Elon, N.C. - Both Elon and New Hampshire have positioned themselves for a run at a CAA Football Championship as the two programs meet Saturday at 1:00 p.m. inside Rhodes Stadium. The game can be seen live on FloSports, while the audio broadcast from Tellier Lundquist and Chase Williams is available for free via The Varsity Network app.

Both Elon and New Hampshire are 3-3 overall and 2-1 in CAA Football play but they have gotten there in vastly different ways. Elon is on a two-game win streak entering the contest, while New Hampshire has lost three straight, getting outscored 138-49 during this recent stretch.

Elon and New Hampshire are among a group of six CAA Football schools with just one conference loss heading into the weekend. Those six schools are chasing 3-0 Villanova for the regular season crown.

Following a win over Richmond, Elon has earned votes for three straight weeks in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Top 25 poll. New Hampshire has been ranked for much of the year.

New Hampshire holds a 5-1 lead in the all-time series, including a 2-1 mark in Rhodes Stadium. The Phoenix picked up its lone victory in 2018, a 30-9 win. That was, however, the last meeting between these two programs in Elon.
 

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FULL GAME NOTES

Media Central

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TONY TRISCIANI IN YEAR THREE LEADING THE PHOENIX
• On Dec. 17, 2018, Tony Trisciani was named the 23rd head football coach in Elon history. In the fall of 2021, he is in his third season at the helm.
• While it is his third season as head coach, he is in his sixth year overall with the Phoenix, serving as the defensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018 before his elevation to the lead chair. In 2006, Trisciani coached the defensive backs and ran the special teams for Elon.

BUILDING STAFF CONSISTENCY
• While Tony Trisciani is in his third year leading the Elon football program, he is building consistency in the staff surrounding him.
• Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Drew Folmar begins his fifth consecutive season at Elon in the fall of 2021. Recruiting Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Clay Browning and Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach Dillon Lucas also start their fifth seasons at Elon.
• Defensive Coordinator Billy Crocker, Offensive Line Coach Andy Marino and Defensive Line Coach Seth Payne have all been on Trisciani's staff throughout his head coaching tenure, beginning their third seasons. Wide Receivers Coach Chris Young and Special Teams Assistant Mike Nall are doing the same.
• The newest member of the coaching staff is former Elon All-American Warren Messer, who was hired just prior to the start of the season and will coach the cornerbacks.Tight Ends Coach Arketa Banks and Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Safeties Coach Dovonte Edwards were hired during the summer following the 2021 spring campaign. Banks is a 2003 Elon graduate.

LAST GAME: ELON GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE TO DEFEAT MAINE
• For the first time in 2021, Elon never trailed in a contest, defeating Maine on the road 33-23.
• Davis Cheek went 29-of-37 passing for 332 yards and four total touchdowns. He threw three first-half TD passes and added a one-yard plunge.
• Elon did not force a turnover for the first time in 2021, but also did not commit any. The Phoenix held the ball for 37:59 and was 12-of-16 on third downs. Maine was scoreless twice in three trips inside the Elon red zone.

#AED, BUT ALSO R
• Coach Tony Trisciani's program is built on attitude, effort and discipline (#AED) but he may think about adding an R for resiliency following this 2021 season.
• Elon trailed in each of the first five games of the season, falling behind by double digits in four of the five contests. Three times Elon battled back from a deficit to take the lead, winning twice.
• In the season opener, Elon trailed 21-10 late in the second quarter and 21-13 at the break against Wofford. The Phoenix eventually took a 22-21 lead before losing to Wofford 24-22.
• In week two, Elon was behind 10-7 at the half and 17-7 in the third quarter. The Phoenix, though, scored 17 straight and held on for the 24-23 victory over Campbell.
• In week four, Elon was down 21-0 early to William & Mary but scored two late first-half touchdowns to get back within a score. The Tribe built the lead back to 27-14 but Elon closed to within three points twice in the fourth quarter before eventually succumbing 34-31.
• In week five, Richmond led 7-0 after the first quarter but Elon scored the final 20 points of the contest for a 20-7 win.
• Even in the one game it did not trail, Elon faced a resilient situation. After going ahead of Maine 26-10, the Black Bears returned a kickoff for a touchdown and then added another score to get within three. But Elon answered with an 11-play, 60-yard drive that sealed the victory.

