Game Information
Elon (3-4, 3-1 CAA) vs. Monmouth (3-3, 2-1 CAA)
Date:Â Oct. 21, 2023
Time:Â 2:00 p.m. ET
Streaming: FloSports (Taylor Durham/Khirey Walker/Hannah Bradey) (
STREAMING LINK)
Audio Broadcast (Smart Device):Â The Varsity Network App (Max Wallace/Katie Bennert) (
LINK)
Audio Broadcast (Web-Based): LeanStream via ElonPhoenix.com (
LINK)
Live Stats: ElonPhoenix.com (
LINK)
Game Notes: Elon | Monmouth
Twitter/X: @ElonFootball
Instagram: @ElonFB
SETTING THE STAGE
- Elon and Monmouth are two of seven CAA Football teams with one conference loss or fewer heading into the weekend. The winner will remain a serious contender for the league title as the programs square off for the first time in history.
- Saturday is Elon's Homecoming game with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. The Phoenix has won 8-of-9 games inside Rhodes Stadium but did lose to ranked North Carolina Central the last time at home. Elon is looking for a second consecutive Homecoming game win.
- Monmouth is on a roll, coming off of a 61-10 victory over Hampton a week ago. Elon lost at Villanova 21-0 for the Phoenix's first conference loss after three straight wins to start the 2023 season.
- Saturday's game will be broadcast regionally on My48 and streamed on FloSports, with Taylor Durham, Khirey Walker and Hannah Bradey on the call.
- Max Wallace and Katie Bennert will handle the audio duties with the pregame show beginning at 1:30 p.m. It can be heard for free via The Varsity Network app on your mobile device or by visiting ElonPhoenix.com and clicking on Live Audio on the football schedule.
TONY TRISCIANIÂ INÂ YEAR FIVE LEADING THE PHOENIX
- On Dec. 17, 2018, Tony Trisciani was named the 23rd head football coach in Elon history. In 2022, he led the program back to the FCS playoffs for the first time in his head coaching tenure.
- Trisciani has been a member of the Phoenix staff the last three times Elon has made the playoffs -- as head coach in 2022 and as defensive coordinator in 2018 and 2017.
- While it is his fifth season as head coach, he is in his eighth 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.
- Elon has won at least five games in all three fall campaigns in which he has been the head coach. The 2020 season was competed during a shortened spring campaign due to COVID-19.
- Elon has improved in each fall season under Trisciani, going from five wins in 2019 to six wins in 2021 and then eight wins in 2022.
- Under Trisciani, Elon won 11 conference games in 2021 and 2022 and is the only program to finish in the top three of the CAA standings in both seasons. That came after being picked 12th and sixth in the preseason polls.
- The 2023 season is Trisciani's 28th year as a football coach and his 18th at a CAA Football institution. Since his return to Elon in 2017, he has helped the program defeat 14 FCS Top 25 programs. As head coach, he has notched eight wins over ranked teams.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
- Head Coach Tony Trisciani has put together an assistant coaching staff that mixes familiar faces at Elon with new staff.
- Offensive Coordinator Drew Folmar has been at Elon since 2017, while Defensive Coordinator Dovonte Edwards is in his third season at Elon and in his second in his current role.
- Defensive Line Coach Seth Payne has been at Elon since 2019. Special Teams Assistant Mike Nall also rejoined the program prior to the 2019 season. Nall also coached at Elon from 2005-08.
- Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach Milo Austin, Inside Linebackers Coach Casey Vance and Running Backs Coach Nate Harris all joined Elon in time for the 2022 season.
- Elon sees four new faces to the staff for 2023. Offensive Line Coach Alex Stadler, Wide Receivers Coach Kyle Perkins, Tight Ends Coach Matt Ford and Cornerbacks Coach Dominique Battle are all in their first year with the Phoenix.
SCOUTING MONMOUTH
- Monmouth enters Saturday's game with a record of 3-3 overall and 2-1 in CAA Football play. Coming off of a 61-10 win over Hampton, the Hawks also have a win over Towson this year and a loss to Campbell.
