| #11 Elon Phoenix (4-2, 2-1) vs. Richmond Spiders (3-4, 1-3) |
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ELON, N.C. – Set for a three-game homestand, 11th-ranked Elon University football will welcome Richmond to Rhodes Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 20, for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. Throughout the game, Elon will celebrate the inauguration of its ninth president, Dr. Connie Ledoux Book. President Book's induction ceremony takes place Thursday, Oct. 18, inside Schar Center.
Fans can watch the game live on FOX Sports Go and FOX College Sports with Matt Janus and Ken Dunek on the call. For all viewing options, please
click here. Phoenix fans can also listen to the game exclusively through Phoenix All-Access and on the TuneIn app.
Taylor Durham will have the call with Matt Krause providing color analysis. Links to listen live can be found by visiting
elonphoenix.com/Live. Pregame coverage of Elon-Richmond is set to start at 12:30 p.m.
SATURDAY'S GAME IS...
-...the 973rd in program history.
-...the 222nd as a FCS program.
-...the ninth all-time between Elon and Richmond.
AN ELON WIN WOULD BE...
-...Elon's 507th in program history.
-...Elon's 95th as a FCS program.
-...Elon's second all-time over Richmond.
-...Elon's second in a row over Richmond.
-...
Curt Cignetti's 13th at Elon and 66th as head coach.
-...Elon's fifth-straight victory.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
8:30 a.m. – Parking lots open
11:00 a.m. – Phoenix Walk
12:00 p.m. – Ticket windows, bag check and gates open
12:00 p.m. – Phun Zone opens
1:15 p.m. – Fire of the Carolinas performs / National anthem
1:15 p.m. – Letterwinner's Lounge opens in the Walker Room of Alumni Field House
1:31 p.m. – Elon takes the field
1:35 p.m. – Kickoff vs. Richmond
BAG POLICY AT RHODES STADIUM
Elon University has implemented a policy for bags entering Rhodes Stadium. All bags entering the stadium will be checked before fans reach the ticket booths at the facility. Multiple lines will be available and there will be specific lines for fans entering with no bags.
The following items will be prohibited from Rhodes Stadium:
-Weapons
-Explosives
-Alcoholic beverages
-Artificial noise makers
-Outside food and beverages
-Smoking and tobacco products
-E-cigarettes
-Umbrellas
-Containers or coolers
-Flags on poles
-Bicycles, skateboards or rollerblades
-Pets (except service animals with proper documentation)
FOOTBALL GAME DAY
-For more information on ticketing, parking and directions to Rhodes Stadium, please visit the
Football Game Day web page.
GAME DAY PROGRAMS
-For the fourth-straight year, Elon will offer a digital game program that includes rosters, stats and video features. Make sure you are prepared for the game by utilizing the
digital program.
SERIES HISTORY
-The Phoenix and Spiders have met eight times to date going back to 1928. Richmond won the first seven games in the series, but the Phoenix earned its first win over UR last season with a 36-33 road victory over the sixth-ranked Spiders.
-Last season,
Malcolm Summers ran for 294 yards against Richmond, helping Elon engineer its second road win over a Top 10 program in as many seasons.
-Elon has battled Richmond six times since 2008 and Richmond has been ranked 16th or better in each of those six meetings. This year's contest marks the first time in that time frame Elon will battle an unranked Richmond squad.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
-Elon is ranked No. 11 in the STATS FCS poll and No. 11 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
-The CAA has seven teams ranked in both polls this week, including Elon, James Madison, Towson, Maine, Stony Brook, Rhode Island and Delaware.
-Elon has now been ranked for 16 consecutive games going back to Sept. 30, 2017, when Elon hosted Albany at Rhodes Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT
-Elon built a 10-0 lead in the first half on the road at Delaware, but the Blue Hens used three second-half touchdowns to overcome the deficit for a 28-16 win on Saturday, Oct. 13.
