Elon opened the 2026 season in convincing fashion Thursday night, rolling past Division II Glenville State 42-7 at Rhodes Stadium.
New quarterback Brady Stober made an impressive Phoenix debut, completing 16 of 26 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. Elon led 21-0 at halftime and finished with 446 yards of total offense while holding Glenville State to just 125.
Jimmyll Williams rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Ben Kirsch led Elon with 68 receiving yards and caught one of Stober’s two touchdown passes.
Defensively, preseason All-American linebacker Brodie Carroll picked up where he left off last season, leading Elon with six tackles and adding a sack.
🔄 Last Updated: August 28, 2026 1:19 am
🏟️ Game Center: Pregame Information
Glenville State at Elon
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Rhodes Stadium (Elon, NC)
TV/Stream: FloCollege (PxP: Taylor Durham / Analyst: Dr. Khirey Walker)
Radio: Varsity Network App (PxP: Jack Marcus / Analyst: Mia Zebley)
🔍 Game Notes & What to Watch
🏈 A new quarterback takes over
Sophomore Brady Stober will make his Elon debut after transferring from Samford, where he started five games in 2025. Stober completed better than 62 percent of his passes for 1,240 yards and seven touchdowns, including a 285-yard, three-TD performance against VMI that earned him Stats Perform National Freshman of the Week honors.
Stober enrolled at Elon in January, giving him a full offseason in offensive coordinator Doug Martin’s system. He’ll try to continue an impressive run of quarterback transitions for the Phoenix: four different starting QBs have led Elon to at least six wins and a .500-or-better CAA record over the past five seasons.
🏃 Three options in the backfield
Elon enters the opener with three different options at running back. Jimmyll Williams is the proven big-play threat after rushing for 673 yards on 104 carries last season — 6.5 yards per attempt — while Dan Frederick provides a more physical option.
Freshman Kamerin McDowell-Moore is an intriguing newcomer after a standout career for state champion Tarboro and could compete for carries immediately.
🛡️ Brodie Carroll anchors the defense
Preseason All-American Brodie Carroll returns in the middle of Elon’s defense after leading the Phoenix with 104 tackles last season. Carroll, our NC Football News preseason FCS Defensive Player of the Year, added 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, with four games of double-digit tackles.
🦵 Special Teams Strength
Elon returns one of the nation’s top kickers in Luke Barnes, who made 15 of 18 field goals last season and 14 of 15 from inside 50 yards. Barnes enters 2026 as a Stats Perform second-team preseason All-American.
Notebook
Elon last played a D2 opponent in 2016 when the Phoenix beat Fayetteville State 26-3. The Phoenix have never played Glenville State in football.
This will be the earliest season opener for Elon since 2020.
Elon has been picked to finish third in the CAA behind reigning champ Rhode Island and Monmouth. Linebacker Brodie Carroll and placekicker Luke Barnes have received national watch-list attention and preseason all-conference honors.
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📝 Game Recap
Check back after the game for a recap, stats and observations.
