Elon University football coach Jason Swepson has scheduled a second straight Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the Phoenix to play to open the season.
Last year, the Phoenix played Vanderbilt University and remained competitive through three quarters against a member of the most dominant conference in the FBS - the Southeastern Conference - but ultimately fell.
This time, it’s the University of North Carolina, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game, scheduled for Sept. 1, will provide the Phoenix with valuable experience. Elon is taking on an athletic team on the rise, a team that has benefitted from the rigors of an Atlantic Coast Conference schedule.
And while North Carolina is hardly among the elite of the FBS, or the ACC, they possess more talent than the Phoenix.
The game will allow the Phoenix players, especially the incoming freshman, to experience a hostile environment and compete in front of the Tar Heels' passionate fan base.
The game will also prepare the Phoenix for the meat of their schedule: Road games at Georgia Southern University and Appalachian State University with a home game against Wofford University sandwiched in between.
The Phoenix cannot be expected to beat the Tar Heels, but if they can remain competitive, as they did against Vanderbilt last year, they could build confidence heading towards their tough, three game stretch against the SoCon’s elite.
The problem for any FCS school is trying to find an FBS opponent who will boost the confidence of their own team without being too overmatched. Elon should remain competitive against North Carolina, a team recovering from NCAA sanctions imposed on the school recently. In addition, the Tar Heels are learning a new system under new coach Larry Fedora.
Despite recent struggles, North Carolina’s cupboard is hardly bare. Quaterback Bryn Renner is returning with a year’s experience as a college quarterback with a few playmakers on offense. Nevertheless, stopping the Tar Heel’s offense will present a stern test for the Elon defense, who occasionally struggled last year against top-tier opponents.
The Phoenix offense will also be put to the test against the Tar Heel defense. Elon should be able to move the ball, as they did against Vanderbilt, in part because Phoenix wide receiver Aaron Mellette is a dynamic playmaker on the outside. In order to remain competitive, the Phoenix must control the ball and establish the run to harness the Tar Heels offense.
If the Phoenix can establish the run and play suffocating defense, they’ll have opportunities to stretch the field with Mellette, which is the strategy they employed successfully for three quarters last year at Vanderbilt.
The game against the Tar Heels is also an important barometer for Thomas Wilson. The mistake-prone quarterback will attempt to put last year’s up and down season behind him and prove he’s among the FCS’ elite.
He certainly has enough quality playmakers around him, led by Mellette, to lead the Phoenix to the playoffs, but he must cut down on turnovers. Too often last year, Wilson would throw a back-breaking, pick that would cost the Phoenix a game.
To be fair, he was not the only glitch the Phoenix dealt with last year in rout to their disappointing 5-6 finish, but he was responsible for several momentum-killing turnovers that often left the team scrambling.
The outcome of the game September 1 is irrelevant. The winner won’t necessarily be shown on the scoreboard. The experience and confidence the game will provide the Phoenix going forward is immeasurable.
And if they can remain competitive, the positive momentum they take from that game could lead to success moving forward, maybe even a playoff berth.