- Monmouth has scored 40+ points three times in 2023 but has allowed 40+ points twice as well.
- Dynamic running back Jaden Shirden is third in FCS in rushing yards and eighth in all-purpose yards. He has helped Monmouth to top 10 rankings in red zone scoring and time of possession.
- Monmouth has struggled defensively in the red zone. Opponents have scored 14 touchdowns in 17 trips inside Monmouth's 20.
- Opponents are passing for just 163.7 yards per game against Monmouth but are rushing for 169.0 yards per game. The Hawks are +6 in turnover margin.
TO BE THE BEST, YOU'VE GOT TO BEAT THE BEST
- Heading into the 2023 season, Elon was ranked as having the third most difficult schedule in the country by FCS Analyst, based on opponent win percentage.
- Elon's 11 opponents had a .606 win percentage in 2022, going a combined 80-52. Only Harvard (.648, 68-37) and Nicholls (.610, 83-53) have more difficult schedules.
- Among CAA teams, Campbell (.583, 77-55) has the fifth-tougest schedule in the nation and Delaware (.559, 71-56) is 12th.
- So far in 2023, Elon's 11 opponents have a combined record of 34-27, the tenth-toughest schedule in the country. The Phoenix's final four opponents are 15-10. That .600 opponent percentage is the tied for the ninth-toughest remaining schedule in FCS football.
STILL LOOKING FOR RESPECT
- At 3-1 in CAA Football play in 2023, Elon is tied for second in the conference standings. That comes after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
- In 2022, Elon was predicted to end sixth in CAA Football but finished third in the conference standings, earned an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs and ended the year ranked No. 17 in the country.
- In 2021, Elon was picked to finish last in the 12-team league but ended in sole possession of third place.
- Elon is the only program to finish in the top three of the final CAA Football standings in each of the past two seasons (2021 and 2022).
- Since the start of the 2021 season, Elon is tied with Villanova for the best record in CAA play of all current conference members. The Phoenix and Wildcats have gone 14-6, while William & Mary is right behind at 13-6.
BAM BAM ON THE MOVE
- When watching Jalen Hampton run the ball, it's easy to see why he has earned the nickname Bam Bam. Unafraid to take on defensive players, Hampton has become one of Elon's most productive running backs in program history in less than two seasons.
- Hampton became just the third player in Elon's FCS history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, carrying the rock for 1,053 yards in 2022. He's off to a similar start in 2023.
- Through seven games, Hampton has 594 yards rushing, five touchdowns and is averaging 5.2 yards per carry, an increase over his 4.6 yard per carry average in 2022.
- Hampton went over 1,500 career rushing yards in his 15th collegiate game, when he rushed the ball 33 times for 169 yards at Campbell.
- Hampton rushed for more than 150 yards in back-to-back contests against North Carolina A&T and Campbell. He had 16 carries for 153 yards in a win over North Carolina A&T before the 33-carry, 169-yard game at Campbell. The Campbell game was his sixth career 100-yard rushing game, going over 130 yards in each of those six contests.
- With 1,647 career rushing yards in just 18 games, Hampton already ranks seventh in Elon's FCS history (since 1999). He needs 266 more yards to pass De'Sean McNair (2016-19) for sixth.
- Hampton rushed for at least 80 yards in eight of the 11 games he played a year ago. With three more 80-yard games in 2023, he has now reached that mark 11 times in 18 career games.
- Hampton had a career-high 177 yards against his namesake, Hampton, in 2022. He rushed for a career-best four rushing touchdowns in Elon's 28-24 win at Campbell.
POUNDING THE ROCK
- Behind an improved offensive line and the emergence of Jalen Hampton, Elon has become a strong running team, rushing for at least 120 yards in 13 of the team's 19 games over the past two seasons.
- Against North Carolina A&T, Elon ran for 260 yards, the most for the program since 2019. The Phoenix followed that up with 242 yards at Campbell.
- With the 242 yards at Campbell, Elon improved to 8-0 in Head Coach Tony Trisciani's tenure when rushing for 200+ yards.
