Game Information
#RV Elon (5-4, 5-1 CAA) at #RV Richmond (6-3, 5-1 CAA)
Date: Nov. 11, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Streaming: FloSports | Monumental Sports Network (Bob Black/Chris Anderson/Lane Casadonte) (STREAMING LINK)
Audio Broadcast (Smart Device): The Varsity Network App (Taylor Durham/Khirey Walker) (LINK)
Audio Broadcast (Web-Based): LeanStream via ElonPhoenix.com (LINK)
Live Stats: ElonPhoenix.com (LINK)
Game Notes: Elon | Richmond
Twitter/X: @ElonFootball
Instagram: @ElonFB


SETTING THE STAGE

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• Elon and Richmond are two of the five teams sitting in a tie for first place in the CAA Football standings and the winner of Saturday's game will have the chance to head to the final week of the season playing for a conference championship. One team in the CAA will earn the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs but all tied teams will be league co-champions.
• Saturday's game kicks off at 2 p.m. in Richmond. The Spiders are 9-5 all-time against Elon and have won four of the seven meetings in Virginia. A year ago, the two teams played a thriller in Elon with the Phoenix coming away with a 30-27 double overtime victory.
• Elon enters the game on a two-game win streak, including a victory at then-No. 5 Delaware a week ago. Richmond comes off of a bye and has won four straight games after a 2-3 start.
• Saturday's game will be streamed on FloSports and Monumental Sports, with Bob Black, Chris Anderson and Lane Casadonte (sideline) on the call.
• Taylor Durham and Khirey Walker 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 TRISCIANI IN YEAR FIVE LEADING THE PHOENIX

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• 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 four fall campaigns in which he has been the head coach, including 2023. 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 15 FCS Top 25 programs. As head coach, he has notched nine wins over ranked teams.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

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• 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 RICHMOND

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• Richmond enters Saturday's game with a 6-3 overall record, including 5-1 in CAA Football play. The Spiders are one of five teams, along with Elon, to share first place in the current CAA Football standings.
• Richmond's defense has been dominant in 2023. The Spiders lead the country in turnovers gained with 23, getting 14 interceptions. They have a nation's best five defensive touchdowns and are third in the country in third-down percentage defense.
• On the flip side, Richmond has turned the ball over 18 times and is among the worst in the country converting third downs.
• Marlem Louis has forced four fumbles in 2023, while Nick DeGennaro has eight receiving touchdowns, fifth-most in the country.

TO BE THE BEST, YOU'VE GOT TO BEAT THE BEST

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• 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) had the fifth-tougest schedule in the nation and Delaware (.559, 71-56) was 12th.
• So far in 2023, Elon's 11 opponents have a combined record of 52-38, the third-toughest schedule in the country.

GIANT KILLERS

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• With a win over then No. 5/6 Delaware last week, Elon improved to 2-1 against ranked teams in 2023.
• Earlier in the year, Elon defeated then No. 5/4 William & Mary 14-6. The Phoenix now has three wins over top five teams in program history, two of which have come this season.
• 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 is almost .500 against ranked teams, going 9-10. Overall, Elon is 25-69 all-time when facing a ranked team at the FCS level.

LOOKING FOR RESPECT

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• At 5-1 in CAA Football play in 2023, Elon is tied for first 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 among all current conference members. The Phoenix and Wildcats have gone 16-6 (.727), while Richmond is right behind at 15-7 (.682).

DOWNING RISING UP

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• Graduate transfer Matthew Downing has settled into the starting quarterback role for Elon and has excelled recently.
• Downing was 14-of-20 for a career-high 282 yards passing against Monmouth two games ago, and he followed that up with his first carer 300-yard game against No. 5 Delaware. He had 352 passing yards and three touchdowns in that win.
• Downing is averaging a jaw-dropping 20.4 yards per completion over the past two games. He has also thrown six touchdown passes without an interception in that stretch.
• 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.

