Tough Start for the 'Cats

ELON, N.C. -- In its 2013 home opener, the Elon Phoenix football squad rolled to a 49-7 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday night. The win marked the fifth straight year that the maroon and gold picked up the victory in its first home game of the season.

The Phoenix (1-1) got three touchdowns from red-shirt freshman running back B.J. Bennett while Mike Quinn threw for 278 yards and three scores while completing 29 of his 39 passes. Sophomore running back Tracey Coppedge ran 15 times for 105 yards, the first 100-yard game of his Elon career.

"I have to thank the student body for coming out for the Phoenix Walk and being in the stands early," said Elon head coach Jason Swepson. "It was exciting to see the offense go down there and score. We went out and scored a bunch of points. We're playing a lot of young talent and kids are anxious to play. We have another non-conference game coming up and that's turned in to a big non-conference game in Greensboro."

Elon opened the scoring on the first drive of the game, marching 60 yards in just seven plays to grab a 7-0 lead when Bennett carried it in from two yards out. Five of the seven plays were passes, and Phoenix quarterback Quinn completed four attempts for 54 yards.

West Virginia Wesleyan (0-1) answered Elon's drive with a touchdown drive of its own. The Bobcats covered 69 yards in eight plays, scoring on a bubble screen to Lavaughn Hughes from Jeremy Musselman that went for 35 yards.

The Phoenix moved back in front when Quinn threw his first touchdown pass of the year, a three-yard strike to Bennett with 3:40 to play in the first quarter. The drive at midfield after Julius Moore recovered a fumble with 7:11 to go in the first quarter.

With Elon leading 28-7 in the second quarter, the Bobcats drove to the Elon one thanks to a Musselman 41-yard pass to Connor Arlia. Wesleyan proceeded to run seven plays from inside the Phoenix's two-yard line, but the maroon and gold stuffed all scoring chances and took over at the one on downs. A 99-yard drive by Elon was capped with a seven-yard TD run by Bennett that left just 3:24 on the first half clock.

By halftime, Elon had built a 35-7 lead behind three Bennett touchdowns, the last coming with 3:24 to play in the second period. Quinn finished the half with 237 passing yards and 23 completions on 30 attempts. Karl Bostick and Andre Davis also found the end zone in the first 30 minutes.

The Phoenix tacked on two third-quarter touchdowns - a 16-yard pass from Quinn to Rasaun Rorie and a one-yard plunge by Coppedge. Neither team managed to reach the endzone in the 4th quarter.