ELON – With just under 90 seconds left to play Saturday against Sacred Heart, junior kicker Luke Barnes trotted onto the field.  

 

His last attempt on the previous drive soared left of the uprights, but that would become a distant memory if he delivered now. However, with the game tied at 21-21, the crowd roaring and the goal posts standing 52 yards away, the lights could never be brighter for the Greensboro native.  

 

Barnes lined up his feet and took another look at the yellow bars. Then, after taking one last deep breath, he sent away the kick. The ball soared through the warm September night, passing over the crossbar and putting the Phoenix out in front. Barnes was rushed by his teammates before the ball even passed the endzone, celebrating what would eventually become the game-winning field goal.  

 

The kick by Barnes secured a thrilling 24-21 victory for the Elon football team over the Pioneers, and while the game winning points came courtesy of special teams, players from all three phases of the game stepped up when needed to help the Phoenix pull off the win. 

 

The story of the first half was quarterback Elijah Guttman. Making his first start under the lights, the pressure was on for the redshirt freshman. However, he was quick to silence the noise. 

 

Guttman had the Phoenix flying early, making precise passes along the sideline to drive Elon down the field. However, when the moment came, he called his own number, taking a designed QB run and carrying a defender on his back as he crossed the goal line to get his team on the board. The score marked Guttman's first career touchdown, but it would be far from his last on the night. 

 

"I'm proud of Elijah for settling down early in the game," head coach Tony Trisciani said. "Once he got his composure and got more comfortable, he made some plays for us." 

 

Guttman eventually added a second score on the ground, going airborne as he soared into the endzone. He also connected with redshirt senior receiver Landyn Backey for his first career passing touchdown. 

 

Backey, who missed the first two games of the season due to injury, was grateful to finally get back on the field and contribute to his team. He led the team with four catches on the night for 40 yards, with 19 coming on a slant he housed midway through the second quarter.  

 

"It was hard starting the season being on the sideline, watching everybody have fun," Backey said. "All the coaches had confidence in me throughout the whole thing, even when at times I felt bad for myself. That confidence they instilled in me helped me to have this moment tonight." 

 

Elon's 21-point second quarter put the team ahead heading to the locker room. However, it was the defense that helped seal the game in the second half.  

 

During the final series, redshirt junior linebacker Brodie Carroll proved once again why he is a star of Elon's defense. Following the Barnes field goal, Elon needed to hold strong and defend its lead for another minute. Carroll made his presence felt immediately, sensing a crossing route coming his way and blowing up the catch with a bone-rattling hit. Then, with the quarterback scrambling as the clock expired, Carroll tripped up the ballcarrier to cap off his monster performance. The defensive captain finished the game with 16 tackles, one sack and two pass breakups. 

 

"[The energy] was high," Carroll said. "It was the whole defense, the whole game, just chipping away. You find an excuse to win no matter what." 

 

One group that especially brought the energy – and the pressure – was Elon's pass rush. The Phoenix recorded three sacks on the night, a season high. Defensive end Rylan Shibley had one in the second quarter, collapsing the pocket before engulfing the quarterback. The sophomore was a disruptor for the entire game, making tackles down the line and flustering Sacred Heart's quarterback throughout 

 

Redshirt junior safety Tony Hart III also found his way into the sack column by blowing up a play early in the second half, penetrating the backfield and making a quick wrap before hitting a dance at midfield. Hart was an enforcer all night, finishing second on the team in tackles with nine, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup.  

 

Elon's strong first half from Guttman and the offense, shutdown second half from the defense and clutch kick by Barnes all helped the Phoenix ultimately pull off another win at home under the lights. While Trisciani admitted it wasn't an easy win, he felt confident that the better team prevailed. 

 

"I didn't care if it was by one point, three points or 30 points," Trisciani said. "I just wanted a win for our football team. We're going to enjoy it, and then we'll correct the mistakes tomorrow and turn the page and focus on next week. But I was thrilled to have a win." 

 

Elon will stay at home for a Family Weekend clash next Saturday against the Maine Black Bears at 2 p.m. 
 

---

'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.

---