Elon, N.C. - With FCS playoff hopes (and league championship hopes) alive, Elon and No. 10/13 Villanova meet Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium for Elon's Homecoming game. The contest can be seen live on FloSports. The audio broadcast from Taylor Durham and Matt Krause begins at 1:00 p.m. and is available for free via The Varsity Network app.

James Madison, Villanova and William & Mary all sit atop the CAA Football standings with just one league loss apiece. Elon and Towson are chasing those three at 3-2 in conference play and will play next week in Maryland.

The Phoenix has earned three of its four wins this year away from Rhodes Stadium but did beat New Hampshire 24-10 in the last home game. Villanova is 3-1 on the road this year, including 3-0 against FCS opponents.

Elon and Villanova have only faced each other twice, with the visiting team coming away victorious in both instances. Villanova won in Rhodes Stadium in 2016, but Elon turned the tables the next year, winning 19-14 on the road.

Villanova ranks among the national leaders with 13 interceptions this year. On the flip side, Elon quarterback Davis Cheek is among the national leaders in fewest interceptions thrown with just four. Both Elon and Villanova have excelled at forcing turnovers in 2021.

Along with Homecoming festivities, Elon Athletics will induct the 2020 and 2021 classes of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame. The department will also celebrate and recognize the 1980 and 1981 NAIA Football National Championship teams.

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.

LAST GAME: NO. 5 JAMES MADISON SNAPS ELON'S WIN STREAK
• No. 5 James Madison snapped Elon's three-game win streak in a 45-21 victory against the Phoenix Saturday.
• The game was tied at 14-14 midway through the second quarter but JMU scored 31 unanswered to get the win.
• Bryson Daughtry had a career-best 112 receiving yards, the first 100-yard game of his career, including a 52-yard touchdown reception.
• Marcus Hillman led the defensive effort with a career-high 11 tackles for Elon.
• Davis Cheek threw two touchdowns and rushed for another. It was the third straight game in which Cheek had at least two touchdown passes and a rushing score.

RESILIENCY
• Coach Tony Trisciani's program is built on attitude, effort and discipline (#AED) but resiliency has become the overriding theme for this year's team
• Elon has trailed in seven of eight games this season, falling behind by double digits five times. Three times Elon battled back from a double-digit 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.
• Against New Hampshire, Davis Cheek threw an early interception and Elon trailed 10-7 early in the second quarter. But Cheek responded to the INT by completing 20 of his next 21 passing attempts, including 17 in a row during one stretch, as the Phoenix outscored UNH 17-0 the rest of the way.

SECOND HALF DEFENSE
• Elon's defense has been difficult to score against in the second half this year.
• The Phoenix defense has allowed just four second-half touchdowns in five conference games this year.
• As well, Elon gave up just two second half touchdowns in two non-conference games against FCS competition.

ELON VS. RANKED TEAMS
• Facing another ranked opponent in #10/13 Villanova Saturday, Elon will have an opportunity to capture its 11th win over ranked opponents in five years.
• Elon earned its tenth win against ranked teams since 2016 with a 20-7 win at No. 22 Richmond earlier this year.
• 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 10-14 against ranked teams since 2016 (including the 2020-21 spring year). In fact, the team has won half of the past six games against ranked competition.
• One of those 10 wins against ranked opponents came against Villanova when the Phoenix defeated the No. 13 ranked Wildcats 19-14 in 2017.

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. He continues to elevate his game as the season wears on.
• Cheek ranks among the top 25 nationally in completions per game (No. 9), passing yards per game (No. 14), total offense per game (No. 14), completion percentage (No. 17) and passing touchdowns (No. 24).
• Cheek has been responsible for 10 touchdowns in the past three games, throwing for seven and rushing for three. He has at least two passing TDs and a rushing score in each of those contests.
• 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 recent contest against New Hampshire. He was 27-of-31 for 328 yards and three total touchdowns (two passing).
• Cheek now has 37 career starts, helped the Phoenix to FCS Playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018, and is tenth among active FCS quarterbacks with 7,869 career passing yards.
• Cheek is just the second quarterback in program history with at least 7,000 career passing yards. He is also third in career touchdown passes (49), second in career passing attempts (1,061) and second in career completions (649). Cheek's 61.2 career completion percentage ranks third as well, as does his 134.9 career passing efficiency.
• Cheek's 15 touchdown passes this year are already tied for ninth in a single season in program history and his 201 completions rank 10th. In short order, he should move into the top 10 in a single season in passing yards, passing attempts,

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 21-16 when Cheek is in the starting lineup but just 3-8 when he is not.

