ELON – The Elon football team moved to 1-0 on Thursday night, earning a decisive victory over Glenville State in its 2026 season opener. Fresh faces on both sides of the ball helped the Phoenix dominate the Pioneers 42-7, leaving optimism high for a strong season to come.
Elon's defense stole the show in the first half, keeping Glenville State off the scoreboard and off the field. The Pioneers failed to convert a single third down, thanks in large part to a lockdown performance by the secondary.
Leading the group was redshirt freshman cornerback Remington Moss, who showed out in his first game in the maroon and gold by recording three pass breakups.
Moss credited his performance to his sister, who was celebrating a big day of her own.
"Happy birthday to my sister," Moss said. "I think that's why I hooped today and why I really balled out."
On the other side of the formation, another young defensive back also turned heads in his first game at Rhodes Stadium. Freshman cornerback Xavier Porter showed flashes of his incredible length and athleticism, recording a pass breakup and two tackles as he played his first collegiate snaps. Head coach Tony Trisciani took notice of Porter's performance and potential to develop into a star on the boundary.
"The sky's the limit for him," Trisciani said. "He's really talented, and I'm glad he had those valuable reps today. He's a great competitor. It's fun to watch him play football."
Elon's defense held the Pioneers to just 125 total yards of offense, with the Phoenix front seven dominating the trenches and preventing their opponent from building momentum through the air or on the ground.
As expected, redshirt junior linebacker Brodie Carroll picked up right where he left off last season, flying across the field to pressure the quarterback, filling rushing lanes and delivering bone-crushing hits that sent ball carriers straight into the dirt. The defensive captain was also the only player in maroon to record a sack on the night.
Complimenting the veteran around the line of scrimmage was another true freshman in defensive tackle Nate Hayes, who looked like a force on the interior, recording three tackles and applying pressure that disrupted a couple passing plays.
"We were able to fly around because we really care about each other and we really have a brotherhood," Moss said.
On the other side of the ball, several underclassmen teamed up with the veterans to put together an impressive all-around performance.
Sophomore quarterback Brady Stober led the show offensively, looking comfortable and confident slinging the rock in his first game with the team. The North Carolina native was the first one to put Elon on the board, booting right off a run fake on the opening drive and outrunning the defender to the pylon to secure the rushing touchdown.
However, Stober really shined through the air, showing off good decision making and accuracy as he connected with his receivers downfield. He finished the game with 254 passing yards and two passing touchdowns to go alongside his rushing score.
Stober credited the situation around him for creating an environment for him to ball out.
"I have so many weapons around me and some dawgs up front on the offensive-line," Stober said. "As long as I execute, there's not a bad spot I can go with the ball."
One of the weapons Stober showed a strong connection with on the night was redshirt freshman wide receiver Ben Kirsch. Kirsch earned his first start after an injury-riddled beginning to his collegiate career and made the most of it, hauling in four grabs for 68 yards and a touchdown. His best play came early in the third quarter, fighting through contact downfield to lay out for a beautiful diving catch and 43-yard gain that left the crowd speechless. On the next drive, Kirsch finally cashed in, catching the ball high on a 10-yard endzone fade to score his first career touchdown.
"He's a really hard worker," Stober said. "He's been injured a couple times, but he's worked his butt off. I was really happy for him to have a good night tonight because he's put in all the work to do it."
In addition to Elon's strong passing performance, Trisciani also placed a heavy emphasis on the rushing attack. The team totaled 50 rushing attempts, with 39 of those coming from its top three backs, who each accumulated over 50 yards. Senior running back Jimmyll Williams led the way, leading the team with 77 yards and notching his first multi-touchdown game as a Phoenix. Right on his tail was true freshman Kamerin McDowell-Moore, as the two-time North Carolina high school state champion recorded 84 total yards in his collegiate debut.
"When the ball's in his hands, he can make people miss, and he runs hard," Trisciani said. "He's a good young running back."
Trisciani was pleased not just to pick up the win for the home crowd, but also to experience such a great environment from the fans.
"I'm proud of Elon and proud of the support that we had from our student body today," Trisciani said. "That energy, it's contagious, and it was awesome to see our students show up and support us tonight."
The Phoenix will go on the road next to face off with the Davidson Wildcats at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
'Rising Phoenix' is a student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Sydney Spencer at sspencer9@elon.edu.
