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ELON, N.C. – The visiting, eighth-ranked Appalachian State Mountaineers erased a 21-point first quarter deficit, taking their first and only lead of the game with 11:14 remaining in the fourth quarter en route to a 28-24 victory over the Elon Phoenix at Rhodes Stadium in the regular-season finale.

The win improved ASU to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Southern Conference.  The Phoenix ends its 2011 season with an overall mark of 5-6 and a 3-5 record in SoCon play.

Junior Aaron Mellette pulled in 14 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown to finish the season with 1,639 yards to set a new Elon single-season record.  He surpassed the mark of 1,633 yards set by Terrell Hudgins in 2009.  Mellette posted nine 100-yard receiving outputs on the year.

“We were ready to play this game and it showed in the first half,” said Elon head coach Jason Swepson.  “We made a lot of good plays in all three phases of the game.  We came out in the second half, and just didn’t play well.  I felt like we had an opportunity to win that game, but came out just short to a top-10 team.”

The day started off well for the Phoenix as Olufemi Lamikanra recovered an Appalachian State fumble at the Mountaineers’ 35-yard line to give Elon prime field position.  The drive began with a 20-yard dash by #A.J. Harris# to the 15, but the ASU defense forced a 27-yard field goal attempt.  On the try, the Mountaineers lined up offside and the five-yard penalty gave Elon a first-and-goal at the five.  Two plays later, Thomas Wilson lofted a pass to the back right corner of the end zone where Rasaun Rorie hauled in the first touchdown reception of his career with 6:52 to go in the first quarter.

Elon again received great field position after a poor Mountaineer punt was downed at the ASU 43.  After the Phoenix picked up a first down at the 31, Wilson went deep to Mellette, who made the grab and raced the distance into the end zone for the 12th time this season as the Phoenix built a 14-0 lead with just under five minutes to play in the first period.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Chandler Wrighenberry intercepted a Jamal Jackson pass at the Elon 44-yard line to give the ball back to the maroon and gold.  On second-and-10, Harris collected a screen pass and took it 17 yards into ASU territory for a first down.  Two plays later, Wilson connected with Mellette again for a 32-yard gain to the four-yard line.  Dontay Taylor took the handoff on the next play and fought his way into the end zone for his ninth score of the year as Elon stretched its advantage to 21-0.

On second-and-nine from their own 41, Jackson found Brian Quick for a 41-yard completion as the Mountaineers moved the ball to the Elon 18.  On second-and-goal from the 18, Quick leaped up at the goal line to snare a Jackson pass and fell into the end zone to get Appalachian State on the board on what was the final play of the first quarter.

After forcing an Elon punt, the Mountaineers marched 70 yards on nine plays to pull within a touchdown at 21-14 with 8:58 to go in the half.  ASU gained 21 yards on a pass to Quick to get near midfield.  After back-to-back completions to Andrew Peacock moved the ball to the Elon 27, Jackson ran for nine yards to the 18 and first down.  On second-and-goal from the six, Jackson tossed to Travaris Cadet who got in for the score.

Elon got the ball back with just under five minutes to go in the half and drove 66 yards before Adam Shreiner drilled a 24-yard field goal to up the Phoenix lead to 24-14. 

ASU began its second drive of the second half at the Elon 44 following a punt.  The Mountaineers moved to the Elon 25 where they faced a third-and-four.  Jackson dropped back and fired a pass to Ben Jorden for a five-yard gain to move the chains.  A 10-yard completion to Peacock set up a first-and-goal at the nine before Jackson found Quick for a TD toss as ASU pulled within a field goal, 24-21, with 6:11 to go in the third quarter.

The Mountaineers recovered an Elon fumble at the Phoenix 30-yard line and scored five plays later When Jackson found a crossing Steven Miller from five yards out.  The PAT put ASU on top 28-24 with 11:14 to play, the first lead of the day for the Mountaineers.

Elon got the ball back with 2:38 to play at its own 14-yard line.  Wilson completed four consecutive passes, including two to Mellette for 45 yards, to move Elon to the ASU 18.  On fourth-and-five from the 13, Wilson went across the middle toward Jeremy Peterson, but Jeremy Kimbrough leaped high in the air to deflect the pass and snuff out Elon’s promising drive.

Elon's Wilson completed 30 of his 43 passes for 344 yards and two scores.  On defense, Joshua Jones made a team-high 11 stops, finishing the year with 112 takedowns.  His 343 career tackles rank as the fifth-most ever in Elon history.

Jackson threw a career-high four touchdown passes and completed 26 passes for 284 yards.  Quick ended the day with 11 grabs for 150 yards and matched the program’s single-season record with his seventh 100-yard game of the season.