ELON VS. RANKED TEAMS
• Elon earned its tenth win against ranked teams since 2016 with a 20-7 win at No. 22 Richmond.
• In the spring, Elon dropped decisions against No. 1 James Madison 20-17 and No. 20 Richmond 31-17.
• Prior to the spring season, Elon closed the 2019 campaign with a 25-23 win at No. 19 Towson and went 2-2 against Top 25 teams that year.
• Elon has defeated at least one ranked team in five straight fall seasons and is 10-13 against ranked teams since 2016 (including the 2020-21 spring year). In fact, the team has won three of its last five games against ranked competition.

ELON RECEIVING VOTES
• Following the win over No. 22 Richmond, Elon earned three votes in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. After beating Maine, the Phoenix had two votes in the poll.
• In the spring, Elon reached as high as No. 24 in the rankings after winning the opener against Davidson. After a loss to Gardner-Webb in week two, the Phoenix did not return to the top 25.

CHEEK AN ALL-AMERICAN CANDIDATE
• After missing the 2020 season (spring of 2021), senior quarterback Davis Cheek has returned to the starting lineup for the 2021 season and is having one of the best seasons for a quarterback in FCS Football.
• Cheek ranks among the top 25 nationally in completions per game (No. 8), passing yards per game (No. 14), total offense per game (No. 14), and completion percentage (No. 23).
• In the season opener, Cheek answered any questions about whether he'd be able to return to form, recording his fourth career 300-yard passing game with 312 yards against Wofford. It was the first time he surpassed 300 yards since his freshman season in 2017. His 29 completions and 51 attempts were career highs.
• In the CAA Football opener against William & Mary, Cheek set a new career-high with 384 yards passing, tying for the 10th most in a single game in program history. He also moved into second place in career passing yards at Elon with the performance.
• Cheek had his best outing of the year in the team's most recent contest at Maine. He was 29-of-37 for 332 yards and four total touchdowns (three passing). He earned CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week honors with the effort.
• Cheek now has 35 career starts, helped the Phoenix to FCS Playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018, and is tenth among active FCS quarterbacks with 7,343 career passing yards.
• Following a 197-yard effort in a win over Richmond, Cheek became just the second quarterback in program history with at least 7,000 career passing yards. He is also third in career touchdown passes (45), second in career passing attempts (997) and second in career completions (604). Cheek's 60.6 career completion percentage ranks third as well, as does his 133.7 career passing efficiency.

ALL HE DOES IS WIN, WIN, WIN
• Since stepping foot on campus in time for the 2017 season, quarterback Davis Cheek has made a huge impact on the Elon program.
• Elon went 2-9 in 2016 and immediately turned things around with an 8-4 season in 2017 that included a trip to the FCS Playoffs. Cheek started all 12 games during that freshman campaign.
• Starting with that 2017 season, Elon is 20-15 when Cheek is in the starting lineup but just 3-8 when he is not.

CHEEK EARNS HONORS
• Davis Cheek was named one of 26 quarterbacks in the country, at all levels, to begin the year on the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl preseason Big Board. He is one of just three non-FBS quarterbacks to join the elite group.
• Cheek is also a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given annually to one football player who combines academics, community service and on-field performance.
• Following a performance in which he went 29-of-37 for 332 yards and four total touchdowns (three passing), Cheek was named CAA Football Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 11. He led Elon to a 33-23 win at Maine.

NO DOUBTING THOMAS
• Over the course of his four seasons at Elon, junior Jaylan Thomas has been a reliable and steady running back. But since CAA Football league play began, Thomas has become a versatile and dynamic piece of the passing attack as well, posting 343 all-purpose yards in the past three games.
• In the team's first three games of the season, Thomas had five total catches for 37 yards, posting no more than 93 all-purpose yards during that stretch.
• Since the team turned to league play, Thomas has 13 catches for 172 yards and two receiving touchdowns. His rushing totals have improved as well, going from 150 yards in the first three games to 171 in the past three. He has had no fewer than 96 all-purpose yards in any league game.
• Thomas had a historic day against William & Mary. With 73 yards rushing and 70 yards receiving, he had the first 70/70 game in Elon's NCAA Division I history. He added a career-high eight catches and touchdowns both through the air and on the ground.
• Thomas ranks sixth in Elon's FCS history with 1,804 career rushing yards, needing 109 more to pass De'Sean McNair (2016-19) to break into the top five. He is also seventh in career carries with 392.
• Thomas also has a penchant for finding paydirt, posting ten career rushing touchdowns. He is tied for tenth in the school's FCS history.

