KINGSTON, R.I. – Five takeaways on the afternoon with three Greg Liggs, Jr. interceptions and 31 second-half points helped Elon University football to a come-from-behind 38-13 victory over Rhode Island at Meade Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 26.
 
With the victory, Elon has now scored at least 38 points in each of its three CAA wins this year. Before the three in 2019, it had reached more than 38 points in a contest just once in a conference game since the 2012 season. It came last season in Elon's 38-28 victory over Richmond. Before this season, it had reached 38 points in a game twice since that 2012 season with the other occasion being a 49-7 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan in 2013.  
 
THE RUNDOWN
Leading by one at the break, Elon (4-4, 3-2 CAA) put points on the board in each of its first five drives of the second half to break away from URI (1-7, 0-5 CAA), scoring 28 unanswered points after going down 13-10 midway through the quarter. Skyler Davis opened the second half with a 41-yard field goal, and Elon's ensuing drive after the lone Rhode Island touchdown saw De'Sean McNair plunge in from one yard out to go up 17-13 with 4:02 to go in the quarter. Up by four with Liggs intercepting his second pass of the day and nearly returning it for his second pick-six of the season, his return set Elon up at the URI 3 and Joey Baughman came on to run it in from three yards out to complete a 14-point swing in a span of 62 seconds to lead 24-13.

Early in the fourth with the Phoenix defense quickly ending URI's next drive, Baughman entered on third-and-three early in the fourth quarter and broke through the left side of the line to break a career-long 67-yard touchdown run that put Elon up 31-13. Brelynd Cyphers capped the scoring a drive later with a one-yard carry after De'Sean McNair broke a big rush through multiple would-be tacklers to setup the score.
 
The offensive explosion came after the Phoenix mustered 97 yards of offense in the first half. Elon's only points of the opening 30 minutes were setup by Ty Sponseller falling on a fumble on the second play of the game to set Elon up on the URI 25. On Elon's first offensive play from scrimmage, Davis Cheek hit Avery Jones in stride and Jones bobbled the ball while keeping his momentum downfield on the way to securing the catch and diving into the end zone for the touchdown.
 
Though the Elon offense chipped away at the URI (1-7, 0-5 CAA) defense throughout the opening half, the defense and special teams units forced two more turnovers in the first half as Liggs came away with an interception at midfield and Shamari Wingard fell on a muffled punt to keep Elon in control before Liggs intercepted two more passes in the second half.
 
STATISTICS
Passing
Elon: Davis Cheek – 11/20, 148 yards, 1 touchdown
Rhode Island: Vito Priore – 23/47, 211 yards, 3 interceptions
 
Rushing
Elon: De'Sean McNair – 17 carries, 85 yards, 1 touchdown
Rhode Island: Naim Jones – 9 carries, 72 yards
 
Receiving
Elon: Cole Taylor – 4 receptions, 96 yards
Rhode Island: Aaron Parker – 3 receptions, 52 yards
 
Defense
Elon: Greg Liggs, Jr. – 2 tackles, 3 interceptions
Rhode Island: Branyan Javier-Castillo – 11 tackles, 7 solo, 2.5 TFL
 
NOTES
-Liggs, second-quarter interception marked his fifth of the season, setting a new career high. It also set the program's Division I record for interceptions in a career. With his two in the second half, he went on to set the squads' Division I record for most in a single season.
-Elon's offense has now scored 66 points over the course of the last two second halves against Delaware and Rhode Island after mustering 14 points in the first quarters against UD and URI.
-In scoring on each of its first five offensive possessions of the second half, Elon put together a streak of 10 second-half possessions in a row over the course of the last two games in which it put points on the board. Nine of those 10 possessions went for touchdowns.
-Entering the game, URI's passing offense ranked fifth in the nation. Elon held it to just 211 yards on 47 pass attempts.
 
UP NEXT
Elon will stay home at Rhodes Stadium each of the next two weeks with contests on Nov. 2 against William & Mary and Nov. 9 against Maine. Both games are set to kick at 2 p.m. on FloSports. Tickets to both games are available by clicking here.