ELON — Under the bright lights of Rhodes Stadium and in front of a roaring crowd of 11,257, the fifth-largest ever at the venue, the Elon University football team showcased an awe-inspiring ground game to secure a commanding 27-3 victory over in-state rival North Carolina A&T during its home opener on Saturday.

Elon's Ground Game Reigns Supreme

Elon (1-2, 1-0 CAA) unleashed an offensive onslaught on the ground, accumulating a staggering 260 rushing yards—a feat not matched since 2017 when they ran for 368 yards against Richmond. This impressive triumph marked the Phoenix's first win of the season and inaugurated their CAA campaign with a bang. On the flip side, North Carolina A&T (0-3 overall, 0-1 CAA) was left grappling with their third straight loss, unable to withstand Elon's ground assault.

Photo Credit: Peyton Williams/Tim Cowie Photography

Game Highlights

The Phoenix set the tone early, engineering a 10-play, 73-yard drive, culminating in a 26-yard touchdown connection from Matthew Downing to Jordan Bonner. It marked Bonner's second touchdown in as many games, showcasing his early-season prowess.

Elon's dominance continued late in the second quarter, with a lightning-fast three-play sequence. Jalen Hampton's remarkable 45-yard run set the stage for Wayne Dixie III to score his first career touchdown, putting the Phoenix ahead 17-0. Jack Berkowitz added a career-best 43-yard field goal just before halftime, pushing the lead to 17.

Elon's defense played a pivotal role in the opening half, forcing North Carolina A&T to punt on all six of its possessions, five of which were three-and-outs.

Berkowitz's reliable leg added another field goal in the third quarter, extending Elon's lead to 20-0. However, North Carolina A&T responded with a field goal of its own from Owen Daffer to break Elon's shutout bid.

A game-changing moment arrived courtesy of Elon's special teams late in the third quarter, as Kyle Romenick connected with true freshman DJ Hamilton on a fake punt, resulting in a spectacular 35-yard touchdown and a 27-3 advantage for the Phoenix.

Elon's defense maintained its dominance in the fourth quarter, shutting down North Carolina A&T's attempts to mount a comeback with a pair of turnover-on-downs situations.

BJ Turner led the Aggies with eleven tackles, giving the graduate transfer thirty-five so far through three weeks. Avarion Cole had an interception for the visiting team, but it was not enough to slow down an Elon offense that was 3-3 on fourth downs on the evening.

What's Next

Elon will embark on a short trip to Buies Creek for a Saturday night showdown with Campbell. Campbell, currently 2-1 on the season and 1-1 in CAA play, will host Elon in what promises to be an exciting matchup. North Carolina A&T is off next week before traveling to historic William "Dick" Price Stadium in Norfolk to take on Norfolk State on September 30.

The North Carolina Central Eagles and the North Carolina A&T Aggies are set to face off in a highly anticipated college football game tomorrow, Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7:00 PM EST. The game will take place at Truist Stadium and will be broadcast on FloSports.

NC Central enters this game after a remarkable 10-2 season that saw them win the MEAC title, secure the HBCU national championship, and win the 2022 Celebration Bowl. They are ranked #18 in the nation and possess a strong lineup, including quarterback Davius Richard, the 2022 MEAC offensive player of the year. The Eagles have had a strong start to the season, with a rousing opening week victory against former CIAA for Winston-Salem State.

On the other hand, the North Carolina A&T Aggies dropped their first game against the UAB Blazers, an FBS squad from the American Athletic Conference. In the loss, the Aggies’ running attack was strong, with Kenji Christian, Wesley Graves, and Brickhandler averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 147 yards against a Group of Five conference team. Charlotte transfer BJ Turner made a game-high 14 tackles, marking his first career double-figure tackling game.

This showdown marks the 94th encounter between the Eagles and the Aggies. With the Aggies leading the series 53-35-5, it's a rivalry etched in football lore. In recent history, NC A&T has secured victories in 22 of the last 31 matchups, while NC Central has claimed eight of the most recent 16 contests.

