ELON, N.C. – This Saturday, Sept. 10, will bring the first road test of the year for the Elon University football team as the Phoenix heads to Charlotte for a date with the 49ers. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Richardson Stadium.
Fans unable to attend the game can listen to the game on WSML 104.5 FM and 1200 AM or at elonphoenix.com as David Hibbard and Taylor Durham will have the call. The radio broadcast will start at 5 p.m. Fans can also listen to all Elon football games via the TuneIn Radio app. This app is free to download to your smartphone.
A video stream is available for a fee through CUSA.tv.
ELON VS. CHARLOTTE
The Phoenix and 49ers have met just once before – a 20-13 Elon victory at Rhodes Stadium in 2014.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
The Phoenix football squad elected two captains for the 2015 season. Serving as captain for the second year in a row is senior linebacker John Silas (Powder Springs, Ga.). He will be joined by first-year captain, junior offensive lineman Ikenna Nwokeji (Randolph, Mass.).
Each week the Phoenix will also name a game-week captain. The list of those captains is below:
• Gardner-Webb– LB Warren Messer (Garner, N.C.)
• at Charlotte – RB Brandon Gentry (Monroe, N.C.)
ELON VS. FBS OPPONENTS
Elon’s week two contest at Charlotte will mark the program’s ninth against an FBS opponent. The first FBS meeting for Elon came in 2007 when the Phoenix dropped a 28-13 contest at South Florida. The Phoenix’s FBS games have come at Wake Forest (2009, 2015), at Duke (2010, 2014), at Vanderbilt (2011), at North Carolina (2012) and at Georgia Tech (2013).
NUMBERS FROM LAST GAME
• 2 field goals made by John Gallagher (Caldwell, N.J.), moving him in to third place on the school’s career list with 37
• 2 turnovers forced by the Phoenix – one fumble recovery and one interception
• 5 receptions for Corey Joyner (Mooresville, N.C.), matching a career high
WE HAIL FROM
Elon’s 2016 roster sports 97 players total, including 46 from the state of North Carolina. The Phoenix roster also has players from 15 other states and Washington, D.C. – Alabama (1), Connecticut (2), Delaware (1), Florida (4), Georgia (11), Indiana (2), Massachusetts (3), New Jersey (8), New York (3), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), South Carolina (3), Virginia (7), Washington (1), Wisconsin (1) and the District of Columbia (1).
A NEW FACE
Elon head coach Rich Skrosky had to replace Jerry Petercuskie who announced his retirement following two seasons as the Phoenix’s defensive coordinator and linebackers. Skrosky promoted former defensive line coach Patrick Madden to the defensive coordinator and linebackers position before bringing aboard Gerald Chatman as the new defensive line coach. Chatman spent last season as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M and has made stops at Butler, Ball State and Wisconsin Oshkosh.
YOUNG BIRDS
The 2016 edition of the Phoenix is a young one. The 97-player roster includes 32 true freshmen, 17 red-shirt freshmen and 21 sophomores. That means that just over 72 percent of the squad are players competing in either their first or second season of collegiate games. Only nine seniors are on this year’s team.
NESTING AT HOME
The 2016 season marks Elon’s 95th year of football. In that time, the maroon and gold has posted an all-time record of 492-435-18 (.530) – including a sizzling 176-84-3 (.674) mark in 52 seasons of home games at Burlington Memorial Stadium. In its current home of Rhodes Stadium, the Phoenix has gone 37-48 (.435).
WINNING ON THE ROAD
Three of Elon’s four victories last season came on the road. That marked the most road wins for the Phoenix since winning three contests away from home in 2011.
PLAYING THE BEST
Elon’s 2016 schedule features six opponents, all members of CAA Football, that are ranked in the preseason top 25. Earning a spot in the STATS poll are Richmond (4th), William & Mary (9th), James Madison (12th), New Hampshire (22nd), Villanova (23rd) and Towson (24th). The coaches poll ranks Richmond (4th), William & Mary (10th), James Madison (11th) and Villanova (22nd) among the top 25. During its tenure at the FCS level, Elon has twice faced off with six ranked foes in a season – 2001 and 2008.