The Phoenix football team earned a #16 ranking in this week's poll by The Sports Network. It is the highest Division I ranking ever for Elon, topping a #19 ranking for the 1999 Elon football team. Details...
The Phoenix landed at 16th in The Sports Network poll with 1,000points, up from 24th last week. Previously, Elon’s highest ranking inthe poll was 19th during the 1999 campaign. The Phoenix also crackedinto the top-25 of the Sports Media Entertainment Network (15th), theFCS Coaches (17th) and Any Given Saturday (19th) polls for the firsttime ever while moving up from 22nd to a program-best 11th in theFootball Gazette poll.
Prior to Saturday’s victory, Elon (5-2 overall, 3-1 SouthernConference) was 0-20 all-time versus FCS top-10 opponents. Includingthe previous week’s 36-33 double-overtime triumph over then-No. 21Georgia Southern, the Phoenix has now defeated back-to-back FCS top-25opponents for the first time ever. Elon currently leads the SoCon andranks third in the country in passing offense with 336.7 yards per game.
The Terriers (6-2, 3-1) had fashioned 11 straight victories over FSCopponents and seven consecutive wins at Gibbs Stadium before Saturday,but trailed the entire contest with the Phoenix. Wofford entered thecontest ranked eighth in the country in scoring offense at 39.1 pointsper game, but the Elon defense held the Terriers to a season-low 13points and scoreless for the final 36 minutes.
Holding opponents to 344.9 net yards per contest, the Terriers enteredthe game ranked second in the conference in total defense, but thePhoenix offense rolled up 442 total yards. The victory gave Elon itsmost league wins during its five-year membership in the SouthernConference. With the win, the Phoenix pulled into a first-place tiewith the Terriers in the Southern Conference.
Hudgins finished the contest with 14 receptions for 136 yards and twotouchdowns – the first and final scores of the game. A Second TeamAll-American by The Associated Press as a red-shirt freshman last year,he currently leads the Southern Conference in both receptions (10.6 pergame) and receiving yards (117.3 per game). Hudgins leads the nation inreceptions and ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards entering thisweek’s action. Hudgins hauled in his 74th reception at Wofford,surpassing teammate Michael Mayers’ single-season program record of 73catches last year.
Riddle passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns against Wofford.Riddle connected on 41 of 51 passing attempts, shattering his ownsingle-game program record that he set with 33 completions in thePhoenix’s season opener at South Florida on Sept. 1 and tied with 33against Liberty on Sept. 22. The previous Elon milestone was 30completions, set by Wes Pope against Wofford last season.
Riddle currently paces the SoCon and ranks second in the FCS with 321.0passing yards per contest. Riddle tops both the conference and thenation with 2,247 total passing yards. He heads both the SoCon and thecountry with 31.1 completions per game. The Phoenix signal caller leadsthe league and ranks third in the nation in “points responsible for”with 21.1 points per contest. He heads the conference and ranks fifthin the country in total offense with 314.7 net yards per game. Riddleranks fourth in the SoCon and 23rd nationally in passing efficiencywith a 142.5 rating.