ELON – The Elon football team scored the final 24 points of the game to rally past Hampton for a 41-20 victory in the Phoenix's Coastal Athletic Association opener Saturday afternoon at Rhodes Stadium.
 
Elon (3-2, 1-0 CAA) trailed 20-17 late in the third quarter when Landen Clark took a six-yard rush into the end zone to claim the lead for good with 1:58 on the clock. The Phoenix came up with three interceptions in the contest – two by Ishmel Atkins – and piled on 288 rushing yards, led by a career-best 172 on 13 carries from Jimmyll Williams.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Elon led 7-6 after 15 minutes of play, trading a 23-yard touchdown run by TJ Thomas Jr. for a pair of Hampton (1-4, 0-2) field goals. The Phoenix managed only 50 yards in the first quarter and picked up 40 of them on a three-play drive that ended in Thomas hitting the gap for his second score of the season.
• The second quarter started with a bang as Landen Clark hit a wide-open Isaiah Fuhrmann down field for an 81-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the frame, extending Elon's lead to 14-6.
• Atkins took over the second quarter from there, notching his second and third interceptions of the season on Hampton's next two drives while the Phoenix defense forced the Pirates to punt twice prior to halftime.
• Luke Barnes knocked in a 34-yard field goal in between Atkins' two interceptions to make it a 17-6 advantage at halftime.
• Momentum swung to Hampton after halftime, as the Pirates' Jah'Kei Chavis took the first offensive play 75 yards for a rushing touchdown to cut the Phoenix lead to four points.
• Elon's next offensive drive ended in a fumble by Clark and Hampton translated it into a 44-yard touchdown pass from Braden Davis to Tae'Shaun Johnson three plays later, giving the Pirates a 20-17 advantage.
• It took until the Phoenix's final drive of the third quarter for the offensive to get back in rhythm when Clark capped a nine-play 65-yard drive with his go-ahead six-yard touchdown rush.
• Elon scored on all three of its fourth-quarter drives – a 33-yard field goal by Barnes, 1-yard touchdown rush by Thomas and a 14-yard touchdown run by Williams – to put the Pirates away. Williams had a highlight-reel 45-yard rush the play prior to finding the end zone on the Phoenix's final drive of the game.

NOTES & STATS

• Atkins is the first Phoenix with two interceptions in a single game since Omar Rogers had a pair at Hampton in 2022. Atkins leads Elon with three total interceptions this season.
• The Phoenix piled up four rushing scores in the win, led by a career-best two from Thomas.
• In addition to being a career high, Williams' 172 rushing yards were the most by an Elon player since Jalen Hampton ran for 177 against Hampton in 2022.
• Elon has forced a turnover in eight straight games dating back to last season following its three-interception effort Saturday.
• The Phoenix's three total interceptions are its most since picking off three against North Carolina Central on Sept. 7, 2024.
• Clark and Fuhrmann connected six times for 135 yards through the air. Fuhrmann, a sophomore, has two 100-yard receiving games so far this season and has totaled at least five catches and 66 yards in all four games he's played.
• Clark has two touchdown passes of 78-plus yards this season following his 81-yard pass to Fuhrmann.
• Four Phoenix – Kahmari Brown, Asher Cunningham, Jake Louro and Chaz Knox – had one sack apiece.
• Brodie Carrol and Cunningham led Elon with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively.
• Barnes is now 9-for-9 on field goals this season after nailing his 33- and 34-yarders.
• Elon was 5-for-5 in the red zone and improved to 21-for-23 on red zone visits this season.

UP NEXT
Elon hits the road to face Towson next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET in Towson, Maryland on Oct. 4.
 
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