Charleston, S.C. - The Citadel Football will play their last home game of the 2010 season against the Elon Phoenix on Saturday, Nov. 6 for Homecoming 2010 "Get the Red Out" at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and Bulldog fans can watch and listen to the game live on Bulldog Insider at www.CitadelSports.com or listen on ESPN Radio 910 The Team with the Voice of the Bulldogs Darren Goldwater, color analyst Walt Nadzak and sideline reporter Brad Franko.
The Series
The Citadel will face Elon for just the 10th time in the programs' history. The series dates back to 1954 when the teams competed against each other two years in a row. The series did not resume until Oct. 4, 2003, the year Elon joined the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs lead the series, 6-3; however, the Phoenix claimed the victory in the last meeting, 43-7, on Oct. 10, 2009 in Elon. The win marked their third defeat of the Bulldogs since joining the SoCon. The teams have met in Charleston on six occasions and The Citadel has won five of those games.
The Citadel
The Citadel (2-7 overall; 0-6 SoCon) is coming off their sixth consecutive loss and second consecutive shutout in a 35-0 defeat at No. 9 Wofford last weekend in Spartanburg. However, the Bulldog defense continues to make strides as redshirt senior defensive end Erik Clanton was recently named to the Football Performance Awards midseason watch list for 2010 Defensive Lineman of the Year. Clanton recently recorded his eighth sack of the season against the Terriers, moving him to fourth all-time in the Bulldog record books for sacks in a season.
Still searching for their first SoCon victory since defeating Samford at home in 2009, the Bulldogs will switch things up again this week, returning freshman Ben Dupree to the starting role for the first time since the season-opener against Chowan. Matt Thompson, who started seven of nine games this season, will back up Dupree. After missing several weeks and slowly working his way back into the rotation, redshirt junior Rickey Anderson will start in the slot back position next to freshman Terrance Martin, who earned the starting role after Van Dyke Jones suffered a season-ending injury against Georgia Southern.
Clanton with linebackers Tolu Akindele and Rod Harland have created a dangerous defensive trio when on the field together. Akindele, Clanton and Harland have combined for 87 total tackles in the Bulldogs' last three games for a combined average of 29 tackles per game and an individual average of 9.7 tackles per game.
Scouting the Phoenix
Elon (3-5 overall; 2-3 SoCon) is currently coming off an offensive shootout at Chattanooga in last Saturday's 49-35 Phoenix victory. Elon, who has struggled this season after coming off a 7-1 SoCon record to claim second place in 2009, was picked to finish second in 2010 by both the SoCon media and coaches. However, they currently stand in seventh place in the conference, claiming wins against Shaw, Samford and recently #20 Chattanooga. The Phoenix have recorded the most losses this season since head coach Pete Lembo's first year at the helm when they finished 5-6 (2006). The Phoenix have recorded losses at Duke, at No. 9 Richmond, at No. 24 Georgia Southern, at No. 1 Appalachian State and against No. 9 Wofford.
Elon is coached by Lembo who is in his fifth season at the helm of Phoenix Football. The Phoenix run a multiple offense and a 4-3 defense. They returned seven offensive starters, including quarterback senior Scott Riddle, who leads the conference in passing average and total offense. On defense, Elon returned six starters and is led this season by senior Brandon Wiggins, who ranks fourth in the conference in tackles.
Note: The Citadel and Johnson Hagood Stadium are going "RED" for Homecoming 2010 in honor of the return of Big Red, the palmetto flag that many believe was carried by Citadel cadets who fired on the Union supply ship Star of the West in 1861. After its March 2010 arrival on campus, "Big Red" went on display in the lobby of the Holliday Alumni Center across from Johnson Hagood Stadium. The flag is on loan until 2014 from the State Historical Society of Iowa. "Get the Red Out", tagged by the Alumni Association, is homage to Big Red. Alumni and football fans are encouraged to wear red to the Homecoming football.
A game recap and statistics will be available online immediately following Saturday's game. For more information on Bulldog Football, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