- Elon topped 200 rushing yards three times last season, doing so against William & Mary (240 yards) as well as Gardner-Webb (205 yards) and Hampton (200 yards).
- In 2021, Elon rushed for 120+ yards as a team just one time, doing so with 146 yards in the season finale against Rhode Island. In fact, the 10 games of 120+ yards rushing in 2022 were the most for the program since doing so 10 times in 2017 as well.
- Elon averaged 152.3 yards per game rushing in 2022, a vast improvement over the 90.4 yards per game the team ran for in 2021. It was the team's highest rushing average in a season since going for 199.5 in 2018. So far in 2023, Elon is averaging 140.4 yards per contest on the ground.
WINNING IN THE TRENCHES
- Under Head Coach Tony Trisciani, Elon has been nearly unbeatable when winning in the trenches on at least one side of the ball.
- Elon is 8-0 when rushing for at least 200 yards in a game under Trisciani and 10-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing. Elon's only loss in that scenario came in week one against Wake Forest, as the Demon Deacons had just 98 yards on 2.8 yards per carry.
- Elon has reached both milestones three times under Trisciani, two of which have come this season.
- Against Gardner-Webb in 2022, Elon ran for 205 and held the Runnin' Bulldogs to 43. Against North Carolina A&T, Elon rushed for 260 and held the Aggies to 81 yards. The next week at Campbell, Elon ran for 242 yards and held the Camels to just 35 yards.
NO FLY ZONE
- Elon allowed just 36 yards passing against Villanova Saturday, the second time in four CAA Football games in which the Phoenix has allowed 36 yards passing, doing so in the win over William & Mary.
- Elon's passing efficiency defense is No. 15 nationally at 116.3. That mark ranks third in CAA Football.
- Elon has allowed 501 passing yards in four CAA games, but 367 of those came against Campbell. The Phoenix gave up only 134 passing yards against North Carolina A&T, William & Mary and Villanova. Those three teams were just 18-of-49 passing with four interceptions thrown.
CURTAIN CALL
- Redshirt sophomore Caleb Curtain had a solid season in 2022, getting his feet wet with 12 tackles, an interception and a sack. But he has made his mark in 2023.
- Curtain had four tackles, a sack, and most importantly, a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown at Wake Forest in the season opener.
- Curtain's interception return was Elon's first pick-six since Greg Liggs Jr. had one in 2019. Liggs Jr. is Elon's career interception leader, with 15, and single-season interception leader, with eight in 2019.
- According to analytic tracking data, Curtain reached a top speed of 20.58 miles per hour on the interception return, his fastest reading of the game.
- Curtain added his second interception of the season against North Carolina A&T.
- Curtain has reached double-digit tackle totals in three of the past four games, totaling 40 tackles during that stretch. He had a career-best 12 at Villanova and leads Elon with 55 tackles on the season.
PEARSON IS A PROBLEM
- Redshirt senior defensive end Marvin Pearson will have opposing offensive line coaches scratching their heads all year long. He was dominant against Wake Forest and is considered Elon's top NFL prospect this year.
- Pearson recorded seven tackles, three for loss, and a sack in week one at Wake Forest. His sack came on Wake Forest's second drive as the Demon Deacons were facing a third-and-short and forced a Wake Forest punt.
- Pearson also had a three-yard tackle for loss on another third-and-short play in the first quarter and added a fourth quarter TFL to stall out another Wake Forest drive.
- With a sack against William & Mary, Pearson now has a team-best 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. His 10.0 career sacks place him tied for sixth in program history.
- Pearson posted his 16th career quarterback hurry against North Carolina Central. That ties him with Marcus Willoughby (2016-19) for the most in the program's FCS history.
CAZEEM THE DREAM
- Starting opposite Marvin Pearson at defensive end, sophomore Cazeem Moore makes it very difficult for offensive lines to protect the quarterback.
- As a true freshman a year ago, Moore was just too talented to redshirt and he played in all 12 games, starting the final two. He was second on the team with 4.0 sacks and added four quarterback hurries.
- In the 2023 season opener at Wake Forest, Moore was again a factor, posting three tackles and a sack. His fourth quarter sack came on third down to shut down a Wake Forest drive.
