ELON, N.C. -- The Southern Conference today announced the selection of Elon's Karlos Sullivan as the league's defensive player of the week and A.J. Harris as the league's special teams player of the week following their performances in the Phoenix's 45-10 victory over Chattanooga.  The squad has collected seven SoCon players of the week in 2009, one shy of the team's 2008 total.  Also released on Monday were the two major FCS national polls in which Elon (6-1 overall, 4-0 SoCon) moved from seventh to sixth.

 

Sullivan, a senior defensive back from Greenville, S.C.,  earned his third career league honor, and first defensive player of the week nod, after recording six tackles as the Phoenix remained perfect in SoCon play with its win over UTC.  In that contest, Sullivan also picked off a pass, broke up another pass attempt and recovered a fumble.  Sullivan's third pick of the season give him nine for his career, the second-highest total for an Elon player since the move to NCAA Division I play.  In six games this season, he has tallied 21 total tackles.

 

Harris, a running back and native of Ocean View, N.J., was awarded his second career SoCon accolade and first special teams honor after he blocked one punt and scooped up another blocked punt for a 35-yard touchdown.  Offensively, Harris averaged 5.5 yards on six carries for the Phoenix.

 

After improving to 6-1 with its fourth straight victory, Elon climbed from seventh to sixth in both The Sports Network top-25 poll and the FCS Coaches Top-25 poll.  The Phoenix has now been ranked for 28 consecutive weeks.

 

Defending national champion Richmond (7-0) continued to hold down the top spot in both polls, collecting 128 of 139 first-place votes in The Sports Network rankings and all 28 first-place selections in the coaches ratings.  The rest of the top-five is also the same in both polls and consists of Montana (7-0), Southern Illinois (6-1), Villanova (7-1) and William & Mary (6-1).

 

Just behind Elon in The Sports Network poll is SoCon rival Appalachian State (5-2).  The number seven spot is held by New Hampshire (6-1) in the coaches rankings.  Other than the order of Appalachian State and New Hampshire, the rest of the top-10 is also the same in both polls as South Dakota State (6-1) and South Carolina State (6-1) fill out those spots.

 

The Phoenix travels to Wofford, who received one point in The Sports Network rankings, for a 1:30 p.m. contest on Saturday afternoon in Spartanburg, S.C.