DURHAM — For the third year in a row, the Elon University football team played an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in its opening game of the season and for the third straight year, the Phoenix was blown out.
The latest loss took place Aug. 30 at Wallace Wade Stadium, where Duke University dismantled the Phoenix by a score of 52-13. Elon lost its last two openers by a combined margin of 132-0, so a 39-point loss can be considered a win in and of itself, especially considering Duke was a 38-point favorite coming into the game.
Senior Duke quarterback Anthony Boone played an impressively efficient game, throwing for 247 yards on 22 of 33 passing and four touchdowns in three quarters of play. In all, the Blue Devils racked up 567 yards of total offense.
“Overall, I’m not pleased with the result,” said Elon coach Rich Skrosky, who was coaching in his first game for the Phoenix. “I’m not one of those guys that’s going to sugarcoat it. I think we were competitive and we played hard till the end, but the result’s the result. [Duke is] a more talented football team than we are. There is no question about it.”
It didn’t take long for Duke to get rolling on offense. Boone engineered an 11-play, 61-yard drive on the team’s first series that was capped off with a four-yard strike to senior wide receiver Issac Blakeney on a pass that floated high and to the back corner of the end zone.
Early in the series, Duke senior wide receiver Jamison Crowder bobbled a screen bass from Boone, leaving the ball up for grabs. Elon senior defensive lineman Dustin Ruff had an opportunity to pick it off, but the ball fell to the ground. It was plays like that, according to Skrosky, which were the difference.
“The game should have been closer than what it was,” Skrosky said. “Too many of our errors were self-inflicted on both sides of the ball. I thought we missed some tackles and turnover opportunities.”
It took nine quarters to do it, but the Phoenix finally scored a point against a Football Bowl Subdivision team. Sophomore kicker John Gallagher booted a 36-yard field goal on Elon’s second offensive series to put Elon in the scoring column and cut the Duke lead to 7-3.
After Elon got on the board, Duke subsequently found its rhythm on offense, scoring touchdowns on its next three drives. The Blue Devils had their way with the Phoenix, moving the ball on the ground and through the air.
As a team, the Blue Devils gained 275 yards on the ground, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Crowder was Duke’s leading receiver in the game, catching seven passes for 93 yards and two scores.
“It was a good opener,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “I knew it would be. I was really impressed with Elon. We didn't know what to expect, although I knew they would be well-organized on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they had a really good plan. They executed well. It was a good test.”
Sophomore quarterback Thomas Sirk relieved Boone under center just before the end of the third quarter and found success mainly on the ground, carrying the ball eight times for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
Elon senior quarterback Mike Quinn threw for 190 yards on 19 of 38 passing. Sophomore running back B.J. Bennett and junior running back Tracey Coppedge each had productive games, running for 87 and 65 yards, respectively. Bennett scored the team’s only touchdown of the night, a two-yard run that was set up by a 31-yard pass from Quinn to senior wide receiver Kierre Brown.
“I leave here with my head up high. We scored some points. Bottom line, that’s what I came here to do,” Quinn said. “Obviously you want the win, obviously you want a close game … but I feel we have to forget this game completely, take the bye week, get better every day.”
Elon does not play again until Sept. 13, when it hosts North Carolina A&T State University for the annual Hall of Fame Game. The game, Elon’s first home contest of 2014, is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. at Rhodes Stadium.
Notes:
Kierre Brown (2,017 career yards) had 174 kickoff return yards on the night, passing Rod Clark (1,872 yards) for first on the all-time Elon list … True freshman Tre Lennon hauled in two passes for 19 yards in his first collegiate contest … Punter David Petroni struggled with his punting at times and finished the night with a 31.7 yard average on six punts … Bennett’s 87 rushing yards are a new career high.