Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Aaron Mellette caught 11 balls for 180 yards while Thomas Wilson threw for a career-high 233 yards and a score, but it was not enough as the Elon Phoenix dropped its 2011 opener by a 45-14 margin to Southeastern Conference opponent Vanderbilt on Saturday night.

Elon (0-1) outgained the Commodores (1-0) in total yardage by a 323-309 margin and held a 35:30-24:30 edge in time of possession on the night and The Phoenix found itself down just 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

"I think this was valuable experience for this young team, to play in this SEC environment," said Elon head coach Jason Swepson.

After the two teams traded punts on their first possessions, Elon began its second drive of the game from its own 21. Wilson promptly hit Mellette for a 20-yard gain through the air. On third-and-five, Wilson rushed for a seven-yard gain. On second down, Wilson hit #A.J. Harris# for a 14-yard pick up and another first down. Three plays later, Wilson was stripped of the ball and Vanderbilt recovered at its own 33.

Casey Hayward looked like he would be taken down for a loss of the first play of the drive for the Commodores, but he escaped and picked up 23 yards before being forced out at the Elon 44. On third-and-one from the 35, Zac Stacy was dropped for a four-yard loss, setting up a fourth-and-five. The Commodores were able to convert and keep the drive alive when Larry Smith hit an open Brandon Barden for 14 yards to the Elon 25. Vanderbilt then faced another third-and-long before Smith hit Jordan Matthews for a 10-yard pick-up and another first down. Smith then hit Fritz Lassing who found his way into the end zone for a 15-yard score as the Commodores took the 7-0 lead. The drive went 67 yards on nine plays.

The Phoenix answered with a 13-play, 90-yard drive that was capped by a one-yard plunge from Dontay Taylor to even the score at seven with 11:00 left in the first half. On third-and-five from its own 15, Wilson drilled a slanting Darrius McQueen for a gain of six to keep the drive going. Elon moved the ball to the 40 after Wilson found Mellette for 21 yards on the last play of the first quarter. On second down, the duo of Wilson and Mellette teamed up for 12 yards and another first down. Once to the Vandy 30, Mellette caught another ball and picked up 27 yards to set up the first-and-goal. Three plays later, Taylor dove in to tie the contest.

Smith engineered a six-play, 76-yard drive in just 2:40 to put Vanderbilt back in front. On second-and-one at their own 33, Smith completed a deep pass along the Vanderbilt sideline to Matthews for 44 yards to the Elon 23. The Phoenix looked like it was going to make Vanderbilt settle for a field goal, but the Commodores went for it on a fourth-and-three from the Elon 16 before Smith faked a handoff up the middle and ran outside for the go-ahead score.

The lead quickly reached 21-7 when Wilson’s first pass of the drive was picked off by Trey Wilson who returned it 21 yards for a touchdown.

Elon looked to cut into its deficit before halftime with a drive that started on its own 29. After the Phoenix had moved out to its 41, Wilson lobbed a pass deep down the Elon sideline for Mellette, who hauled it in despite being grabbed, for a 27-yard completion. On the next play, Mellette ran the ball for nine yards to set up a second-and-one at the Vanderbilt 23. Harris grabbed the screen pass from Wilson and advanced to the Commodores’ 14. On third down, Mellette caught his eighth pass of the night, this one gaining nine yards to the five. The Phoenix lined up to go for it on fourth-and-one, but a false start penalty sent the kicking team onto the field. Adam Shreiner’s 27-yard attempt from the right hash missed right and Elon went into the half down two touchdowns.

Wilson passed for a career-best 169 yards after completing 12 of his 17 pass attempts in the first half. Mellette’s 133 receiving yards gave him the seventh 100-yard receiving game of his career.

After forcing Vanderbilt to punt on its first possession of the second half, Elon took over at the Commodores’ 49 thanks to a penalty. The Phoenix quickly covered the 49 yards for a TD to pull within seven at 21-14. On second-and-10, Wilson found freshman Andre Davis for 17 yards. The next play saw the quarterback find Mellette yet again, this one going for 32 yards and a score.

Aided by its third fourth down conversion of the night, Vanderbilt marched 55 yards to go back on top by two scores. On fourth-and-one, Micah Powell took a pitch around the right end for four yards. Two plays later, Jerron Seymour went up the middle for 14 yards and a first down at the Elon 28. Vanderbilt faced a third-and-four from the 22 when a pass interference penalty gave the Commodores a first down at the 17. Elon gave up just one more yard before Carey Spear came on to kick a 33-yard field goal to make it a 24-14 game with 7:53 to play in the third quarter.

Vanderbilt stretched its edge to 31-14 on its first drive of the fourth quarter. After getting the ball at the Elon 37, the Commodores faced a third-and-13 from the 40 before a Phoenix penalty moved the ball to the 35. Smith made Elon pay for the miscue by hitting Barden for an 11-yard gain and what was just the second third down conversion for the team on the night. A 13-yard rush set up a first down at the 11 before Smith hit Chris Boyd in the end zone for the score.

The second Vanderbilt interception of the night set the Commodores up at the Elon 23. Vanderbilt wasted no time turning it into a score as Wesley Tate took the reverse 23 yards for the score as the Phoenix deficit was stretched to 38-14 with 11:45 remaining in the game.

Vanderbilt tacked on another seven when Jordan Rodgers found Boyd for a 30-yard touchdown strike with 9:12 left.

On defense, Elon's Joshua Jones led the team with seven total tackles, including two stops for a loss.  He also tallied two quarterback hurries.  Jonathan Spain notched the lone sack of the game for the Phoenix.

The Phoenix will return home next weekend to take on the Concord Mountain Lions in a 7 p.m. contest. The four members of the 2011 Elon Sports Hall of Fame class will be recognized at halftime.