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Elon holds off Catamounts despite big game by Hearns
Elon scored on six of its first eight possessions Saturday and held on for a 38-36 Southern Conference football victory over Western Carolina before 7,734 fans at E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field.
The Catamounts (1-5, 0-2) dropped their 10th straight Southern Conference game despite an outstanding performance from redshirt freshman quarterback Adam Hearns. He was named the leagues’s freshman of the week after completing 21 of 41 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 73 yards and a score in 16 carries.
Hearns was making his first collegiate start after coming off the bench throughout the season.
Eddie Cohen also had a huge night with 12 catches for 177 yards.
Western Carolina quarterback Adam Hearns hurdles defenders to score a touchdown in Saturday’s 38-36 loss to Elon. Hearns was named Southern Conference freshman of the week after completing 21 of 41 passes for 310 yards and running for 73 yards in his first collegiate start. – Photo by Mark Haskett
Elon’s Scott Riddle connected on 30 of 45 passes for 354 yards and four TDs. Terrel Hudgins and Michael Mayers both had eight receptions for 103 and 94 yards, respectively.
Western got off to a quick start by moving 57 yards in five plays after the opening kickoff. Hearns completed a 38-yard pass to Cohen with 12:30 to go in the first quarter. Jonathan Parsons, who was three of four on extra points, made it 7-0.
The Phoenix responded with a 59-yard march in seven plays. Riddle completed passes of 10 yards to Dontay Taylor, 20 yards to Mayers and 19 yards to Bo Williamson. Riddle’s 4-yard pass to Hudgins and the first of five extra points by Andrew Wilcox tied it 7-7 with 9:21 to play in the first period.
A roughing the kicker penalty kept a WCU drive going, and Hearns completed a 34-yard pass to Shamar Allen prior to a 6-yard TD pass from Hearns to Marcus Brown. Parsons missed the PAT leaving the margin 13-7 with 5:16 remaining in the opening stanza.
Brandon Campbell recovered Willie Harper’s fumble giving Elon the ball at its 47.
Williamson took a pitch and passed the ball back to Riddle for a 22-yard gain, and Taylor picked up 11 yards leading to Riddle’s 25-yard TD pass to Hudgins for a 14-13 edge on the first play of the second quarter.
Mike Malone fumbled the ensuing kickoff with Zach McAlister recovering for the Phoenix at the WCU 25. Riddle hit Hudgins for 24 yards to the 1. Riddle took it in from there extending the lead to 21-13 with 12:56 on the clock.
Hearns’ 11-yard pass to Cohen and Malone’s 11-yard run put the Cats in position for Parsons’ 42-yard field goal narrowing the gap to 21-16 at the 8:13 mark.
The Cats went back on top with an 80-yard drive in 13 plays. The highlight was a 30-yard scamper by Hearns, who also went the final 11 yards, hurdling defenders at the goal, giving his team a 23-21 advantage with 2:13 on the clock.
Following the kickoff, the Phoenix quickly moved down field behind Riddle passes of 24 yards to Williamson, 10 yards to Taylor and 26 yards to Hudgins. A pass interference penalty in the end zone moved the ball to the 2, Riddle’s shovel pass to Taylor put Elon back on top 28-23 with 16 seconds left in the half.
A 36-yard field goal by Wilcox made it 31-23 with 10:36 to play in the third quarter. Brandon Newsome had a 14-yard run in the drive.
Riddle hit Mayers for 18 yards on the first play after a punt then found Williamson for 53 yards and a scoring strike on the next play building the margin to 38-23 with eight minutes go in the period.
Hearns’ fumble was recovered by Tim Happer at the Elon 27, but the Cats forced a punt.
Hearns’ 35-yard pass to Joe Clark-Dear preceded a 17-yard TD pass to Malone cutting the deficit to 38-30 with 3:15 to play in the third period.
After forcing a punt, the Cats started at their 40. Hearns scampered for 21 yards and passed to Harper for 20 before finding Cohen on a 10-yard TD pass. A conversion pass failed leaving Elon on top 38-36 with 13:38 remaining in the game.
Although the Cats had four more possessions, they were unable to cross midfield again.
Quintin Phillips was WCU’s top tackler with 10.
Daronce Daniels had a monster game for the Phoenix with 17 tackles.
Elon WCU
21 First Downs 25
28-28 Rushes-Yds. 39-152
31-46-0 Passing 21-41-0
376 Passing Yds. 310
8-42.9 Punts-Avg. 3-35.3
1-0 Fumbles-Lost 5-3
9-73 Penalties-Yds. 6-46
Elon 7 21 10 0 38
WCU 13 10 7 6 36
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