Coming off its statement-making defeat of then-No. 4-ranked William & Mary, Elon moved to the front of the line in the Coastal Athletic Association and into the Top 25. 

The Phoenix have another crack at a highly ranked opponent in Week 6, this time with non-conference counterpart North Carolina Central visiting Rhodes Stadium for an in-state showdown. 

No. 11-ranked North Carolina Central is no stranger to spoiling a championship-contending CAA opponent on the road. Last year, the Eagles went into Wildcat Stadium and led wire-to-wire in a 45-27 defeat of 2022 CAA co-champion New Hampshire. 

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

The win in Durham was part of a memorable campaign for North Carolina Central, winner of 10 games including a thrilling Celebration Bowl defeat of Jackson State. The 41-34 victory sent Deion Sanders packing for Colorado with a loss to his credit, and earned the Eagles their first Black National Championship at the Div. I level. 

It's a new year, but the Eagles continue flying high with many of the same key contributors — starting with electrifying quarterback Davius Richard. 

Richard has thrown for 656 yards on 56-of-92 completions in essentially three games. He missed the Sept. 23 blowout of Mississippi Valley State, but made up for lost time with a score through the air and four on the ground in North Carolina Central's 49-48 defeat of Campbell a week ago. 

L E G E N D.#NCCU senior QB Davius Richard just tied the school record with his 31st career rushing touchdown.

He needs one more to break a tie with Gerald Fraylon (1981-84).

Central and Campbell all tied up at 14 with :48 left in the 1st Q. pic.twitter.com/JTHrSUk3cp

— Travon Miles (@TrayABC11) September 30, 2023

 "Trei Oliver's done a great job building a national championship program and culture at Central," Elon coach Tony Trisciani said of the Eagles head coach. "They have our attention. They're a veteran team, they're talented, got a great quarterback who's a dual-threat; can beat you with his legs and with his arm. It's a great out-of-conference game for us." 

It's also a great out-of-conference game for the reigning MEAC champions. North Carolina Central comes into Rhodes Stadium having not lost to a CAA opponent since visiting Towson in 2019. The winning streak is three games, with defeats this year of North Carolina A&T in Week 2, and Campbell in last week's shootout. 

Saturday's matchup is a classic clash of styles with the explosive Eagles offense against a stout Phoenix defense. 

Along with Richard's 234 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, running back Latrell Collier has 367 yards and five scores. The passing game thrives attacking the perimeter in space, which means Elon will need secondary standouts Bo Sanders and CAA Defensive Player of Week 5 Caleb Curtain to be especially active. 

But getting into the backfield early figures to play an especially crucial role for the Phoenix, something opponents have struggled to do. North Carolina Central has given up just four sacks on the season — three of which came against UCLA. 

If Marvin Pearson, Cazeem Moore and Co. can reverse that trend, Elon will have its second top 15 win in as many weeks. 

PREDICTION: Elon 27, North Carolina Central 23

Duquesne at Delaware 

Delaware went into its bye week on a high with its come-from-behind defeat of New Hampshire. After a week off and with a significant win for early-season CAA jockeying to their credit, the Blue Hens return with a non-conference date. 

Duquesne visits The Tub in Week 6 with a daunting task ahead of them. The Dukes picked up their first Div. I win of the season last Saturday, beating Long Island in the Northeast Conference opener, 31-28. 

The league matchup offered Duquesne a welcomed change after facing Football Bowl Subdivision opponents West Virginia and Coastal Carolina in consecutive weeks, games the Dukes lost by 39 and 59 points. 

Against Delaware, however, Duquesne has its hands full. The Blue Hens offense showed off its balance in the 28-25 defeat of New Hampshire, with running back Marcus Yarns putting up 105 yards and quarterback Ryan O'Connor passing for 336 yards and three touchdowns. 

Yarns has gone for more than 100 yards three times in four games, including a career-best 139 against Duquesne's NEC counterpart Saint Francis. 

O'Connor has back-to-back three-touchdown performances, spread among five different pass-catchers. Coupled with its feisty defense, Delaware should close out its non-conference slate with an emphatic win. 

PREDICTION: Delaware 45, Duquesne 14 

UAlbany at Towson

UAlbany and Towson square off in CAA competition, both fresh off of impressive conference wins in Week 5. 