The stage is set for an electrifying clash between two historic rivals. With a rich history, strong rosters, and passionate fan bases, this game promises to be a highlight of the season.

Other Big Games

Appalachian State at North Carolina: North Carolina and Appalachian State are facing off for the second straight season on Saturday at 5:15 on ACC Network. The Tar Heels was a 63-61 opening week barnburner in Boone last season and are looking to start their season 2-0 after an impressive win against South Carolina last week. A three-game series (two in Chapel Hill and one in Boone) comes to an end with Saturday's sold-out game. In addition to a sold-out crowd, App State's 34-31 triumph in 2019 included Kenan Stadium, and North Carolina’s 63-61 victory in Boone last year featured a record 40,168 spectators in Kidd Brewer Stadium. The final seconds of each of those games determined the winner. App State defeated FCS opponent Gardner-Webb 45-24 in their season opener. Joey Aguilar, who took over for injured quarterback Ryan Burger late in the first half, completed 11 of 13 passes for 174 yards and four touchdowns. On his first App State snap, he threw a touchdown pass. With the win over South Carolina, Mack Brown became the first head coach to win 100 games at two FBS schools. Kaimon Rucker was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after his impressive performance against South Carolina leading a North Carolina defense that held South Carolina to -2 yards rushing.

Elon at Gardner-Webb: Gardner-Webb will play host to in-state foe Elon this Saturday at Spangler Stadium and broadcast on ESPN+. Elon currently holds the series advantage with a record of 22-11, with Gardner-Webb winning the first 11 games from 1970 through 1982. Since 2001, the two teams have split their past six matches 3-3. In the previous season, Gardner-Webb had a 24-20 lead against the Phoenix on the road, but Elon defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs 30-24 by holding Gardner-Webb without a goal in the second half. Gardner-Webb enters this week's match looking for its first win of the season after falling to FBS Appalachian State 45–24. Three catches for a career-high 67 yards, three touchdowns overall, and two running touchdowns were all recorded by Jayden Brown. After losing to ACC opponent Wake Forest 37-17, Elon also enters this game at 0-1. At halftime, the Phoenix was down 24-0, but by the start of the fourth quarter, the deficit had shrunk to 30-14. Caleb Curtain added one sack and returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown. Elon led the CAA with 34 total sacks last season when it sacked the Demon Deacons four times on Thursday.

Lenoir-Rhyne at Fayetteville State: The Lenoir-Rhyne Bears will face off against the Fayetteville State Broncos in a college football game on Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 6 p.m. at the Luther Nick Jeralds Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in the 104-year history of LR football. The Bears are hoping to move to 2-0 on the young season with a win over Fayetteville St. This would be their second time under Mike Jacobs and only their fifth 2-0 start this century. In week one, Lenoir-Rhyne dominated St. Augustine’s with a 45-7 victory. The defense held the Falcons to just three first downs and 52 total yards, while special teams scored two touchdowns.

Fayetteville St. was a controversial selection to the 2022 NCAA Division II Playoffs but were bested by Delta St. in the opening round. They opened their season with a loss to UNC Pembroke, accounting for just 258 total yards of offense and turning the ball over twice. Defensively, they held Pembroke to just 42 yards rushing but were gashed in the passing game. Kentrell Caldwell and Cameron Merrell were named to the preseason watch list for the HBCU football player of the year award and anchor one of the best defensive units in the region. FSU was predicted to finish first in the preseason CIAA coaches poll.

GREENSBORO – Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 235 yards and two touchdowns, helping North Carolina A&T erase an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat Campbell 45-38 on Saturday at Truist Stadium.

The Aggies moved to 5-3 on the year and 3-0 in Big South games, while Campbell suffered its first league loss, falling to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in conference play as the teams combined for 1,101 yards, 566 for A&T and 535 for CU.

Six of A&T’s touchdowns came on plays of 35 or more yards, including 70 and 42-yard runs from Tuten, who ran for 123 yards in the second half. 

Wesley Graves’ six-yard score gave the Aggies a 45-38 lead with 8:54 to play. 

The Camels scored touchdowns on their first four drives, all in the first quarter, with QB Hajj-Malik Williams running for two and passing for two more, pushing Campbell to a 28-10 lead. 

