Pass-happy Elon discovers the run

FILE

Elon has taken a major step forward in head coach Pete Lembo's third season due to a revived running attack and a defense that is allowing just 17.8 points per game this season.

Time was when a handoff at Elon was just an excuse for wide receiver Terrell Hudgins to catch his breath in between pass routes.

No more.

The FCS 12th-ranked Elon team that comes to Johnson Hagood Stadium today to take on No. 25 The Citadel in a key Southern Conference matchup has discovered the virtues of running the ball and playing solid defense.

That's why Citadel football coach Kevin Higgins says this 5-1 Elon team, leading the SoCon with a 3-0 league record, is the best Phoenix squad he's seen in his four seasons with the Bulldogs.

"No question about it," said Higgins, who is 3-0 against Elon in his Citadel career. "Last year, they were better than they were the previous year. And this year's team is so much better than last year's team."

Elon coach Pete Lembo, who worked for and succeeded Higgins as coach at Lehigh University, first reversed the Phoenix's fading fortunes with a pass-happy spread offense that featured the 6-3, 235-pound Hudgins.

Hudgins caught 69 passes and scored eight touchdowns as a freshman as Elon went 5-6 in Lembo's first season in 2006, and last year teamed with freshman quarterback Scott Riddle to catch a SoCon-record 117 passes with 18 TDs for a 7-4 squad.

Riddle and Hudgins still are flinging the ball around, but Elon has taken a major step forward in Lembo's third season due to a revived running attack and a defense that is allowing just 17.8 points per game this season, down from 30.4 per game last year and second in the SoCon.

On offense, the Phoenix ran for just 64.5 yards per game in 2007, last in the league. This year, Elon is up to 139.3 rushing yards per game, and sophomore tailback Brandon Newsome 161 yards and a TD in a 31-10 win over Furman last week.

"That's one of the commitments we made in the offseason," said Lembo, who has a career record of 61-25 as coach at Lehigh and Elon. "It was wonderful to put up a bunch of points and passing numbers, but we didn't feel like we were a complete team.

"We were putting too much pressure on our defense and leaving them on the field too long, and we promised ourselves to make a more concerted effort to run the ball."

With a more mature and physical offensive line, led by redshirt junior tackle Chris Werden of James Island High School, Elon is able to make foes choose between double-teaming Hudgins and putting an extra defender in the box. Hudgins already has 50 catches for 634 yards and four TDs this season.

"In the past, you could double-team the outside guys and let them run the ball," Higgins said. "You can't do that anymore."

The run game also has reduced the amount of time Elon's defense is on the field. Elon's time of possession is up to 30:21 this season from 28:57 a year ago. And Andrew Wilcox is the SoCon's top kicker, making 12 of 13 field goals.

All that adds up to a stiff challenge for a Citadel team that was beat up physically and emotionally in a 47-21 loss at Appalachian State last week. Linebacker Reggie Rice and cornerback Ryan Jones, hurt against App State, are not likely to be at 100 percent today, and running backs Cody Wilson and Rickey Anderson are out for the second straight week.

"I think we've bounced back pretty well," said Citadel tackle Daniel DeHaven. "The enthusiasm has been good all week, and we've never lost to Elon at home, and we don't want to be the first team to do that."