BRAYBOY IS DYNOMITE

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• Chandler Brayboy has proved to be one of the most explosive, big-play players in CAA Football this year.
• Brayboy has three touchdown receptions of at least 55 yards this season, all of which came in CAA wins.
• He had a 65-yard touchdown reception a week ago in the win over Delaware, part of a career-best 269 all-purpose yards. Brayboy finished with a career-best 121 yards receiving to go with 137 yards on four kick returns (34.3 per return) and 11 rushing yards.
• At 19.5 yards per reception in 2023, Brayboy ranks ninth in all of FCS. His 24.6 kick return average is No. 17 in the nation as well.
• With his 137 kick return yards against Delaware, Brayboy moved up from ninth to sixth on Elon's career kick return yardage leaderboard. He has 844 for his career.

BAM BAM ON THE MOVE

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• 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 the most productive running backs in Elon 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 piling up the yardage again in 2023.
• Hampton rushed for 562 yards through Elon's first five games but has been held to just 158 over the past four games, giving him 720 this season. He is averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
• 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 1,773 career rushing yards in just 20 games, Hampton already ranks seventh in Elon's FCS history (since 1999). He needs 140 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 four more 80-yard games in 2023, he has now reached that mark 12 times in 20 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

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• Behind an improved offensive line and the emergence of Jalen Hampton, Elon has become a strong running team over the past two years, rushing for at least 120 yards in 13 of the team's 21 games during that span. Elon rushed for 120+ yards just once in the 2021 season.
• 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).
• 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.

WINNING IN THE TRENCHES

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• 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 11-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing, as the Phoenix did this past Saturday at Delaware. Elon's only loss in that scenario came in week one of the 2023 season 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 this year, 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

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• Elon allowed just 36 yards passing against Villanova. It was the second time this year in which the Phoenix has allowed 36 yards passing, doing so in the win over William & Mary.
• Elon's passing efficiency defense is No. 18 nationally at 116.3. That mark ranks second in CAA Football.
• Elon has held three opponents below 75 yards passing in 2023. In total, the Phoenix is averaging 208.0 passing yards allowed per game and has also generated eight interceptions.

CURTAIN CALL

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• Redshirt sophomore Caleb Curtain had a solid debut season in 2022, getting his feet wet with 12 tackles, an interception and a sack. But he has made his mark in 2023.
• With an interception against Monmouth, Curtain is tied for the team lead with three in 2023. He also has two fumble recoveries and leads Elon with 69 tackles.
• Curtain got his season started in a big way with 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. He then had an interception and a fumble recovery in the 28-26 win over Monmouth.
• Curtain has reached double-digit tackle totals three times. He had a career-best 12 at Villanova and leads Elon with 69 tackles on the season.
• According to PFF's rankings, Curtain grades out as the eighth-best coverage safety in FCS. He ranks tied for first nationally in PFF's pass break-ups, tied for second in interceptions, third in tackles on pass plays, and fourth in pressures.

PEARSON IS A PROBLEM

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• 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.
• According to PFF, Marvin Pearson is the 11th-best pass rusher from the edge position in FCS. His 47 total pressures are the most in the country at any position, as are his 36 hurries.

TO PUNT OR NOT TO PUNT

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• 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 have also run two other fake punts, doing so against William & Mary and Monmouth.
• 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.

DEION MAKES HEADLINES BUT SO DOES BO

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• 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 63 tackles (second-most on the team), posting nine against both Wake Forest and Monmouth.
• 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.
• Against Monmouth, Sanders had nine tackles and a sack. He also came up with a big stop on fourth and goal from the two-yard line early in the second quarter.
• Deion was also a factor in the return game during his playing days and Bo does the same. He is averaging 8.7 yards on 14 punt returns in 2023.
• In Saturday's win at Delaware, Sanders had six punt returns for 84 yards, an average of 14.0 yards per return. He had a season-long return of 28 yards.
• With 122 punt return yards in 2023, Sanders ranks 10th in a single-season in the program's FCS history.

NO LINEBACKERS? NO PROBLEM

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• 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.
• Patierno had seven tackles, including a tackle for loss against Delaware. He also recovered a fumble after the Blue Hens had driven inside the Elon red zone in the final two minutes of the game.
• The duo has 115 combined tackles, including 11.5 for loss.
• Patierno ranks sixth nationally among all freshmen with 6.7 tackles per game, while Tyson is eighth at 6.1 tackles per contest.

