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ELON, N.C. – With the 2017 Elon football season approaching, get to know the Phoenix's upcoming opponents with our preview series. Elon's home opener comes in week three as the maroon and gold welcomes Charleston Southern to Rhodes Stadium.
 
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN BUCCANEERS
 
Location: North Charleston, S.C.
Home stadium: Buccaneer Field
Conference: Big South Conference
2016 record: 7-4
2016 conference record/finish: 4-1 (T-1st)
2016 Postseason: FCS First Round
All-Time series: Elon leads 4-0
Head coach: Mark Tucker (1st season)
Letterwinners returning/lost: N/A
Offensive/Defensive starters returning: N/A
Top returning offensive players: 
• QB Shane Bucenell (67-113 passing, 1,100 yards, 15 TD, 6 INT, 59.3 completion pct., 88 carries, 325 yards, 3.7 ypc, 4 TD, 36.1 ypg)
• QB Robert Mitchell (14-43 passing, 265 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, 32.6 completion pct., 46 carries, 260 yards, 5.7 ypc, 5 TD, 32.5 ypg)
• WR Kameron Brown (27 rec., 540 yards, 6 TD, 20.0 ypc, 49.1 ypg)
Top returning defensive players: 
• LB Solomon Brown (34 ua, 36 at, 70 total tackles, 14.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 7 PBU, 1 FF)
• LB Zane Cruz (25 ua, 24 at, 49 total tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR)
• DL Anthony Ellis (26 ua, 19 at, 45 total tackles, 16.0 TFL, 7.0 sacks, 2 FF)

2017 Schedule
Sept. 2 at Mississippi State
Sept. 9 at South Carolina State
Sept. 16 at Elon
Sept. 23 vs. Point
Sept. 30 vs. Mississippi Valley
Oct. 14 at Presbyterian
Oct. 21 vs. Savannah State
Oct. 28 vs. Monmouth
Nov. 4 at Gardner-Webb
Nov. 11 at Kennesaw State
Nov. 18 vs. Liberty
 
A Glance at the Buccaneers
First-year head coach Mark Tucker will guide Charleston Southern in 2017. Tucker was elevated to CSU's head coach after serving as the team's quarterbacks coach during the most successful four-year run in program history. In that span, the Bucs won two Big South Conference titles and made two FCS playoff appearances.

Charleston Southern's offense churned out an average of 33.0 points and 409.5 yards per game during the 2016 season. Of that yardage, the Bucs averaged 266.5 yards on the ground and 142.9 yards through the air. The offense returns first-team All-Big South offensive lineman Frank Cirone along with second-team wide receiver Kameron Brown.

The Bucs defense returns the 2016 Big South Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference honoree Anthony Ellis, a defensive lineman who had 45 tackles a year ago. He also finished with 16.0 tackles for a loss, including 7.0 sacks, and had eight quarterback hurries. The unit also welcomes back first-team all-conference linebacker Solomon Brown and second team linebacker Zane Cruz. That duo combined for 119 tackles, including 20.0 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. Charleston Southern allowed 22.2 points and 294.1 yards per game a year ago. The group rated seventh in total offense and 25th in scoring defense in the country.

The 2016 Charleston Southern squad finished with a 7-4 overall record and ranked as high as 14th in the national polls at the conclusion of the season. The Bucs opened the year with an overtime loss at #1 North Dakota State and was just 1-2 following a loss at Florida State. From there, CSU reeled off four straight wins, including a 59-58 overtime decision at #14 Coastal Carolina, before a league setback against Gardner-Webb. Wins over #24 Liberty and #22 Kennesaw State finished off the regular season before the Bucs dropped a 15-14 game in the first round of the FCS playoffs at #19 Wofford.
 
Matchup
Elon and Charleston Southern met for four straight seasons from 1999-2002 with the maroon and gold coming out victorious in each contest. The series began with a 38-13 Elon win at Burlington Memorial Stadium on Oct. 30, 1999. The Phoenix picked up a 21-13 win at Charleston Southern in the most recent meeting on Nov. 16, 2002. This year's game will see the second game of the series played at Rhodes Stadium. The other was a 39-16 Elon win on Oct. 27, 2001.