- Moore now has 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks on the season. He has a TFL in three of the team's seven games this season. He also recovered a fumble in the win over William & Mary.
NWANDU PLAYING BOTH WAYS
- Junior Arthur Nwandu is doing what few have the ability to do -- play on both sides of the football.
- A converted tight end, Nwandu is listed on Elon's two-deep at both defensive end and at his original position.
- Nwandu has played on both sides of the ball in multiple games this year. In fact, on Saturday at Villanova, Nwandu had a tackle at defensive end and caught a pass as a tight end.
TO PUNT OR NOT TO PUNT
- Elon ran fake punts in back-to-back games against Gardner-Webb and North Carolina A&T, with both attempts resulting in a 35-yard gain. The Phoenix also ran an unsuccessful fake punt in the 14-6 win over William & Mary.
- Against Gardner-Webb, Josh Johnson took a short snap and rumbled 35 yards for a first down on the first and only carry of his career, proving that defensive linemen can be versatile and add to the offensive stats as well.
- Against North Carolina A&T, Elon fake punted again in vastly different fashion. Kyle Romenick became the first punter in Elon's Division I era to throw a touchdown pass, completed a 35-yard bomb to true freshman defensive back DJ Hamilton.
- Romenick again threw a pass on a fake punt against William & Mary, but his pass was bobbled and fell incomplete.
DEION MAKES HEADLINES BUT SO DOES BO
- Deion Sanders and his son Shedeur may be grabbing national headlines at Colorado, but another Sanders is leading the Elon defense much like Deion did at Florida State in his playing days.
- Senior captain Bo Sanders has 47 tackles (second-most on the team), posting nine against Wake Forest, along with two pass break-ups and a quarterback hurry.
- Sanders was all over the field in the win at Campbell, posting a season-high 10 tackles and adding his second career interception. Elon scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive after his INT.
- Deion was also a factor in the return game during his playing days and Bo does the same. He is averaging 4.8 yards on eight punt returns in 2023.
NO LINEBACKERS? NO PROBLEM
- Elon graduated all of its starting linebackers from 2022, but redshirt freshmen Brandon Tyson and Marco Patierno have filled the gap.
- Tyson had seven tackles against Wake Forest and then jumped on a loose ball late in the fourth quarter against Gardner-Webb for a fumble recovery that started Elon's game-tying touchdown drive. Against Villanova, he had a career-high 14 tackles (the most in a game for an Elon player in 2023) and had 2.0 tackles for loss.
- After recording three tackles against Wake Forest, Patierno was all over the field against Gardner-Webb, finishing with seven tackles and 0.5 tackle for loss. He earned his first career start against North Carolina A&T and then turned in a team-best seven tackles, 1.5 for loss. He topped that once more with 11 tackles in the win over No. 5/4 William & Mary.
- The duo has 89 combined tackles, including 8.5 for loss.
FILLING BIG SHOES
- True freshman kicker Jack Berkowitz has huge shoes to fill in replacing Skyler Davis, the best kicker in Elon history and the best kicker in all of FCS in 2022. But Berkowitz has answered the call so far, making 6-of-9 field goals. He is 16-of-17 on extra points with the only miss being on a blocked kick.
- Berkowitz stepped onto a college football field for the first time in front of a sold-out Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium at Wake Forest and went 2-for-2 on extra points and 1-for-1 on field goals. His 28-yard field goal came with just one second remaining in the game and split the uprights.
- The true freshman followed that up by making both of his field goal attempts at Gardner-Webb and all three extra points. He connected on a career-long 39-yarder late in the first quarter of that game.
- Berkowitz missed a kick for the first time all season when his 42-yard attempt sailed wide in the second quarter against North Carolina A&T. But he responded by making a 43-yarder later in the quarter and added another made field goal in the second half.
- That 43-yarder was a collegiate career long. He equaled that mark with a 43-yard field goal against North Carolina Central.
MILLER TIME
- Redshirt sophomore tight end Johncarlos Miller II had a career day against North Carolina Central, catching five passes for 82 yards.