After a scoreless second quarter, A&T outscored the Camels 20-3 in the third. 

Williams passed for a school-record 426 yards, completing 31-of-47 passes and two touchdowns, adding two more rushing scores. 

Austin Hite hauled in four catches for 103 yards, a career-high, including a 68 touchdown grab in the second quarter. Chaney Fitzgerald made nine catches for 53 yards, while Bryant Barr and Julian Hill both registered three catches with 88 and 80 yards. Hill added a touchdown catch, also rushing for a score.

Jalen Fowler completed 12-of-21 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns for the Aggies, while Zachary Leslie made four catches for 124 yards and two TDs. 

CJ Tillman posted eight stops for the Camels, including 1.0 tackle for loss, while Josh Johnson added seven tackles with 1.0 TFL and a pass breakup. D’Marcus Harrington also notched an interception to go along with three tackles. 

Tywayne Williams led the A&T defense with eight tackles, while Jacob Roberts tallied a third-quarter pick-6, adding two tackles. 

UP NEXT

Campbell wraps up a three-game road stretch, heading to new Big South member Bryant on November 5. The Camels return home for their home finale on November 12 against Gardner-Webb for the 2022 North Carolina East/West Barbecue Bowl and Senior Day. North Carolina A&T continues a three-game homestand, hosting Norfolk State next Saturday at 12 p.m.

CHARLOTTE – Monmouth wide receiver Lonnie Moore IV (Sicklerville, N.J.) has been named the Big South Football Offensive Player of the Week, while North Carolina A&T linebacker Jacob Roberts (Charlotte, N.C.) is the Defensive Player of the Week for games played during Week 10 of the 2021 season.  Monmouth punter Ryan Kost (Newton. Conn.) is the Special Teams Player of the Week, and North Carolina A&T linebacker Tyquan King (Dillon, S.C.) is the Freshman of the Week.

Moore caught nine passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns and finished the day with 231 all-purpose yards in Monmouth’s 45-33 Big South win over North Alabama.  His first reception of the day was a 7-yard TD catch.  Moore added touchdown grabs of 17 and 14 yards, had a long of 33 yards, and gained 61 yards after the catch.  He also recorded a 10-yard run and returned four kickoffs for 94 yards in the victory.

Roberts notched 11 tackles (six solo, five assisted), 3.5 tackles-for-loss (-23 yards), and 3.0 sacks in helping the Aggies set a Big South single-game record with 11 quarterback sacks in A&T’s 21-18 win at Charleston Southern.  His final sack of the day was for an 11-yard loss as the Bucs approached midfield on their last drive.  Roberts was part of a defense that held CSU to just 147 yards of offense and minus-3 yards rushing.

Kost averaged 51.3 yards on three punts -- all of which landed inside the UNA 20-yard line, with two inside the 10.  He had punts of 51, 41, and 62 yards (career-long), with the 62-yarder being downed at the Lions’ 3-yard line.  North Alabama’s averaging starting field position after Kost’s punts was its own 10-yard line. 

In his first career start, King led the Aggies with 15 tackles (six solo, nine assisted) and recorded two quarterback sacks along with a QB hurry in North Carolina A&T’s 21-18 win at Charleston Southern.  Five of his stops came on gains of 2 yards or less, and he helped A&T hold the Bucs to 288 yards below their season average of 435.

Also nominated for Offensive Player of the Week: Caleb Snead (Campbell), Jett Duffey (Hampton), and Xavier Shepherd (Kennesaw State).

Also nominated for Defensive Player of the Week: Andy Matthews (Hampton), Tyler Moore (Kennesaw State), and Eddie Hahn (Monmouth).

Also nominated for Special Teams Player of the Week: Axel Perez (Hampton) and Nathan Robertson (Kennesaw State).

Also nominated for Freshman of the Week: CJ Tillman (Campbell), Willie Harris (Gardner-Webb), Romon Copeland (Hampton), Gabriel Benyard (Kennesaw State), and Jaden Shirden (Monmouth).

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST-TEAM