THE NO FLY ZONE
• Since moving into the starting lineup in week two, Shamari Wingard has been breaking up passes with regularity.
• Wingard has eight passes defended in the last four weeks, including an interception against William & Mary. He had three pass break-ups against Appalachian State.
• Wingard ranks 11th nationally and second in the CAA with 1.3 passes defended per contest this year.
• Elon's school record for pass break-ups in a season since moving to FCS is 11, accomplished three times. Wingard has seven and would move into the top 10 in program history in a single season with one more.

YOU WANT OFFENSE? YOU GOT IT
• Elon is averaging 384.0 yards of offense per game in 2021. If that holds up, it would be the most potent offense since the 2009 team averaged 424.9 yards of offense per contest.
• Elon set a season-high with 480 yards of offense against William & Mary. That was the highest single-game total for the Phoenix since compiling 481 against The Citadel on Sept. 7, 2019.
• The team had 426 yards of total offense in the week one game against Wofford, the best offensive output for Elon in a season opener since a 56-0 win over Davidson to kick off the 2009 campaign.

GO-TO GUY
• Junior wide receiver Jackson Parham is having a break-out season, leading Elon in receiving and ranking in the top 30 in the country in receiving yards per game and receptions per game. He ranks in the top three in CAA Football in both as well.
• Parham had 147 yards receiving in 2019 and improved to 197 in six games during the spring campaign. But he has 517 yards receiving in just six games in 2021.
• Parham has had at least three catches and 57 yards receiving in each game this year. He had a career-best 10 receptions and 106 yards against William & Mary in the CAA opener.
• Parham's 517 yards receiving in 2021 are already the most in a single season for an Elon pass catcher since Cole Taylor had 524 yards in 2018. At his current rate, he would finish the regular season with 948 yards, which would rank as the tenth-best season in the program's FCS history.

NO WEEKS OFF
• Senior Kortez Weeks played in just three of Elon's six spring games but he has been impactful since being named third team All-CAA as a freshman in 2017.
• Weeks has had at least three receptions in every game this year, catching a season-high six passes against Wofford, William & Mary and most recently Maine.
• Weeks led the Phoenix with 60 catches for 709 yards as a freshman in 2017 and followed that up with 36 catches for 484 yards in 2018.
• In 2019, he again led the team with 43 receptions, totalling 412 yards. He had eight more catches in limited action in the spring.
• With 1,937 career receiving yards, Weeks has moved into sixth in school history, needing 40 more yards to pass Kierre Brown (2010-14) for fifth.
• Weeks' nine career receiving touchdowns ranks eighth in Elon's FCS history as well.

TURNING THEM OVER
• Elon continues to be one of the best teams in the country in forcing turnovers, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
• In the first six weeks of the season, Elon has generated 12 turnovers and holds a +7 turnover margin, 12th nationally.
• The Phoenix generated two or more turnovers in each of the first five games of the season. In week six, Maine was able to go without a turnover, but so was Elon.
• In 2019, Crocker's defense forced 21 turnovers and Elon was a CAA best +9 during the regular season.
• In 2020 (spring 2021), the defense again caused havoc, ranking in the top 10 nationally in fumbles recovered (7) and top 30 in total turnovers forced (11).
• Since Crocker began at Elon (the 2019-21 seasons together), the Phoenix leads CAA Football in turnover margin (+17, ahead of James Madison at +16) and is second in turnovers forced (44, behind only James Madison at 49).
• Tre'Von Jones has two fumble recoveries on the season and is one of 13 players nationwide to have done that. Omar Rogers and Jones have a team-high two interceptions as well, while Marcus Hillman and Cole Coleman each have two forced fumbles.

CAA FOOTBALL'S BEST
• Elon has earned three CAA Football Players of the Week during the fall of 2021.
• Tre'Von Jones was named Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 after recording nine tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a quarterback sack in a 24-23 win over Campbell.
• Cole Coleman picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 4 as he had eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass break-up in Elon's 20-7 win at No. 22 Richmond.
• Davis Cheek was named Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 11 after going 29-of-37 for 332 yards in a 33-23 win at Maine. Cheek threw for three TDs and added a rushing score as well.

