Elon Practice Report

[On_the_Chip]

We should get our subs in early on eloan.

I think Hootie the "Hooters Mascott" will take a snap against Elon in the second half.

[E.T.]

8/14/2007

ELON, N.C. – The Phoenix offense shined as Elon knocked off the 11th session of the 2007 Phoenix preseason football practice schedule Tuesday afternoon on Hunt Field and Tucker Field.

“We had a good, competitive practice today,†Elon coach Pete Lembo said. “It was very upbeat with a lot of guys flying around. Our offense probably had its most productive practice of pre season camp. We ran the ball well and completed a lot of long balls. Improving our running game was one of the top priorities for our offense this year. It’s nice to see us making some progress in that area.â€Â

Junior fullback Tim Applegate continues to be an asset to the Phoenix offense due to his versatility. Sophomore tight end Matt Leddy not only gives Elon an asset to its running game, but another threat to catch the football as well.

“We hope to be more balanced this year with those two reliable guys in the lineup for us,†Lembo said. “Freshman tailback Dontay Taylor also made some plays today. He is extremely quick and has a very bright future ahead of him. And I can’t say enough about freshman wide receivers Sean Jeffcoat and Lance Camp. These guys are very mature for being true freshmen. They have learned the system quickly, are mentally tough and make a lot of plays. I have already reserved seats for them on our charter flight to Tampa.â€Â

In addition to the standout performance by the Elon offense, the Phoenix defense – although not as consistent as in recent practices – also played well at times during the session. Lembo noted that the defense continues to play hard, be intense and force some turnovers.

The practice included a run and play action period, a coming out scrimmage from the one yard line, a blitz pickup segment, two pass skeletons and one-on-one routes between the defensive backs and the wide receivers. The special teams spent their time on punts, PAT, field goals and punt returns.