One of the lasting images of last year’s Elon University football team's Nov. 19 loss to Appalachian State University is then-junior wide receiver Aaron Mellette standing on the sidelines with his head in a hand, clearly upset.

Another pictures him sitting in a golf cart, being comforted by now-graduated offensive lineman Rodney Austin.

The All-American had a spectacular game. He set the SoCon single-season record for receiving yards that night by grabbing 14 receptions for 236 yards and a touchdown in the game.

“But at the same time, we lost,” he said. “It was the first time we had been up (21-0) on anybody, whatever it was, going into halftime. And I was like, ‘Man, what happened? What went wrong?’ I remember just finding myself sitting in a room, like, ‘What did I do?’”

He remembers thinking back to the offensively-woeful third quarter, a quarter he said he was cramping on the sideline during.

“I led it all back to that third quarter where everything just fell apart,” he said. “I felt like the intensity wasn’t there offensively. I told the receivers, ‘Just get us to the fourth quarter, then everything will be fine.’”

Mellette was on the field for the unsportsmanlike call on Peterson he called “questionable.” He said he doesn’t blame his fellow receiver for the flag.

“That was a heartbreaker,” he said. “I’m not going to sit here and blame Pete(rson) for something. If I would have caught a pass like that, I probably would have done the same thing.”

Now a senior, the Sanford, N.C., native realizes his last opportunity to beat Appalachian State is this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. And he’s not happy with the way things have played out in the past. This year's matchup is in Boone at Kidd Brewer Stadium, affectionately known as "The Rock."

“Especially after last year’s game, I really want to win, and I love winning at the Rock,” Mellette said. “When we play them, it puts another type of energy boost into you, more adrenaline rush, and you just want to go beat them.”

It may be safe to say No. 3 will be a player to watch Saturday in Boone.