Maybe playing out of state was the salve a struggling Elon football team needed to piece together an impressive win.
Coach Tony Trisciani’s team snapped a four-game losing streak on Saturday with an impressive 30-14 triumph at Albany, a 2023 FCS playoff team, thanks in large part to wide receiver Chandler Brayboy, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Brayboy also crossed a notable receiving milestone during the victory.
With the win, Elon improves to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in CAA play, while UAlbany falls to 3-4 and 1-2 in conference action. Albany played in the FCS quarterfinals a year ago. Saturday marked Elon’s first trip outside the state of North Carolina in 2024 and the first road game since Sept. 7.
Albany struck first, scoring on a 2-yard run by Jojo Uga on its opening possession. However, Elon responded immediately as Chandler Brayboy took the kickoff 94 yards back for a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
The Phoenix took the lead at the end of the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Downing to Cody Hardy, capping off a 6-play, 52-yard drive. Elon extended its lead to 17-7 at halftime, thanks to a 40-yard field goal by Jack Berkowitz in the final seconds of the second quarter.
Elon came out strong in the second half, with TJ Thomas Jr. rushing for an 8-yard touchdown to push the lead to 24-7. Though UAlbany cut the deficit with a touchdown midway through the third quarter, Brayboy again delivered a quick counterpunch, his second kickoff return touchdown of the day, taking it 93 yards.
During the game, Brayboy surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in career receiving yards, becoming the sixth player in Elon history to achieve the milestone.
Top Players:
Elon:
- Chandler Brayboy: 2 kickoff return touchdowns (94 yards, 93 yards); 1 reception for 13 yards, surpassing 2,000 career receiving yards.
- TJ Thomas Jr.: 19 carries, 138 rushing yards, 1 TD (6th straight game with a TD).
- Matthew Downing: 10-for-18, 98 passing yards, 1 TD.
- Jack Berkowitz: 1 field goal (40 yards), 3 PATs.
- Jeff Yurk: Career-long 72-yard punt; 6 punts averaging 51.7 yards.
UAlbany:
- Jojo Uga: 2-yard rushing touchdown.
- Caden Burti: 9-yard receiving touchdown.
- Myles Burkett: 178 passing yards, 1 TD.
- John Opalko: 2 PATs.
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter:
- 09:07 ALB – Jojo Uga 2-yard run (John Opalko kick) | 12 plays, 65 yards | UAlbany 7-0
- 08:54 ELO – Chandler Brayboy 94-yard kickoff return (Jack Berkowitz kick) | Tied 7-7
- 00:00 ELO – Cody Hardy 1-yard pass from Matthew Downing (Jack Berkowitz kick) | 6 plays, 52 yards | Elon 14-7
2nd Quarter:
- 00:00 ELO – Jack Berkowitz 40-yard field goal | 5 plays, 29 yards | Elon 17-7
3rd Quarter:
- 10:33 ELO – TJ Thomas Jr. 8-yard run (Jack Berkowitz kick) | 7 plays, 75 yards | Elon 24-7
- 06:16 ALB – Caden Burti 9-yard pass from Myles Burkett (John Opalko kick) | 4 plays, 47 yards | Elon 24-14
- 06:04 ELO – Chandler Brayboy 93-yard kickoff return | Elon 30-14
Brayboy’s special teams performance and Elon’s strong rushing attack were the difference-makers in a game that saw the Phoenix defense limit UAlbany to just 234 total yards, including only 20 rushing yards.
Up Next:
Elon will hit the road again next Saturday to face Hampton at 2 p.m. Hampton is coming a 59-17 win over Elon’s neighbor, North Carolina A&T.
This story was compiled and composed with the assistance of ChatGPT. All content at NC Football News is thoroughly reviewed and edited by real humans to ensure accuracy and quality. NC Football News thanks Elon sports information for its help throughout the season.
