Elon University football coach Jason Swepson’s a nice guy. A good interview. He glad-hands the old-timers as he walks into the weekly football luncheon on Monday afternoons at the Best Western Plus on Huffman Mill Road. He speaks optimistically, answering the questions he’s probably heard a hundred times. He keeps the focus on the team, on the game ahead.
But let’s be honest here. Swepson cannot truly be optimistic about this season of football. Even though there are some positives from this year, the ball coach said this profound statement at the luncheon:
“We’re just not a very good football team at this point.”
Yet later in the same luncheon he also said this very profound statement.
“We might have a shot to sneak into the playoffs. We’ve still got a lot to play for.”
Can you tell me how these two things work together to form a coherent position? I understand being optimistic for old-timers who live and die Elon football. But if this is really how Swepson feels, that Elon still has a chance to sneak into the playoffs, Phoenix fans have more to worry about than that nasty turnover number (29) or the ugly point differential (-51).
From Swepson’s comments in the luncheon, it appears that there are morale issues in the Phoenix locker room. Among the statements he made:
“I still believe that Thomas (Wilson) gives us the best chance to win football games. I’m gonna try to coach the team on giving him support instead of pointing the finger.”
“The team is coming together. It’s a young team. It’s very easy to point the finger but that’s not what we’re going to do.”
“The finger pointing, it’s tough to shake. Those losses, they stick with you.”
“It’s easy to point the finger at the turnovers, at the quarterback position. But it’s not all him.”
“We’ve got some guys still not buying into the system, and that’s what’s hurting us at this point.”
“There were some fragile young men on the field.”
I understand the potential fragility of the players. It’s a young team overall. It’s a new system with a new head coach. It’s a new quarterback guiding the team. It's a rough 4-4 start with a poor running game and oodles of turnovers. Mistakes will be made because they're humans on the field.
But to think that Thomas Wilson “gives us the best chance to win football games” is disconcerting for the future.
Wilson has thrown 66 percent of his passes into the hands of a Phoenix receiver and 14 passing touchdowns. Not terrible numbers. With a receiver like Southern Conference pre-season All-American wide receiver Aaron Mellette, you would hope for more than 14 touchdowns. In fact, Swepson expects three or four scores from Mellette a week (unreasonable, much?). And Wilson leads the SoCon in total offense per game at 271.1 yards per game.
However, he has 17 interceptions through eight games, averaging over two per outing, plus two lost fumbles. That’s 19 turnovers, more turnovers than 100 teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, 100 teams out of 120.
Is it time for a change at the quarterback position? The wins the Phoenix have with Wilson at the helm aren’t really that impressive. Elon beat Western Carolina University (statistically the worst defensive team in the SoCon) by seven with a touchdown with 2:13 left in the game. They beat The Citadel thanks to a missed Bulldogs field goal in overtime, North Carolina Central University by one point and Div. II opponent Concord University. I repeat, they won a game against Division II opponent Concord. The losses are dreadful. Vanderbilt University by 31, Georgia Southern University by 27, Samford University by 12 and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga by 24.
But as Swepson said, “Thomas gives us the best chance to win football games.”
What does that say about redshirt freshman transfer Tyler Smith and redshirt freshman Mike Quinn? Are they not capable? What about the other quarterbacks on the roster? Junior Shay Newcomer and freshmen Blake Rice and Adam LaFleur are listed as quarterbacks. And where are they on the sidelines? Helmets off or not even visible.
Personally? I say it’s time for a change. Quinn came in against UT Chattanooga and was a solid 4-6 with 32 yards. Is he the option? Smith may need some more time to develop. He was expected to come in from the University of Maryland and compete for the starting spot but has thrown six passes, including one interception.
Maybe it’s too late in the season to change. Especially if Swepson continues on with the ludicrous thinking that the playoffs are still an option. Even if Elon beats No. 9 Wofford College, unranked but dangerous Furman University and No. 5 Appalachian State University, they’re still 7-4. Four-loss teams don’t make the playoffs. They may get ranked No. 20 or so. Even if Elon pulls off incredible, jaw-dropping, 30-point blowout wins against these teams, their pitiful losses are probably too much to crack the top eight.
But in reality, what is the problem? When asked about playing these ranked opponents, Swepson said, “Those ranks don’t really mean anything to us right now. It’s a conference opponent, and that’s what makes (those games) special.”
It means nothing to Swepson. At least give the teams credit for being good. You have to prepare to play them. You can't take this cavalier approach of not thinking about rankings with a struggling quarterback and the worst rushing offense and third-worst rushing defense in the SoCon. Elon's top rushers, seniors Dontay Taylor and A.J. Harris, have less yards on the ground combined this season (704 yards) than SoCon leading rusher and Wofford junior fullback Eric Breitenstein (810 yards).
Swepson's got 99 problems, but reality ain't one.
But maybe it should be.