 yards for a score in the win over Concord on Sept. 10.  His first came in 2009 when he returned the ball 35 yards for a score in a win over Chattanooga.

Mellette Catches Passes, Hauls in Honors
Junior wide receiver Aaron Mellette had a stellar performance against Vanderbilt. The Sanford, N.C. native caught 11 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown. He also carried twice for another 12 yards. For his efforts, Mellette was recognized as the co-National Wide Receiver of the Week by College Football Performance Awards.

Solid O
The Elon offense had a solid night in the opener at Vanderbilt. The Phoenix compiled 323 yards of total offense, besting the Commodores by 14 yards. Elon also held an edge in time of possession (35:30-24:30) on the night.

Return to the End Zone
Senior running back Dontay Taylor scored the first touchdown of the season for the Phoenix, a one-yard plunge at Vanderbilt. The score ended a drought for Taylor who had last run into the end zone in a two-touchdown performance against Presbyterian on Sept. 13, 2008.

Home Cooking
In 2010, the Phoenix went 4-1 at Rhodes Stadium, outscoring its home foes 175-112 (35.0-22.4). Elon averaged 478.6 yards per game in Rhodes Stadium and allowed an average of 331.4 yards per game.

The Phoenix is 2-2 at home this year, being outscored 108-92.  Elon put up 1,448 (362.0 per game) yards of offense compared to 1,271 (317.8 per game) for its foes.

Since 2007, Elon has gone 19-7 (.731) in the confines of Rhodes Stadium.