Elon, N.C. – Rushawn Baker rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns and the Elon Football team won its third straight game, defeating the Maine Black Bears 31-25 Saturday for Senior Day. The Phoenix never trailed during the day to improve to 5-6 on the season and 4-3 in CAA play. Maine falls to 5-6 overall with the loss and 3-4 in league action.
 
The victory was Elon's fourth straight Senior Day victory. The Phoenix have outscored their opponents on Senior Day 152-70 since 2021.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Elon scored on its opening drive, beginning the game with a 46-yard Chandler Brayboy reception on the first play from scrimmage. Rushawn Baker ran three times for 22 yards, concluding with a six-yard plunge up the middle for the 7-0 lead.
• The Phoenix took a 14-3 lead on a 16-play drive that included four third-down conversions. Baker picked up his second touchdown of the day, this time from three yards out.
• Maine cut into the deficit with a touchdown just before the end of the first half and the Phoenix led 14-10 at the break.
• It looked as if Maine would strike first in the second half as the Black Bears had third-and-goal at the one-yard line, but a delay of game penalty was followed by a Caleb Curtain interception to turn away the threat.
• Elon used momentum-changing turnover for a 7-play, 84-yard touchdown drive. Brayboy caught a 36-yard pass on the first play and Baker followed with a 25-yard rush. He closed the drive with his third touchdown of the day, from six yards away, for a 21-10 Elon lead.
• Following the touchdown, Maine had a long kick return to set up a touchdown drive. The Black Bears converted on the two-point conversion to make it 21-18.
• Elon took no time to take a double-digit lead back. After Brayboy had a 30-yard kick return, he then caught a 70-yard pass from Matthew Downing to make it 28-18 Phoenix.
• Midway through the fourth quarter, Elon tacked on a field goal to make it 31-18. Maine closed the game with a touchdown with just two seconds remaining for the 31-25 final score.

 
 
NOTES AND STATS

• Baker rushed for 150+ yards for the third straight game, giving him 477 yards on the ground and six touchdowns during that stretch. He is the first Elon player to rush for 150+ yards in three consecutive games since Malcolm Summers did so in 2017.
• Matthew Downing was 17-of-26 passing for 299 yards and a touchdown
• Chandler Brayboy had three catches for 138 yards, adding 185 all-purpose yards
• Khalil Baker led the Phoenix with seven tackles, adding a pass break-up
• Dylan Tucker had five tackles and two pass break-ups
• Caleb Curtain had three tackles and an interception
• Jeff Yurk averaged 49.5 yards on six punts, finishing with three 50-yarders
• Elon had 486 yards of offense, holding Maine to 330. The Phoenix led on the ground 187-59
• The Phoenix was +1 on turnovers and had just one penalty during the game
• Elon has scored 121 points during its three-game winning streak
• With the victory, Elon has now posted at least five overall wins and four regular season wins in each of the last four years and in each of the last seven fall campaigns (excluding the 2020-21 COVID season)
• Maine and Elon are now tied at 3-3 in the all-time series
• Tony Trisciani improved to 31-31 as head coach at Elon
• The victory was Elon's 21^st conference in over the past four years. That total is the second-most in the program's FCS history, behind only the 22 wins in 2007-10. It ties the 21 wins during the 2008-11 seasons.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon closes the season at North Carolina A&T Saturday at 1:00 p.m.