- Miller's five catches against NC Central are the most for an Elon tight end since Donovan Williams caught six passes against Gardner-Webb in the 2021 spring season.
- The 82 receiving yards were the most for a tight end since Chris Harris has 89 against Western Carolina in 2012.
- Miller's 211 receiving yards in 2023 are already more than the 201 he had last year. It is also the most by an Elon tight end since Matt Foster finished the 2019 season with 246.
THREE FOR ONE
- Three different quarterbacks have started a game for Elon this year. Matthew Downing has started five of the seven games, but Justin Allen and William Lankford have each earned a start as well.
- With Matthew Downing unavailable for the Villanova game, Lankford earned his first career start. Allen had started the week two game against Gardner-Webb.
- Elon played three quarterbacks against North Carolina Central and each of them were responsible for a Phoenix touchdown.
- Downing and Allen each threw a touchdown pass, while Lankford ran for one.
- It was the first time in the program's FCS history that three different quarterbacks threw or ran for a touchdown in a single game.
ROMENICK DOING IT ALL
- Transfer punter Kyle Romenick has not only been consistent in the kicking game for the Phoenix, he has also proven to be a weapon in the passing game in 2023.
- While he averages 43.8 yards per punt, Romenick also showed off his arm in the win over North Carolina A&T. He rocketed a pass on a fake punt for a 35-yard touchdown to true freshman DJ Hamilton. Romenick became the first Elon punter to throw a touchdown pass in the program's NCAA Division I era (since 1999).
- Due to that play, along with a 42.2 yard per punt average, Romenick was named CAA Special Teams Player of the Week.
- Romenick had his best punting game as a Phoenix Saturday at Villanova, averaging 50.0 yards on six punts. He tied his career-long with a 61-yard punt downed at the six-yard line and also had a 55-yarder. He had three punts inside the 20.
- At 43.8 yards per punt through the first seven weeks, Romenick ranks 12th in FCS football in punting average. Jeff Yurk set Elon's single-season punting average record a year ago at 44.1 yards.
BONNER BREAKS OUT
- Redshirt senior wide receiver Jordan Bonner has patiently waited for an opportunity to be featured in the Elon offense and he has made the most of his opportunity so far in 2023.
- Bonner had a team-high seven catches at Wake Forest, easily surpassing his previous career-best of four receptions. He followed that up with four more catches at Gardner-Webb and a team-best three receptions and a touchdown vs. North Carolina A&T.
- On the season, Bonner leads Elon with 25 catches and 261 receiving yards. He also has three touchdown receptions, tied for most on the team.
- After a career-high 20 receptions in 2022, Bonner already has 25 this year. He needs 36 more receiving yards to equal his 297 from a year ago.
DOWNING UP THE DEPTH CHART
- Graduate transfer Matthew Downing has started five of the first seven games of the season at quarterback.
- Downing started in the season opener, but struggled at Wake Forest. He was replaced by Justin Allen, who sparked the Elon offense. Downing then replaced Allen to start the second half at Gardner-Webb, and threw for 199 yards and three TDs in the final 30 minutes.
- The transfer quarterback again came up big in the team's win over William & Mary, completing seven of his final eight pass attempts for 120 yards and two touchdowns as the Phoenix overcame a 6-0 fourth quarter deficit for a 14-6 win.
- Downing is well-traveled, beginning his career at Georgia. As a true freshman in 2018, he played in four games for the Bulldogs.
- After transferring to TCU, Downing redshirted the 2019 season before playing in seven games over two years from 2020-21. He earned his first collegiate start in the 2020 season opener against Iowa State, going 11-of-21 for 158 yards and touchdown.
- Following his time at TCU, Downing transferred to Louisiana Tech, playing in four games in 2022, going 33-of-62 with three touchdowns and 356 yards passing. He suffered a season-ending knee injury with the Bulldogs.
EXPERIENCE ON THE LINE
- Against Campbell, Elon was without Jabril Williams as a starter on the offensive line for the first time in 28 games. In fact, Williams had combined with Zane Gilbert, Caleb Krings and Kevin Burkett to start as an offensive line quartet in 24 straight games prior to that contest.
