There is plenty of optimism surrounding Elon University’s football team heading into the 2024 season. Despite not making the 2023 Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, they finished with a 6-5 season which included a 6-2 record in conference play.
While they are ranked sixth out of 16 teams in the Colonial Atlantic Conference in a preseason poll conducted by all of the league’s head coaches, head coach Tony Trisciani believes Elon is more than capable of exceeding those rankings.
“Regardless of what the preseason poll says, we’ve got high expectations for our program, and it won’t affect how we prepare for the season,” Trisciani said. “It’s a strong league but our expectations are that we’ll compete for a CAA Championship.”
As for the previous season, Trisciani said Elon is aiming to take the next step after missing the playoffs by one game.
“Since January, our focus has been on pushing the program forward,” Trisciani said. “We’re continuing to raise the standards and expectations, and being more consistent with our habits, skills, technique and execution. We’re a year bigger, stronger and more experienced.”
The experience factor was also a notable factor in Trisciani’s decision to select seven captains: Matthew Downing, Chandler Brayboy, Jabril Williams, Kevin Burkett, Caleb Curtain, Josh Johnson and Dylan Tucker.
Downing is a seventh-year senior quarterback who threw 19 touchdowns and only four picks the previous season despite joining Elon right before the season. Brayboy is a senior wide receiver who has made an impact as a receiver and kick returner. He was selected to the CAA Preseason All Conference Team at both positions. Williams and Burkett both have over 30 starts on the offensive line with 36 and 32, respectively.
Curtain is a junior safety who led Elon in tackles, 80, and interceptions, 4. He was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year among the league’s coaches. Redshirt junior defensive back Tucker only played five games last season but has made a difference when healthy. In 2021 he recovered two fumbles, returning one of them for a 43 yard touchdown. Johnson is a senior defensive lineman who made 19 starts for Elon during the past two seasons. He started every game as a junior.
Elon’s offense will be quarterbacked by Downing for the second straight year after he joined Elon in August 2023 following stops at Georgia, TCU and Louisiana Tech. While Elon finished 13th in total offense according to Interactive CAA Football Stats, they averaged 30.5 points over the final four games. Downing, in particular, averaged 294 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions in that span.
Brayboy said he believes the increased offensive production came from their ability to figure out their strengths as a team.
“The biggest change would be finding what we’re best at and learning who’s good at what,” Brayboy said. “We got a veteran group that fits in the details.”
Brayboy said he additionally feels there’s more chemistry among the experienced players and Downing going into the season. He identified Downing’s familiarity as a big difference from the previous year.
“Matt’s a big leader,” Brayboy said. “”I feel like getting on one page has been a lot easier this year because last year I didn’t know Matt but this year I feel like I know him a lot from just hanging out outside from football. The little things like that matter.”
On defense, Elon finished third in points allowed with 264 and tied for fifth in points per game at 24. They ranked in the top half of the CAA in sacks, interceptions, and fumble recoveries.
Junior defensive end Cazeem Moore described the defense as being very process driven and the importance of maintaining that aspect to be successful again.
“The plan is to just work together,” Moore said. “We like to feed off each other and just do our jobs.”
Trisciani expressed excitement about the unit, citing their experience along with the coaching staff’s ability to maximize the talent they have.
“We returned some highly productive players at all three levels,” Trisciani said. “Our defensive staff has done a great job tweaking our schemes to the skill sets of our players.”
Elon opened the season on the road against Duke on Aug. 30. They are the only Division One Football Bowl Subdivision school Elon will play against.
Trisciani eyed the Duke game as an important contest, describing it as Elon’s toughest contest.
“We’re not looking far past the Duke game,” Trisciani said. “They’re an ACC team and a good one, so if you ask me who’s the toughest game, I’d say the Duke game.”
Brayboy also listed Duke as a chance for Elon to prove themselves among the better CAA teams.
“I will say the first game of the season, going after the first opponent and showing what we’re about,” Brayboy said.
Duke defeated Elon 26-3. Elon’s defense put up a valiant first half effort, keeping the score 3-0 before giving up a late touchdown with 57 seconds in the second quarter. Duke proceeded to score 16 more points in the second half, increasing their lead to 26-0. Elon’s only points came on a field goal with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Despite winning the time of possession battle, 33:10 to 26:50, Elon tallied 140 total yards on offense.
Trisciani said it was not Elon’s best performance but looked forward to the rest of the season.
“It’s not the best football we can play,” Trisciani said in the postgame press conference. “Duke overwhelmed us a little bit defensively, but there’s plenty to be proud about our football team. We will get better.”
Their CAA opponents include Albany and Richmond who were two of the four CAA playoff teams last year.
Moore additionally listed Richmond as another game for Elon to prove themselves after their 38-24 loss which forced them out of the playoffs.
“The Richmond game would definitely be one of the games where we’re very hungry to get back out for this year,” Moore said.
Both Moore and Brayboy viewed Elon’s strong finish as a big leap and believe it’s a matter of building off that. They also expressed confidence in the trust between players and coaches, believing they just need to translate that on the field.
“The coaching staff and the guys know how talented we can be with how the momentum was at the end of the year,” Brayboy said. “I feel like we need to come out from the start in the first game and just keep that same momentum.”
Elon’s first home game will be at 6 p.m. on Sept. 14 against Western Carolina University at Rhodes Stadium.