THE PENDULUM
PAGE 22 // THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 4. 2010
After big
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football
for The cmii
Sam Calvert
Sports Editor
Out of the eight teams the Elon University football
team has played, five of them have been ranked in
the top-25 in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Another was a member of the ACC in the Football Bowl
Subdivision.
And until Oct. 30, the Phoenix was unable to
topple these top-tier programs. But last weekend, the
team traveled to Tennessee and took down the No. 20
University of Tennessee Chattanooga 49-35.
“I’m happy for the players," head coach Pete Lembo
said. “They’ve been so resilient. They never doubted,
never waivered. It’s nice to get positive results in the
win column.”
The Phoenix forced six turnovers en route to the
win, with five interceptions by five different players.
On the offensive side of the ball, junior running
back A.J. Harris led the team with four touchdowns,
165 yards rushing and 17 yards receiving. Senior wide
receiver Sean Jeffcoat was responsible for the team’s
other two touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Scott Riddle passed for 260
yards, completing 21 of 29 passes before being taken out
of the game because of shoulder injuries. Sophomore
quarterback Thomas Wilson then came in and threw for
57 yards to finish the game.
But despite the win, the team has to stay focused,
Lembo said.
“We can’t get too high on the highs or too low on the
lows,” he said.
Now, Elon has to look to its next matchup against
The Citadel at 2 p.m. Saturday in Charleston, S.C.
The Bulldogs are 0-6 in the Southern Conference
and 2-7 overall.
“We don’t talk a whole lot about people’s records,”
Lembo said. “We know in this league you have to show
up ready to play."
The team has to be ready for anything, senior
defensive lineman Brandon Ward said.
“When you’re playing in the Southern Conference,
there are no gimme games,” Ward said. “Any team can
beat you.”
The Citadel not only has home-field advantage in this
weekend’s game, but is also celebrating homecoming.
Elon expects a big crowd and a hostile atmosphere
because this is a release for the cadets that have had a
hard week in the barracks, Lembo said.
He also said the cadets get the weekend off if the
football team wins, so there is a lot of motivation.
“It’s going to be big,” Wilson said. “The cadets are
always pretty rowdy and loud. The atmosphere is going
to be big, but it’s not like we haven’t played in a big
atmosphere before.”
The environment will not be a problem. Ward said.
Instead it will provide impetus for the Phoenix to
perform better.
“1 love that environment,” he said. “It’s not a problem.
The team loves to go out and play in front of the big
crowds.”
Another factor in The Citadel game is the Bulldogs
TOP LEFT: Senior wide receiver Sean Jeffcoat had two touchdowns on seven catches and yards in Saturday's 49-35 win against
offense. The team runs a triple option offense, which is
the third time Elon has faced this scheme this season.
Both Georgia Southern University and Wofford
College ran a triple option offense, and both teams
came up victorious against the Phoenix.
But Elon’s offensive scouts are working to replicate
that system in practice, so the team can be as prepared
as possible come Saturday, Lembo said.
“If we go out there and have a big Tuesday practice,
the week typically goes good," Wilson said.
And if practice goes well, Wilson said the game on
5 things to look for against The Citadel:
1. Will the Phoenix stay focused after a big win against No. 20
Chattanooga? Eton's win against No. 20 University of Tennessee
Chattanooga was the team’s first win against a ranked opponent this
season.
2. How will senior quarterback Scott Riddle recover from last
week’s injury? Against Chattanooga, Riddle was hit and left the
game in the fourth quarter. Head coach Pete Lembo said he hurt his
shoulder but should return to play this week against The Citadel.
3. Who will punt for the Phoenix? With Riddle’s injury, Lembo said
it was not likely that he would punt against the Bulldogs Saturday.
Instead, the job would go to either sophomore John Reece or
redshirt freshman Kenton Beal. Reece has punted 13 times for an
average of 35.5 yards, while Beal has yet to punt this season.
4. Will the team be able to stop the triple option offense of The
Citadel? The Bulldogs will be the third triple option team the Phoenix
will face this season. Previously, the team has tost to Georgia
Southern University and Wofford College, who both execute the
system. Elon’s defense gave up a total of 805 yards and 66 points to
the two teams.
5. Can the Phoenix protect the foottiall against the Bulldogs?
Against Chattanooga, Riddle, freshman wide receiver Kierre Brown
and junior njnning backs A.J. Harris and Dontay Taylor all fumbled
the ball, and Elon lost all four fumbles. The team has fumbled the ball
11 times all season.
the weekend typically goes well, too.
The offense Elon will be preparing for is more
similar to Georgia Southern’s, rather than Wofford’s,
Lembo said, because the Bulldogs stay under center
more often.
The defense feejs good about its ability to defend the
triple option at this point in the season because it has
improved each time it’s had to play the system, from
Georgia Southern to Wofford to now. Ward said.
“I want a shutout,” he said. “We can do it if we put
our minds to it.”
BY THE NUMBERS
165 rushing yards for junior
running back A.J. Harris, along with
four touchdowns
490 for
Elon
5 interceptions by five different
players for the Phoenix
1 penalty, for a loss of 15 yards,
against Elon
6-10
rate for Pete Lembo’s offense
154 an
catches for senior wide receiver
Sean Jeffcoat
12 backer
Brandon Wiggins, leading the team
2:47
game at 35-35 to an Elon lead of
49-35
4 fumbles lost for Elon, each by a
different player