ENOUGH FOOTBALLS FOR EVERYONE?
• In Elon's last game at Maine, Davis Cheek connected with nine different receivers in the contest, including one batted pass back to himself. Twelve different players have caught at least one pass through the first six games of the season, while six have caught at least ten passes.
• In 2021, Cheek has hit at least seven receivers in each of the five contests, and has reached as many as nine different receivers in a game.

THE 'SKY'LER IS THE LIMIT
• Junior kicker Skyler Davis has been one of the most consistent and reliable kickers in FCS football since starting his career at Elon in 2018.
• In the season opener, Davis made three field goals -- from distances of 39, 41 and 23 yards. He added a season-long 48-yarder at Richmond.
• Davis has made 42-of-59 field goals attempts in his career. He ranks tied for fourth among all active FCS kickers in career field goals made.
• Prior to an uncharacteristic day in the CAA opener against William & Mary, Davis had connected on his last 13 attempts inside of 40 yards.
• In 2021, Davis is a perfect 11-for-12 on extra points and is 85-of-87 during his career. His one miss this year was a blocked extra point against Maine.
• With 211 career points scored, Davis ranks sixth in Elon's FCS history in scoring.

YURK FILLING BIG SHOES
• True freshman Jeff Yurk is replacing one of the top punters in program history in Hunter Stephenson. Stephenson ranked second in program history with a 40.9 career punting average.
• In six punts against Wofford, Yurk made the most of his debut with a 42.2 yard per punt average.
• Yurk had a busy day at Appalachian State, punting eight times. He averaged 40.5 yards per punt and put all of his first four inside the 20 yard line. He added a 52-yarder later in the game.
• For the season, Yurk is averaging 39.1 yards per punt, an average that would place him eighth in program history.

FIRST TIME STARTERS
• With 20 starters returning from the spring campaign, it was a virtual certainty that most of Elon's starting 22 would be veterans. However, five players have cracked the starting lineup for the first time in their careers.
• Freshman Nick Veloz earned his first career start in the season opener and also started in week two.
• Against Campbell, Elon opened in a two-running back set and freshman Malik Griffin picked up his first career start because of it.
• On the defensive line, freshman Josh Johnson picked up the first start of his young career as well.
• Against Appalachian State, true freshman offensive lineman Kevin Burkett and second-year freshman defensive back Jaidyn Denis both earned their first starts.
• Four of the five first-time starters are second-year freshmen, having played in the 2021 spring campaign without using a year of eligibility. Burkett is the only true freshman to get a start this year.

RESTING THE DEFENSE
• Elon has played complementary football through the first six weeks of the season, allowing the Phoenix defense to stay fresh throughout the game.
• Elon's average time of possession is 32:22 and the Phoenix have won the time of possession battle five times, holding onto the football for a season-best 37:59 at Maine.
• In week one, Elon ran 17 more plays than Wofford, 79-62. In week two, the Phoenix ran 14 more plays than Campbell, 76-62. In the CAA opener, Elon ran 17 more plays than William & Mary. The Phoenix ran 75 plays at Maine, a whopping 24 more than the Black Bears.
• Elon held the time of possession advantage just one time in the abbreviated six-game spring campaign.
• The last time Elon held the ball for more than the 37:59 it did against Maine came when the team had 39:16 in TOP against Samford on Oct. 2, 2010.

TO BE THE BEST, YOU'VE GOT TO BEAT THE BEST
• Elon's schedule is littered with teams recognized in the Stats Perform top 25 poll.
• The team's first ranked team came when the Phoenix beat then-No. 22 Richmond for the program's tenth win over a ranked team since 2016.
• Next week, Elon plays at No. 7 James Madison, before No. 5 Villanova visits Rhodes Stadium for Homecoming on Nov. 6. Elon finishes the season by hosting No. 18 Rhode Island for Senior Day.
• This week's opponent, New Hampshire has been ranked for much of the year but recently fell out of the poll following a three-game losing streak.

VERSATILE ATTACK
• Elon is the only team in FCS that returned a player in 2021 with 5,000 career passing yards, a player with 1,600 career receiving yards, and a player with 1,400 career rushing yards.
• Quarterback Davis Cheek entered the season with 5,624 career passing yards, wide receiver Kortez Weeks has 1,671 career receiving yards, and running back Jaylan Thomas has 1,483 career rushing yards.