Elon (0-0) at Vanderbilt (1-0), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+/SEC Network+)
Line: No line, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Vanderbilt 1-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Vanderbilt can notch its first 2-0 start since 2018, and a victory would match the win total for coach Clark Lea’s debut season in 2021. Elon has not beaten a Bowl Subdivision team since moving to the Championship Subdivision in 1999. The Phoenix are 1-29-2 against Power Five programs with the lone win over Miami back in 1928. Elon has played eight current Power Five programs with the two ties coming against Duke and Georgia Tech in the 1920s.
KEY MATCHUP
Vanderbilt’s rushing offense against Elon’s defense. The Commodores are coming off a dominating 63-10 win at Hawaii to open the season, the first time they’ve started with a victory since 2018. Vanderbilt rolled up more than 600 yards of total offense for only the fifth time since 1996 and finished with 404 yards rushing. Elon has nine starters back on defense, and the Phoenix led the Colonial Athletic Association in red zone defense.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Elon: WR Jackson Parham. He ranked 31st nationally with 820 yards receiving and 43rd with 57 catches for the best single season by a Elon receiver since 2012.
Vanderbilt: QB Mike Wright. He was 13 of 21 for 146 yards passing with two touchdown passes. He also ran for a career-high 163 yards and two more TDs. He became the fourth Vanderbilt quarterback with multiple passing TDs and multiple TD runs since 1996.
FACTS & FIGURES
Vanderbilt currently leads the nation scoring offense after the opening rout at Hawaii. It was the most points for Vanderbilt since scoring 63 in 1969 in a win over Davidson. The 53-point margin of victory was Vanderbilt largest since a 58-0 win over Presbyterian on Sept. 17, 2012. … Vanderbilt topped 600 yards total offense for just the fifth time since 1996. … Vanderbilt returned two fumbles for touchdowns. It was the Commodores’ first multiple defensive scores since scoring twice against LSU on Sept. 21, 2019. … Seven different Commodores scored against Hawaii. … Vanderbilt is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its stadium this season. Dudley Field opened Oct. 14, 1922, with a scoreless tie against Michigan. The last major renovation was in 1981, and the stadium is scheduled for a major renovation expected to take two years. … Elon K Skyler Davis made 17 field goals last year, including each of his final nine attempts. … Elon went 6-5 last season. … Not counting the 2021 spring season because of the pandemic, Elon has won at least five games in four straight seasons. That equals the program’s longest such streak since moving to FCS.
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