PATIERNO ON RICE WATCH LIST

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• Redshirt freshman Marco Patierno was named to the midseason watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the top freshman in the country.
• Patierno was one of 22 freshmen named to the watch list and one of just seven defensive players honored.
• At 6.7 tackles per game, Patierno ranks sixth nationally among all freshmen.

FILLING BIG SHOES

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• True freshman kicker Jack Berkowitz had 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 10-of-13 field goals. He is 23-of-24 on extra points with the only miss being on a blocked kick.
• Berkowitz was named CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week after making four field goals in Elon's win at No. 5 Delaware. He connected on a career-long 44-yarder in the fourth quarter.
• 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.

MILLER TIME

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• Redshirt sophomore tight end Johncarlos Miller II is redefining the position at Elon, shattering the program's tight end records.
• With 101 receiving yards at No. 5 Delaware last week, Miller set the single-game FCS program record for a tight end. It also gave him 382 receiving yards in 2023, the most in a single-season by a tight end in program history.
• His 382 receiving yards are the eighth-most in FCS by a tight end.
• Miller now has 587 career receiving yards, yet another program record for tight ends.
• In the last three games in which Miller has played (he missed the Villanova game), he has 12 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns.

THREE FOR ONE

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• Three different quarterbacks have started a game for Elon this year. Matthew Downing has started seven of the nine 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

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• 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 41.5 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 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.

BONNER BREAKS OUT

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• 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 33 catches and ranks second with 395 receiving yards. He also has a team-high five touchdown receptions.
• After a career-high 20 receptions in 2022, Bonner already has 33 this year. His 395 receiving yards have also surpassed the 297 he had a year ago.

EXPERIENCE ON THE LINE

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• 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 35 career starts for Elon, while Williams has made 34. Kevin Burkett has added 30 to the mix.
• Jack Cutler joined the quartet on the offensive line to start the 2023 season. He earned his 11th career start in the team's last game against Delaware.
• In total, the five starters on the offensive line first unit have started 145 career games.

WHO NEEDS THIRD DOWN WHEN YOU'VE GOT FOURTH DOWN

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• Elon has struggled on third downs this year, converting just 36-of-128 in 2023 (28.1 percent). But the Phoenix have made up for some of those struggles by converting on fourth down.
• The Phoenix is 14-of-22 (63.6 percent) on fourth down in 2023, the 24th-best conversion percentage in FCS.
• Elon's 14 fourth down conversions in 2023 are tied for the 11th-most in the country. Northern Alabama and Gardner-Webb lead FCS with 24 fourth down conversions.
• Elon is 17th in the country in defending fourth down attempts. Opponents have converted just 7-of-18 attempts (38.9 percent).

PRESEASON ALL-CAA ANNOUNCED

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• 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

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• 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 among the top 40 in the country in interceptions, fumbles recovered, turnovers gained and turnover margin.
• Elon has won the turnover battle in each of the past three games. Over the course of those games, the Phoenix has generated seven turnovers and committing just one.

SACK MASTERS

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• After totaling 17 quarterback sacks in the first five games of the season, Elon recorded just two sacks in the next three games. At Delaware on Saturday, Elon found the touch again with four sacks.
• Thirteen 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 11-1 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.
• A year ago, Elon average 2.83 sacks per contest, ranking No. 13 in FCS Football. In 2023, Elon is at 2.56 sacks per game, No. 22 in the country.

FIRST-TIME STARTERS

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• 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

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• Elon has earned a handful of weekly awards during the 2023 season.
• Jack Berkowitz was named CAA Special Teams Player of the Week on Nov. 6 after making 4-of-4 field goals and all three extra points in a 33-27 win at No. 5 Delaware.
• 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

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• Discounting the abbreviated 2021 spring campaign, Elon has recorded at least five overall wins and four conference wins in five consecutive fall seasons.
• With five straight fall seasons of at least five overall wins and four conference wins, it is the longest streak of sustained success that Elon has seen since moving to FCS in 2000.