The Elon football team's fourth-quarter comeback fell just short on Saturday night at Rhodes Stadium, as the Phoenix dropped a 31-21 decision to the visiting Appalachian State Mountaineers.
Senior quarterback Thomas Wilson completed 18-of-25 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns, two of which were snared by senior receiver Aaron Mellette.
The Mountaineers received 29 of 30 first-place votes and 268 points overall to claim the top spot. Elon (215 points) was predicted to finish second while Georgia Southern (191) earned the third position in the media poll.