The fact that it was Elon University’s final football game in the Southern Conference seemed like it provided some motivation initially. Even when the game clock ticked down, the Phoenix was still hunting for that elusive, satisfactory going-away win.
Ultimately, the final SoCon game for the Phoenix ended as many others have this season. Despite holding a 14-point halftime lead, Elon fell, 33-32, at the hands of No. 23 Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
This time, the heartbreak reached an all-time high. It’s the third time this season a game came down to a play inside the red zone with less than a minute left, and it’s the third time Elon has walked away with a loss.
Against Wofford College, Elon’s upset bid fell short despite having a 1st-and-goal from inside the 5-yard line with a minute remaining. Western Carolina University scored a touchdown against Elon with nine seconds left to force overtime, and eventually went on to win.
With Elon ahead 32-27 with 42 seconds to play, Samford was faced with a 1st-and-goal at the 7-yard line. A false start pushed the Bulldogs back to the 12, and Elon cornerback Ed Burns came up big with two batted passes to push it to 4th-and-goal from the 12-yard line with 13.3 seconds left.
Quarterback Andy Summerlin then found Chris Cephus on the edge of the end zone for a touchdown, helping Samford take the lead.
The two-point try was unsuccessful, as was Elon’s lateral-filled kick return that ensued.
The loss gives Elon a 2-10 overall record, including a dismal 1-7 mark in the SoCon. This means that 2013 is the second consecutive 1-7 season in the league, while also the worst overall record for the Phoenix since 2003, which was the final year of the Al Seagraves era.
Down 24-10 at halftime, Samford scored 17 consecutive points to take a 27-24 lead. The comeback began with a seven play, 96-yard drive that was capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Summerlin to Kelsey Pope with eight minutes in the third. A three-and-out by the Phoenix on the ensuing possession set the Bulldogs up for a 40-yard touchdown caught by Emmanuel Obajimi.
James Bradberry picked off a Mike Quinn pass, helping Samford take its first lead of the day on a 23 yard field goal by Warren Handrahan with 1:41 in the 3rd quarter.
With 10:12 in the game, Jay Brown and Jordan Jones sacked Summerlin in the end zone to cut the Bulldogs lead to 27-26. Elon then ran with that momentum and earned two John Gallagher field goals from distances of 39 and 28 yards and led, 32-27 with 2:31 left.
It was a battle through the air for much of the game, with running backs B.J. Bennett and Karl Bostick out with injuries for Elon and Samford playing without Fabian Truss, who was leading the FCS in all-purpose yards entering the game. Quinn passed for 227 yards while going 26 of 45 for Elon while Summerlin pioneered the Bulldogs with 415 yards in the air despite completing just 36 of his 55 passes.
Yet, the special teams of the Phoenix got things going. Junior receiver Kierre Brown returned a Samford punt 56 yards to the house, marking the first punt return touchdown for Elon since 2009. Brown and Jones’ safety was also the first Phoenix safety since 2009.
Following Brown’s score, Adrian McLendon took a fumble 51 yards to the Samford 6-yard line, setting up what became a Tracey Coppedge 2-yard touchdown to put Elon up, 14-0.
Handrahan made a 25-yard field goal to begin the second quarter, which was followed up by a Gallagher make from 29 yards. Summerlin threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiaha Gates with two minutes in the half, but Quinn completed a 38-yard touchdown to Rasaun Rorie with just five seconds in the half.
Elon committed nine penalties accounting for 110 yards, and only converted 4 of 17 third down tries.