CHEEK EARNS HONORS
• Davis Cheek was named the Stats Perform National Offensive Player of the Week after going 27-of-31 for 328 yards and three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing) in a 24-10 win over New Hampshire.
• 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 was 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, averaging 96.0 all-purpose yards per contest in league play.
• In the team's three non-conference games to start the year, 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 22 catches for 224 yards and two receiving touchdowns. His rushing totals have kept pace as well, going from 150 yards in the first three games to 256 in the past five.
• 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 1,889 career rushing yards, needing 24 more to pass De'Sean McNair (2016-19) to break into the top five. He is also sixth in career carries with 408.
• Thomas also has a penchant for finding paydirt, posting ten career rushing touchdowns. He is tied for tenth in the school's FCS history.

YOU WANT OFFENSE? YOU GOT IT
• Elon is averaging 371.1 yards of offense per game in 2021. If that holds up, it would be the most potent offense since 2018.
• 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.

ACTION JACKSON
• Junior wide receiver Jackson Parham is having a break-out season, ranking second in the CAA in receiving yards per game and third in receptions per game. He is in the top 40 nationally in both categories as well.
• Parham had 147 yards receiving in 2019 and improved to 197 in six games during the spring campaign. But he has 622 yards receiving in just seven games in 2021.
• Parham had a career-best 10 receptions against William & Mary in the CAA opener and then had a career-high 122 receiving yards against New Hampshire.
• Parham's 622 yards receiving in 2021 are already the most in a single season for an Elon pass catcher since current teammate Kortez Weeks had 709 yards in 2017. At his current rate, he would finish the regular season with 855 yards, which would challenge for the program's top 10 season in 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 one reception in 25 straight games played dating back to the 2018 season. This year, he has caught 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 1,967 career receiving yards, Weeks has moved into sixth in school history, needing 10 more yards to pass Kierre Brown (2010-14) for fifth.
• Weeks' ten career receiving touchdowns, most recently catching a three-yard TD against James Madison, ranks eighth in Elon's FCS history as well.

TURNING THEM OVER
• Although Elon has forced just one turnover over the previous three games, the Phoenix 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 five games of the season, Elon generated 13 turnovers, posting at least two turnovers gained in each of those contests.
• 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 ranks second in CAA Football in turnover margin (+15, behind only James Madison at +19) and in turnovers forced (46, behind only James Madison at 54).

CAA FOOTBALL'S BEST
• Elon has earned four 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.
• Cheek again earned the honor, as well as the National Offensive Player of the Week award from Stats Perform, after going 27-of-31 for 328 yards and three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing) in a 24-10 win over New Hampshire.

ENOUGH FOOTBALLS FOR EVERYONE?
• In Elon's 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 eight contests, and has reached as many as nine different receivers in a game.
• Seven different receivers have at least 10 receptions on the season and five have at least 27 catches.

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 43-of-60 field goals attempts in his career. He ranks seventh 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 20-for-21 on extra points and is 94-of-96 during his career. His one miss this year was a blocked extra point against Maine.
• With 223 career points scored, Davis ranks fifth 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 career-long 52-yarder later in the game.
• For the season, Yurk is averaging 38.0 yards per punt. He has landed 12 of his 42 punts inside the 20 yard line.

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 eight weeks of the season, allowing the Phoenix defense to stay fresh throughout the game.
• Elon's average time of possession is 31:43 and the Phoenix have won the time of possession battle six times, holding onto the football for a season-best 37:59 at Maine.
• 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.

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.

LEADING THE CHARGE
• Head coach Tony Trisciani announced that senior quarterback Davis Cheek, senior defensive lineman Tristen Cox, junior linebacker Devonte Chandler and graduate tight end Donovan Williams have been named captains for the Phoenix.
• The team captains are identical to the spring 2021 campaign.

GETTING THAT DEGREE
• Nine current players on the Elon football team already have their degrees.
• Joey Baughman, Davis Cheek, Tristen Cox, Skyler Davis, Jalen Greene, Michael Purcell, Kortez Weeks, Donovan Williams, and Torrence Williams are all Elon graduates.

IN THE NFL
• Elon alumnus Olisaemeka (Oli) Udoh has made the roster of the Minnesota Vikings after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
• Udoh is currently the starting right guard for the Vikings. The Vikings are 3-4 overall heading into the week, currently sitting in second place in the NFC North.