- Williams returned to start at center against William & Mary, reuniting one of the most experienced offensive lines in the CAA.
- Gilbert and Krings have made 33 career starts for Elon, while Williams has made 32. Kevin Burkett has added 28 to the mix.
- Jack Cutler joined the quartet on the offensive line to start the 2023 season. He earned his ninth career start Saturday at Villanova.
- In total, the five starters on the offensive line first unit have started 135 career games.
WHO NEEDS THIRD DOWN WHEN YOU'VE GOT FOURTH DOWN
- Elon has struggled on third downs this year, converting just 25-of-96 in 2023 (26.0 percent). But the Phoenix have made up for some of those struggles by converting on fourth down.
- The Phoenix is 14-of-20 (70.0 percent) on fourth down in 2023, the 15th-best conversion percentage in FCS.
- Elon's 14 fourth down conversions in 2023 are the third-most in the country.
- Monmouth, Elon's opponent on Saturday, leads all of FCS with 16 fourth down conversions on 27 attempts.
- Elon is also among the top 20 teams in the country in defending fourth down attempts. Opponents have converted just 4-of-11 attempts (36.4 percent).
ALL HE DOES IS CATCH TOUCHDOWNS
- Redshirt sophomore Jamarien Dalton has eight receptions in 2023 but he comes up big when Elon needs it most, catching three touchdowns already.
- At Gardner-Webb, Dalton had two receptions and both of them were touchdowns scores.
- Dalton added another touchdown reception against William & Mary, putting Elon ahead 14-6.
SEEING 200/200
- In Elon's 30-24 win over Gardner-Webb last year, the Phoenix offense totaled 205 yards rushing and 279 yards passing. Elon followed that up with 240 yards rushing and 207 passing against William & Mary.
- Those numbers have proven rare for Elon. It's the first time in the program's FCS history that the Phoenix reached 200 yards rushing and passing in back-to-back games.
- Under Head Coach Tony Trisciani, Elon has only reached 200/200 one other time. That came in a 35-28 win over The Citadel in 2019 when the team had 255 yards rushing and 226 passing.
PRESEASON ALL-CAA ANNOUNCED
- Five members of the Elon Football team were named CAA Preseason All-Conference, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Tight end Johncarlos Miller II, safety Bo Sanders, and specialist Chandler Brayboy were named All-CAA. Running back Jalen Hampton and offensive lineman Jabril Williams earned honorable mention status.
- Among other preseason All-CAA polls, Phil Steele named seven Phoenix to his teams. Hampton, Miller II and Sanders were all named to the second team, while Marvin Pearson earned third team recognition. Kevin Burkett, Cazeem Moore and Jaidyn Denis were named fourth team.
- Bluebloods named Hampton, Miller II, Williams and Sanders to their second team preseason All-CAA list.
GENERATING TURNOVERS
- Under the tutelage of Defensive Coordinator Dovonte Edwards, Elon has become one of the best in the country at forcing turnovers, particularly fumbles.
- With 13 fumble recoveries, Elon ended the 2022 season ranked No. 7 in the country in that category. In total, the Phoenix generated 21 turnovers with a +0.58 turnover margin, ranking No. 21 in FCS Football.
- Those turnovers proved to be critical as Elon went 7-0 in 2022 when forcing more turnovers than their opponent in a game.
- Elon has again been forcing turnovers in 2023. The Phoenix ranks No. 35 nationally with 10 turnovers gained and is No. 29 in the country with six interceptions.
SACK MASTERS
- Despite being held to one sack over the past two weeks, Elon is still averaging 2.57 sacks per contest, 24th-best in the country. Eleven different players have recorded at least 0.5 sack with Marvin Pearson leading the way with 4.5.
- Against a Power Five offensive line in the season opener at Wake Forest, Elon had four quarterback sacks with four different players registering at least one. Pearson was one of those and he also finished with three tackles for loss. Caleb Curtain, who added a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown, Cazeem Moore and Chazz Harley all added sacks.
