2018 Elon Phoenix football team
The 2018 Elon Phoenix football team represented Elon University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Curt Cignetti and played their home games at Rhodes Stadium. They were members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). They finished the season 6–5, 4–3 in CAA play to finish in sixth place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they were lost to Wofford in the first round.
2018 Elon Phoenix football | |
---|---|
![]() | |
FCS Playoffs First Round, L 7–19 vs. Wofford | |
Conference | Colonial Athletic Association |
Ranking | |
STATS | No. 19 |
FCS Coaches | No. 19 |
2018 record | 6–5 (4–3 CAA) |
Head coach |
|
Offensive coordinator | Drew Folmar (2nd season) |
Defensive coordinator | Tony Trisciani (2nd season) |
Home stadium | Rhodes Stadium (Capacity: 11,250) |
2018 CAA football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Maine $^ | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 James Madison ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 Stony Brook ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 20 Towson ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 24 Delaware ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 19 Elon ^ | 4 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rhode Island | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
William & Mary | 3 | – | 4 | 4 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Hampshire | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Villanova | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richmond | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albany | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
On December 14, head coach Curt Cignetti resigned to become the head coach at James Madison.[1] He finished at Elon with a two-year record of 14–9.
Previous season
The Phoenix finished the 2017 season 8–4, 6–2 in CAA play to finish in third place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost to Furman in the first round.
Preseason
CAA Poll
In the CAA preseason poll released on July 24, 2018, the Phoenix were predicted to finish in fifth place.[2]
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | James Madison | 241 (21) |
2 | New Hampshire | 206 (2) |
3 | Delaware | 182 |
4 | Stony Brook | 169 |
5 | Elon | 168 (1) |
6 | Villanova | 164 |
7 | Richmond | 127 |
8 | Maine | 81 |
9 | Albany | 78 |
10 | Towson | 74 |
11 | William & Mary | 55 |
12 | Rhode Island | 39 |
Preseason All-CAA Team
The Phoenix had two players selected to the preseason all-CAA team.
Offense CJ Toogood – OL Defense Warren Messer – LB |
Award watch lists
Award | Player | Position | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Buck Buchanan Award[3] | Warren Messer | LB | SR |
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | at South Florida* | No. 12 | ESPN3 | L 14–34 | 31,217 | |
September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 25 Furman* | No. 15 | CBSI Digital/CBS SportsLive | W 45–7 | 8,058 | |
at | No. 14 | Canceled[lower-alpha 1] | |||||
September 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at Charleston Southern* | No. 12 | ESPN+ | W 31–22 | 2,465 | |
September 29 | 1:30 p.m. | New Hampshire | No. 11 |
| PAA | W 30–9 | 10,856 |
October 6 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 2 James Madison | No. 10 | MASN/SNY | W 27–24 | 25,484 | |
October 13 | 3:30 p.m. | at Delaware | No. 5 | NBCS PHIL | L 16–28 | 19,209 | |
October 20 | 1:30 p.m. | Richmond | No. 11 |
| FCS/FSGO | W 38–28 | 5,982 |
November 3 | 1:30 p.m. | Rhode Island![]() | No. 8 |
| PAA | W 24–21 | 10,513 |
November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 20 Towson | No. 7 |
| PAA | L 10–41 | 5,927 |
November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Maine | No. 14 | FCS | L 26–27 | 6,584 | |
November 24 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 13 Wofford* | No. 17 |
| ESPN3 | L 7–19 | 2,157 |
|
- The William & Mary game was postponed due to Hurricane Florence; it was intended to be rescheduled, but was canceled on September 19, 2018.[4]
Source:[5]
Game summaries
at South Florida
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 12 Phoenix | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Bulls | 7 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
Furman
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 25 Paladins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
No. 15 Phoenix | 14 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 45 |
at Charleston Southern
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 12 Phoenix | 3 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 31 |
Buccaneers | 13 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 22 |
New Hampshire
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wildcats | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
No. 11 Phoenix | 7 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
at James Madison
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 10 Phoenix | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 27 |
No. 2 Dukes | 3 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 24 |
at Delaware
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 5 Phoenix | 7 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
Fightin' Blue Hens | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
Richmond
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spiders | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
No. 11 Phoenix | 14 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
Rhode Island
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rams | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
No. 8 Phoenix | 0 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
Towson
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 20 Tigers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 41 |
No. 7 Phoenix | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at Maine
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 14 Phoenix | 0 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
No. 16 Black Bears | 0 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
FCS Playoffs
at Wofford–First Round
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 17 Phoenix | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
No. 13 Terriers | 3 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 19 |
Ranking movements
Week | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final | |||||||
STATS FCS | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 19 | |||||||
Coaches | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 19 |
Players drafted into the NFL
Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
6 | 193 | Olisaemeka Udoh | OT | Minnesota Vikings |
References
- https://jmusports.com/news/2018/12/14/curt-cignetti-takes-helm-of-james-madison-football.aspx
- Washburn, Rob (July 24, 2018). "James Madison Favored To Win Fourth Straight CAA Football Title in 2018". Colonial Athletic Association. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- "FCS football: 2018 Buck Buchanan Award watch list announced". August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- "Elon/William & Mary Football Game Will Not Be Rescheduled". Elon University Department of Athletics. September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- "2018 Football Schedule". Elon University Department of Athletics. Retrieved May 5, 2018.