Elon Football Phoenix Closes Out Spring Practice with Final Scrimmage

ELON, N.C. – Elon University football closed its spring slate on Saturday, April 27, with its final scrimmage on a gorgeous afternoon at Rhodes Stadium. The team worked for about two hours on the field before wrapping the 15-practice slate.

The offense got off to a quick start on just the second drive of the afternoon, going 90 yards on eight plays for a touchdown. The drive was capped by an acrobatic catch by Chandler Brayboy near the left pylon for a 43-yard touchdown pass from Joey Baughman. Just three plays after the two tried to hook up on a deep pass down the sideline, Brayboy this time went up and reached for the ball over his defender, pinned it against the defensive back’s helmet and came down with the catch in the end zone for the score. During the drive, Baughman was a perfect 3-for-3 passing for 69 yards with 12 more rushing yards on one carry.

After the score, the defense settled in and kept the offense at bay. Jamir Malone had a strong day with a team-best 10 tackles and one for loss while Cole Coleman finished with nine tackles and a pass breakup. TJ Speight finished with six stops and 0.5 for an eight-yard loss while Marcus Hillman also had six stops. Destin Flloyd, Tiras Williams and Sam K. Smith all finished with sacks on the day.

Offensively, Baughman’s day finished 4-for-7 passing for 79 yards and the touchdown pass. Will Alexander also had a strong day, hitting on 5-of-6 passes for 60 yards. Brayboy caught two balls for 60 yards the score to lead the receiver group while Isaiah Hill caught three balls for 35 yards and Seth Harrell four balls for 30 yards. On the ground, Jaylan Thomas carried nine times for 41 yards and Baughman carried seven times for 34 yards.

“I’m pleased with where we are today and with our progress,” said Elon head coach Tony Trisciani. “We got better each time we came out here, especially in key areas – up front on the offensive line is a key area when you lose three starters, you’ve got to develop the next man up and those kids have worked real hard and got better and they’ve been going against a pretty good defensive front the whole time.

“Overall as a football program, I like where we are. We have some real good players that aren’t out here yet that we haven’t had a chance to see but everyone who has been practicing this spring has really done a good job. They’ve practiced with a purpose, developed some skills and we have a better idea of where we are in the secondary with some of those skill positions. That was another area where we lost three seniors and you have to figure out where the pieces are going to fit and I’m happy there. Overall we’re happy with what we’ve seen and we’re excited for the future.”

With spring practice in the books, the team now turns its attention to finishing the semester strong in the classroom before getting ready for camp ahead of the 2019 season. Elon’s first game of the 2019 season comes Saturday, Aug. 31, on the road with a 6 p.m. kickoff against North Carolina A&T.

Season tickets for the 2019 season are on sale now though the Elon Ticket Office. To purchase tickets, order online by clicking here or contact the Ticket Office at 336-278-6750. Fans can also purchase season tickets in person by stopping by the Elon Ticket Office, which is located at Gate A of Schar Center. Season parking passes for the 2019 campaign will be on sale to Phoenix Club members at the Maroon & Gold ($250) giving level and above at a later date.