Elon 38, W. Carolina 31

Published Oct. 8, 2011 9:16 p.m. ET

foxsports

Elon ran for four touchdowns Saturday, but it was a late 1-yard scoring pass that gave the Phoenix a thrilling 38-31 win over Western Carolina in a Southern Conference game.

Quarterback Thomas Wilson, who rushed for one Elon touchdown, hit Aaron Mellette on a 1-yard scoring toss with 2:13 to play to break a 31-31 tie and give the Phoenix (4-2, 2-1) the victory. That kept Western Carolina (1-4, 0-3) winless in conference play and also trumped a late Catamounts' rally.

Josh Cockrell caught three touchdown passes from Catamounts' quarterback Brandon Pechloff, including a 61-yarder in the second quarter and a 66-yarder in the fourth. But Pechloff was also intercepted three times. Although Wilson, who completed 22 of 33 passing passes, was picked off twice, he ran the Phoenix offense smartly. Running back Dontay Taylor ran for two of Elon's four rushing touchdowns.