By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Elon’s football team put itself in position for an upset of Duke in Thursday night’s season opener.
That was until the Blue Devils racked up the game’s final 21 points in the last 11½ minutes for a 45-17 victory at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham.
“To be in a one-score game in the fourth quarter against Duke, that was awesome,” Elon coach Tony Trisciani said. “I’m going to keep reminding (our players) of that.”
Darian Mensah, transfer from Tulane, threw three second-half touchdown passes in his Duke debut. He completed his last 14 throws, with key hook-ups with Harvard transfer Cooper Barkate, who gained 117 yards on five receptions. Sahmir Hagans caught two touchdown passes.
Elon quarterback Landen Clark, a redshirt freshman making his first collegiate start, threw for 101 yards and picked up another 61 yards on the ground.
“He’s a relentless competitor,” Trisciani said. “I’m real proud of him for the job he did in this environment. . . He did not flinch at all.”
Clark’s 2-yard, third-down run with 3:43 left in the first half helped the Phoenix forge a 10-10 tie that stood up into the third quarter. Luke Barnes provided Elon’s first points with a 35-yard field goal earlier in the second quarter on a possession sparked by T.J. Thomas’ 44-yard run.
Elon’s other touchdown came when Landyn Backey ran 3 yards on a fourth-down sweep with 14:12 remaining as the Phoenix pulled within 24-17.
Duke, which also won against the Phoenix in the 2024 opener, scored less than three minutes later on Mensah’s pass to Hagans and soon after added to the margin on Que’Sean Brown’s 78-yard punt return.
Elon didn’t commit a turnover, but it was hurt by Duke’s 10 tackles for losses.
Tight end Dylan Magazu notched a career-high 61 receiving yards on three catches. Junior Darren James-Hamilton’s 11 tackles were the most in his career.
Elon’s home opener is set for 6:00 p.m. September 6 vs. Davidson.