-The lone Phoenix touchdown of the day came when
Jaylan Thomas ran it in from nine yards out after
Jalen Greene hit
Cole Taylor on a 52-yard completion down the UD sideline for the longest passing play of the year for the Phoenix.
Skyler Davis provided the rest of Elon's offensive output, hitting all three of his attempted field goals.
-
Daniel Reid-Bennett stripped balls in the first half and
Tristen Cox fell on both loose balls.
Tyler Campbell also picked off a pass, giving Elon three takeaways in the first 30 minutes of the game.
NEARING 100
-Elon has played 98 games to date inside Rhodes Stadium with the 100th game set for Nov. 3 on homecoming weekend against Rhode Island.
-Rhodes Stadium opened Sept. 22, 2001, when Elon hosted North Carolina A&T. In all, Elon is 44-54 in the stadium.
ROAD WARRIORS
-In each of Elon's last nine road games, it has trailed at some point in the second half. In those nine games, Elon has won six of them.
-Over the course of the last three seasons, Elon has defeated a Top 10 program on the road in each campaign by beating No. 8 William & Mary 27-10 in 2016, No. 6 Richmond 36-33 in 2017 and now No. 2 James Madison 27-24 this year.
CAA HONORS
-After coming up with 11 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in the win over Furman,
McAllister Ingram was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 10. The 11 tackles set a new career high for the sophomore. On the second play of the game, Ingram stripped Furman quarterback Darren Grainger and
Greg Liggs, Jr. recovered the fumble and took it 22 yards for the game-opening score.
-With nine tackles, 4.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks,
Marcus Willoughby was named Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 1. In all, Willoughby was one tackle short of tying his career high, but his 4.5 tackles for loss nearly doubled his previous career high of 2.5. He helped set a tone for the rest of the defensive unit that allowed just 46 yards and zero points in the second half.
-After the win over No. 2 James Madison,
Malcolm Summers was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week and
Zack Monson was tabbed CAA Rookie of the Week. Summers ran for 186 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown run of 59 yards to mark a career-long for the senior. Monson, who was making his first-career start, made 12 tackles and had 2.0 tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks.
PRESEASON SELECTIONS
-Linebacker
Warren Messer and offensive lineman
CJ Toogood were picked to the 2018 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference team in July.
-Messer was named First Team All-CAA Football after the 2018 season while picking up a pair of Second Team All-America honors after recording 114 tackles, including 11.0 for loss and 5.5 sacks.
-Toogood, a Second Team All-CAA Football selection a season ago, helped Elon's rushing attack finish fourth in the league and 56th in the nation with 164.5 rushing yards per game. Overall, Elon's O-line group helped the Phoenix rank fourth in the league with 23 sacks allowed.
-In the preseason poll, Elon was picked fifth and received one first-place vote. A year ago, the Phoenix was picked 11th and closed the season third while playing for a share of the CAA regular-season title on the final day of the regular campaign against No. 1 James Madison.
HEAD COACH CURT CIGNETTI
-Elon is under the leadership of
Curt Cignetti who was named the program's 22nd head football coach on Dec. 31, 2016.
-The assistant coach/recruiting coordinator on Nick Saban's undefeated 2009 National Championship team at Alabama, Cignetti previously spent six seasons as the head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, amassing a record of 53-17.
-Cignetti is the sixth man to guide the Phoenix since the program moved to Division I play for the 1999 season.
THE FAMILY BUSINESS
-Elon's second-year head coach
Curt Cignetti grew up around football. His father Frank compiled a career 199-77-1 record as a collegiate head coach at West Virginia and IUP and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. His brother, Frank Jr., is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers.
FOR MORE...
-...information about this week's game, visit the game notes in the information box at the top of the page.
UP NEXT
-With the open date on the schedule next Saturday, Oct. 27, the Phoenix will be back in action Nov. 3 for homecoming against Rhode Island. Kickoff against the Rams is set for 1:30 p.m. Last year, Elon beat Rhode Island 35-34 with
Warren Messer sealing the win thanks to his last-minute interception.
– ELON –
