ELON – Western Carolina surged in the fourth quarter to secure a 24-17 upset victory over 22nd-ranked Elon at Rhodes Stadium on Saturday night.
Trailing 14-3 in the third quarter, the Catamounts stormed back with 21 unanswered points to earn their first win of the season.
The game swung in the final minutes, when Western Carolina quarterback Cole Gonzales, usually known for his throwing arm, used his legs to score the go-ahead touchdown on a six-yard run with 3:48 left. Elon, looking to tie the game, had its hopes dashed when Ken Moore Jr. blocked a field goal attempt, allowing Jordy Lowery to scoop the ball and return it 55 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 24-14.
Elon added a late field goal, but Western Carolina recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.
Gonzales finished 23-of-36 for 254 yards. Running back Branson Adams added 81 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Calvin Jones led the receiving corps with 98 yards on six catches.
For Elon, freshman TJ Thomas rushed for 101 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, and quarterback Matthew Downing threw for 285 yards and a score.
Western Carolina (1-2) heads to face nationally-ranked Montana next, while Elon (1-2) will look to rebound next Saturday against visiting East Tennessee State.
Top Performers: Western Carolina
- Cole Gonzales: 254 yards passing, 1 rushing TD
- Branson Adams: 81 yards rushing, 1 TD
- Calvin Jones: 6 receptions, 98 yards
- Ken Moore Jr.: Blocked field goal, 1 TFL, 3 tackles
- Jordy Lowery: 55-yard blocked FG return TD
Top Performers: Elon
- Cole Coleman: 8 tackles, 1 TFL
- TJ Thomas: 101 yards rushing, 1 TD
- Matthew Downing: 285 yards passing, 1 TD
- Chandler Brayboy: 3 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD
- Jack Berkowitz: 33-yard FG, 2 PATs
Davidson 42, Point 12
The run-happy Wildcats rushed for 482 yards and galloped to their second win in their new home stadium.
Mari Adams posted the most prolific rushing performance in the state so far this season, recording 207 yards on 19 carries and scoring twice. He averaged 10.9 yards per carry. Mason Sheron (21-80 yards) and Will Jones (3-36 yards) added rushing scores. Quarterbacks LJ Phillips Jr. and Luke Durkin both completed TD passes.
The Wildcats punted just once and amassed 32 first downs.
Delaware 42, North Carolina A&T 13
The Aggies got all their points in the second quarter. Aaron Harris returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown. Andrew Brown hit a pair of 42-yard field goals.
NC A&T was held to 74 rushing yards and were outgained in total yards 526-264. Delaware outscored the Aggies 21-0 after halftime. Quarterback Ryan O’Connor passed for 325 yards and a touchdown.
Charlotte 27, Gardner-Webb 26
The Bulldogs (0-3) suffered their second one-point loss of the season, letting a 20-6 lead slip away over the final quarter.
Gardner-Webb built an early lead with a 30-yard field goal from Jay Billingsley and a 45-yard pick-six by Trevor Moffitt. Tyler Riddell then led a 99-yard drive, connecting with Anthony Lowe on a 30-yard touchdown to make it 17-0. Charlotte closed the first half with a 54-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 17-3.
The Bulldogs added another field goal in the third quarter, but Charlotte’s offense came alive in the fourth. Trexler Ivey threw two touchdown passes and Hahsaun Wilson’s 39-yard run gave the 49ers a 27-20 lead. Gardner-Webb responded with a late 1-yard touchdown run by Carson Gresock but failed on the two-point conversion with less than two minutes to play, sealing their fate.
Gardner-Webb will visit Presbyterian next, while Charlotte (1-2) travels to face Indiana.
Top Performers: Gardner-Webb
- Tyler Riddell: 212 yards passing, 1 TD
- Anthony Lowe: 30-yard receiving TD
- Trevor Moffitt: 45-yard INT return for TD
- Giovanni Adopte: 2 catches, 66 yards
- Jay Billingsley: 2 FGs (30, 44 yards)
Top Performers: Charlotte
- Trexler Ivey: 2 TD passes
- Hahsaun Wilson: 39-yard rushing TD
- Sean Brown: 28-yard receiving TD, 2-point conversion
- Blake O’Mega: 11-yard receiving TD
- Stephen Rusnak: 54-yard FG, 25-yard FG
North Carolina 45, North Carolina Central 10
The Eagles led 7-0 after one quarter thanks to a J’Mari Taylor 5-yard touchdown run and only trailed by a touchdown, 17-10, at the break.
UNC eventually turned it on, outgaining NCCU 513-167. The Heels rushed for 330 yards, getting 210 yards and three touchdowns from bruising running back Omarion Hampton.
Juan Velarde gave North Carolina Central its final points with a 35-yard field goal.
Rhode Island 21, Campbell 9
Campbell couldn’t carry the momentum from its upset of nationally ranked Western Carolina last week into Saturday’s road trip. Despite outgaining the Rams 348-247 and dominating time of possession (39:07 to 20:49), the Camels struggled in the red zone, converting just two of four opportunities.
Rhode Island’s Devin Farrell was the difference, accounting for all three of his team’s touchdowns—two passing and one rushing. Farrell’s 9-yard TD pass to Greg Gaines in the first quarter and a goal-line stand by the Rams helped Rhode Island maintain a 7-3 halftime lead.
Farrell added a 27-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, and later connected with Marquis Buchanan on a 25-yard strike to extend the Rams’ lead to 21-3. Campbell responded with a fourth-quarter touchdown, an 8-yard pass from Mike Chandler II to Sincere Brown, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss in the team’s CAA opener.
After three straight road contests, Campbell (1-2) returns home next Saturday to face Stony Brook.
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