Following Elon's 24-17 loss to Maine on Saturday evening, Phoenix seniors hung around on the field for a few extra moments as they left Rhode's Stadium for the final time.
"We've shared a lot of disappointment and some success together," Elon senior linebacker Jonathan Spain said of his fellow seniors. "It's a great thing to be able to get to senior year and still be playing football at 23 years old. It's been a great ride even though the season hasn't gone the way I wanted it to."
It was an unhappy birthday for Elon senior quarterback Mike Quinn, as the Phoenix failed to convert on its final three drives after bringing the game within a touchdown with 11:35 left in the game.
The contest started out in Elon's favor as cornerback Adrian McClendon snatched an interception on the game's third play and took it back 30 yards for a touchdown, Elon's first in the first half since September 20.
Elon couldn't take advantage of the early lead, however, as its offense continued to struggle, failing to convert on any of its 14 third downs and managing only 172 total yards, including a mere 24 on the ground.
"We really couldn't find a rhythm offensively," Elon head coach Rick Skrosky said. "It was obvious that we couldn't do much on offense consistently and at the end of the day, that was probably the difference in the game."
The Phoenix looks to break its eight-game losing streak next Saturday when it heads up to Harrisonburg, Virginia for its season finale against James Madison.