There was a hockey game inside Rhodes Stadium Sept. 7 when the Elon University football team took on West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Don’t believe it? Talk to Elon head coach Jason Swepson.

“We’re going to continue to rotate guys and treat it like a hockey game,” the third-year coach said after Elon’s 49-7 victory over the Div. II opponent.

It seems like a bizarre comment to make about a football game, but not when talking about this Phoenix team. Although it’s just two weeks into the season, Elon has already proven its depth will be a key factor in determining how successful the 2013 campaign will be for the Phoenix.

“I’m from the Northeast,” Swepson said. “I grew up loving the [Boston] Bruins. I went to a lot of hockey games. You see a lot of shifts come on and off the ice, and that’s what we’re going to do here at Elon.”

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Elon blew up the stat sheets with 538 total yards of offense against West Virginia Wesleyan, getting contributions from 21 different players. The frequent switches helped stimulate an offense that was unable to score in the season opener Aug. 31 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

In the victory Saturday, Elon utilized a three running back system that had the Bobcats frantically adjusting every series. Junior Karl Bostick, sophomore Tracey Coppedge and redshirt freshman B.J. Bennett combined for 197 yards on 35 carries and four touchdowns. Coppedge tallied a career-high 105 yards, but Bennett ran for two scores and caught another.

“We each bring a different aspect to the game,” Bennett said. “We’re all different types of runners. It keeps us fresh.”

There have been times this year when Swepson’s staff has used all three backs in the same drive and other times when they’ll stick with one for multiple plays at a time. The system is one the coaching staff developed in the offseason during summer workouts and is determined to stick to. According to Bennett, the offense was a huge part of the team’s practice in the days leading up to the game.

“That’s what we were focused on all week was getting offensive production and getting in the end zone,” Bennett said. “[The coaches] stressed it all this week, just getting into the end zone and making plays.”

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One player who proved this week he could make plays is junior quarterback Mike Quinn. After throwing three interceptions against Georgia Tech a week ago, Quinn was 29-of-39 passing in his home debut as a starter for 278 yards and three touchdowns. But the intriguing part about Quinn’s performance is who he’s throwing to.

Thirteen different receivers have caught passes for the Phoenix this season, 12 on Saturday alone. Quinn said the depth of the receiving corps is a real challenge for defenses that are left guessing at which player to give special attention to.

“We have so many different lethal players that it’s tough for defenses,” Quinn said. “They can’t just double team one guy because they’ll leave another one open. I think us spreading the ball around is really going to help in the long run of the season.”

Senior Rasaun Rorie, junior Kierre Brown and sophomore Ricky Brown have led the way thus far for the Elon receivers. Ricky Brown leads the receivers in yards with 110 on seven receptions while Rorie has hauled in eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. That does not mention Bennett and sophomore Andre Davis, who both caught touchdown passes Saturday for the Phoenix.

Which ones are Quinn’s favorites to throw to? It’s tough to say.

“I like to throw the ball to whoever is open,” Quinn said, specifically mentioning Rorie, Kierre Brown and Davis. “All the guys I’m throwing the ball to can make plays and get the ball into the end zone.”

This depth is something that Swepson has stressed from the start of his tenure with the Phoenix in 2011. Depth has lacked in his first two years, and the overall records at season’s end have shown it.

“The great thing we’re doing is playing a lot of young talent,” Swepson said, who starts just three seniors on offense and four on defense. “We’re building something here. We’re excited about the future and really, the future is now. If we can spread the wealth throughout the season, we’ll be tough to beat.”