- Elon is 10-1 in the tenure of Head Coach Tony Trisciani when recording four or more sacks in a game. The Wake Forest game was the first time the Phoenix had lost a game while recording four sacks.
- Elon's FCS school record for sacks in a season is 37 in 2009, an average of 3.08 per game.
- A year ago, Elon average 2.83 sacks per contest, ranking No. 13 in FCS Football.
GIANT KILLERS
- Earlier this season, Elon defeated No. 5/4 William & Mary 14-6 as the Phoenix earned its second win over a team ranked in the top five in program history.
- Elon defeated three ranked teams in 2022, knocking off No. 14 William & Mary 35-31, No. 17 Richmond 30-27 (OT), and No. 12 Delaware 27-7. In fact, Elon has beaten at least two ranked teams in every fall season since Tony Trisciani was named head coach to begin the 2019 campaign.
- Under Head Coach Tony Trisciani, Elon has gone 8-10 against ranked opponents.
- Elon is 24-69 all-time when facing a ranked team at the FCS level.
FIRST-TIME STARTERS
- In the season opener at Wake Forest, four players made their first Elon starts -- two on offense and two on defense.
- Matthew Downing got the starting nod at quarterback. As a graduate transfer, he had earned starts at previous schools, but earned his first Elon start.
- Wide receiver Christian Da-Silva started his first game as well, while linebacker Brandon Tyson and defensive back Caleb Curtain picked up their first starting nods on defense.
- Redshirt freshmen Jesse Powell II and Senquavious Alsobrooks earned their first career starts at Gardner-Webb. Powell II started in the spur position and Alsobrooks started as cornerback.
- Redshirt freshman Marco Patierno added to the group against North Carolina A&T, earning his first career start at linebacker.
- Two Elon players got their first career starts at Campbell. Right guard Luis Duarte picked up his first start along the offensive line and defensive tackle Jake Louro got his first career start.
- Onuma Dieke started at wide receiver against North Carolina Central. While Dieke started eight games during his career at UMass, this was his first start at Elon.
- Quarterback William Lankford earned his first career start at Villanova. He is the third quarterback to start a game this year for Elon.
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
- Elon has earned a handful of weekly awards during the 2023 season.
- Defensive Coordinator Dovonte Edwards was named the Our Coaching Network Defensive Coordinator of the Week on Oct. 1 after Elon defeated William & Mary 14-6. The Tribe did not score a touchdown and was held to 36 yards passing.
- Caleb Curtain was named CAA Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 2 after posting a career-best 11 tackles and a sack in the 14-6 win over William & Mary.
- Jalen Hampton was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 25 after rushing for 169 yards and a career-best four touchdowns in a 28-24 win at Campbell.
- Kyle Romenick was named CAA Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 18 after averaging 42.2 yards per punt and throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt.
HIGH FIVE
- Discounting the abbreviated 2021 spring campaign, Elon has recorded at least five overall wins and four conference wins in four consecutive fall seasons.
- With four straight fall seasons of at least five overall wins and four conference wins, it equals the longest such streak the program has had in FCS. Elon also accomplished that feat from 2007-10.
EARNING THAT DEGREE
- Seventeen current players on the Elon football team already have their degrees.
- Justin Allen, Jordan Bonner, Chandler Brayboy, Carson Crisp, Jack Cutler, Wayne Dixie III, Matthew Downing, Zane Gilbert, Chazz Harley, Caleb Ogunmola, Marvin Pearson, Kyle Romenick, Bo Sanders, Trey West, Antonio White, Ryan Wilkins and Jabril Williams all have their degrees.
PHOENIX IN THE NFL
- Former Elon offensive lineman Oli Udoh began his fifth season in the NFL in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings. He played in every game and started 17 over the course of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Udoh suffered a season-ending quad injury in Minnesota's week two game against Philadelphia.
- Elon saw numerous members of the 2022 team earn professional opportunities. Defensive back Cole Coleman spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, while kicker Skyler Davis was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Matthew McKay had workouts with the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots, and wide receiver Bryson Daughtry spent time with the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League.
-- ELON --
