ELON, N.C. – Fifth-ranked Elon University football lost just its second regular-season home game under head coach Curt Cignetti on Saturday, Nov. 10, with a 41-10 loss to No. 20 Towson at Rhodes Stadium.
“We were outplayed by Towson,” Cignetti said. “They’ve got a great quarterback. I thought we put a lot of pressure on him in the second half, and there were some points there defensively we were playing well. We kind of got back in the game, 21-10, and had the momentum, but we couldn’t capitalize on that opportunity.”
THE RUNDOWN
On its second drive of the game, Towson (7-3, 5-2 CAA Football) scored the first points of the day with a four-yard touchdown pass from Tom Flacco to Chris Clark to cap a nine-play, 62-yard drive. Though Elon’s ensuing drive stalled out, Hunter Stephenson boomed a career-long 67-yard punt to back the Tigers to their one-yard line. Following a defensive stop that helped the Phoenix flip the field, Skyler Davis hit a 21-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to cut the lead to 7-3.
After back-to-back touchdown passes to Shane Leatherbury from 16 and nine yards out, respectively, Elon (6-3, 4-2 CAA Football) trailed 21-3 before Jalen Greene took a 17-yard carry to the house to bring Elon back within 11 at 21-10 with 2:01 to go in the third quarter. That was as close as Elon would come, though, with Towson hitting a 45-yard field goal as time expired in the third before adding 17 points in the fourth to finish the day.
STATISTICS
Rushing
Elon: Jalen Greene – 13 carries, 73 yards, 1 touchdown
Towson: Kobe Young – 7 carries, 59 yards, 1 touchdown
Passing
Elon: Jalen Greene – 5-19, 30 yards
Towson: Tom Flacco – 26-43, 326 yards, 3 touchdowns
Receiving
Elon: Cole Taylor – 2 receptions, 26 yards
Towson: Jabari Allen – 9 receptions, 143 yards
Defense
Elon: Cole Coleman – 12 tackles, 5 solo
Towson: Robert Heyward – 13 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks
NOTES
-In each of Elon’s three losses this season, it has been held under 300 yards of offense while giving up at least 369 per game.
-Elon falls to 6-4 against nationally-ranked teams under Curt Cignetti.
-The Phoenix had defeated each of the previous two nationally-ranked teams it had played this season, topping No. 21 Furman and No. 2 James Madison.
-Elon’s 10 points are the fewest it’s scored in a game since the regular-season finale last season against No. 1 James Madison.
UP NEXT
Elon will close its regular season on Saturday, Nov. 17, with a 12 p.m. game at No. 16 Maine. The Phoenix last played Maine on Nov. 14, 2015, when Elon won 27-22 on the road in Orono.