First-year head coach Paul Hamilton and members of the Phoenix football team met with media representatives Thursday, Aug. 12 during the squad's annual media day activities. Details...
Following a team photo session on McKinnon Field, Hamilton and players Anthony Crews, Ronnie Dargan, Brandon Mason, Calvin Sutton and Dwayne Ijames held a news conference with reporters from several campus and regional media outlets.
Hamilton, hired in December, says he’s pleased with the progress his new Elon team has made since his arrival.
“I feel like the team has improved and learned our new system since January,” Hamilton said. “The best part is, we’re still undefeated at this point.”
Hamilton pointed to increased productivity on offense as a crucial factor for the Phoenix this year.
“In this league (Southern Conference), you’ve got to put points on the board to win,” Hamilton said. “We’re going to throw the football, but we want to be in a position where we’re throwing it when we want to, not when we have to.”
On defense, “we’re learning what it means to play as a team on every play,” Hamilton said. On the defensive line, Hamilton believes the Phoenix has “seven guys we can play in and out, and in today’s college football, with as much as people throw the ball, it’s important that you have that many to rotate in and out so you can rush the passer,” Hamilton said.
The defensive backfield must “get to where we’re playing with confidence,” Hamilton said. He emphasized the importance of having the team’s safeties being able to help stop the opponent’s rushing attack. “Our safeties must be heavily involved in the run game,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton is undaunted by a challenging schedule which includes five teams in the preseason Top 25 NCAA-IAA rankings. “Nobody will play with greater effort, and nobody will outwork this team, I can promise you that,” Hamilton said.
Elon opens its season Sept. 4 at Rhodes Stadium in a 2 p.m. game against Towson University. Other home games this season include Delaware State (Sept. 18, 2 p.m.); Wofford (Oct. 9, 6 p.m.); Furman (Oct. 23, 7 p.m., TV); Western Carolina (Oct. 30, 2 p.m., Homecoming); The Citadel (Nov. 13, 2 p.m.).