While both beat Top 25-ranked opponents, the Great Danes and Tigers followed markedly different paths to victory: UAlbany used its suffocating defense to hold Villanova at arm's length until the fourth quarter, when the overwhelming effort on that side of the ball translated into scoring opportunities on the other. 

UAlbany pulled away for a 31-10 win, setting the Great Danes on course with a 1-0 start to their CAA slate. 

Towson, meanwhile, lost a two-possession lead at New Hampshire then rallied back in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Quarterback Nathan Kent threw for five touchdowns, while Devin Matthews scored the second of two rushing touchdowns in the extra frame to seal a 54-51 win. 

"They're really good up front," UAlbany defensive end Anton Juncaj said of Towson. "They've got a good running back, good quarterback, good wide receivers. We have to have a good week of practice." 

Towson's eruption showcased the Tigers balance, with both Matthews and D'Ago Hunter carrying for 116 yards to complement Kent's breakthrough in the passing game. The productive both in the passing and rushing game looked comparable to first-year Towson coach Pete Shinnick's explosive teams at West Florida, which boasted one of the most prolific offenses in Div. II in recent years. 

Tigers offensive coordinator Brian Sheppard came from another program in the Sunshine State, Stetson, where he implemented an air-raid style approach. Towson's ability to go to the ground reflects an evolution in the air-raid philosophy where it's not just all about the passing game — and that can keep an aggressive defense like UAlbany's on its toes. 

UAlbany has flourished with its pass rush through five games, leading the nation in sacks and checking in at No. 10 in tackles for loss. The Great Danes' ability to consistently create pressure has resulted in 10 takeaways, tied for 12th-most in FCS. 

Towson finished even with New Hampshire on turnovers last week and was plus-three in its other win over Morgan State. In losses to Monmouth and Norfolk State, the Tigers were minus-two and minus-one. 

Should UAlbany continue to win the turnover battle, the Great Danes can move to 2-0 in conference. 

PREDICTION: UAlbany 30, Towson 21

Campbell at Hampton 

Points should be plentiful when two of the most exciting offenses in the CAA clash in Week 6. 

Campbell comes into Armstrong Stadium averaging 39.4 points per game, most in the CAA and fourth-most in the FCS. Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams has been dynamite, completing 116-of-153 passes — good for 75.8 percent — and has 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions. 

Williams is also one of four Camels to have rushed for 100-plus yards and scored multiple rushing touchdowns (four for Williams) through five games. NaQuari Rogers is setting the pace at 309 yards on 56 carries with five touchdowns, Lamagea McDowell has gone for 177 yards and three touchdowns, and Chris McKay Jr. has 104 yards with a pair of scores. 

Campbell's offensive production is a byproduct of an outstanding line. Following a common theme with other opponents of the Camels this season, Hampton coach Robert Prunty noted the Campbell front is likely the biggest his team will see in 2023. 

Even in losses, Campbell has scored points. The same is true of Hampton, which comes in averaging 31 a game. 

The Pirates have been the picture of consistency in their overall production: 35 points in a Week 1 win over Grambling, 35 again vs. rival Howard, and 31 last week in a CAA-opening defeat of Richmond. 

Consistent scoring comes from consistent rushing, and Hampton boasts that from an electrifying trio: quarterback Chris Zellous and running backs Darran Butts and Elijah Burris. Burris averages a team-leading 113.5 yards per game, tops in the CAA. 

However, both Butts and Zellous are capable of going, and have gone for 100 yards. 

While the Pirates ground game has been a constant early into the campaign, Zellous' continued development as a passer makes Hampton doubly dangerous. Zellous went for season-highs of 256 yards on 24 completions in the win at Richmond, including a few highlight-reel hook-ups with 5-foot-9 dynamo Romon Copeland. 

Prunty described Copeland as someone who "plays like he's 7-foot tall." 

"He's a gutsy player," Prunty said. "And he's a very cerebral player. He understands the offense, he understands coverages, he knows how to get open. I'm very happy with the way he's playing." 

With each passing week, Hampton's preseason selection at the bottom of the CAA poll looks sillier and sillier, even if Prunty and Co. haven't been caught up in defying expectations. 

"I don't really give thought to what other people think," Prunty said. "In this conference, anybody can win. I don't focus on what people think; I don't have time to do that. We're just going to continue to line up and play football." 

Being slept on has worked out pretty well for Hampton through the first month of the season, and it could again in an important Week 6 showdown for both teams. 

PREDICTION: Campbell 42, Hampton 35