HARRISONBURG — The approach Curt Cignetti took at Elon in his first year at the school is the same one he’s taking in year two.

“There’s no question that we exceeded outsiders’ expectations,” the Phoenix coach said. “But it’s such a process with the way that we do it because we just work to improve as much as we can every day and there’s no self-imposed limitations. There’s no limits.

“And the key is we got to build off of year one.”

Cignetti engineered a drastic turnaround at Elon — winning eight games and reaching the postseason in 2017 after the team earned only two victories the year before in ex-coach Rich Skrosky’s last with the program.

Elon stayed in contention for a share of the Colonial Athletic Association title all the way through the final Saturday of the season when it fell at home 31-3 to James Madison, which claimed its second straight outright league championship that day. The following week, Elon dropped its first-round playoff game to Furman, 28-27, and was sent home.

This year, JMU hosts Elon, which is ready to contend again for CAA crown, on Oct. 6 at Bridgeforth Stadium.

“We had a taste of it and we didn’t finish like we wanted to,” Cignetti said. “So I think that provides motivation, but you still have to start over every year beginning with your weight program, your offseason conditioning, into spring ball, summer, and to develop that hunger, thirst, leadership and pay the price.

“All those intangibles are really important, but I think we’re in a good spot as we talk now.”

Especially considering the Phoenix only graduated four starters from last year’s team.

Four of its five starting offensive linemen from 2017 are back and Cignetti said it should aid a formidable trio at running back featuring senior Malcolm Summers, junior De’Sean McNair and sophomore Brelynd Cyphers.

Summers suffered a season-ending hamstring injury last fall after rushing for 755 yards and four touchdowns over the first six games.

“He’s good to go,” Cignetti said. “He didn’t participate in spring drills, but in summer conditioning program, he’s participating in all the running and there’s no sort of limitations on what he can do.”

McNair got most of the carries when Summers was sidelined, and ran for 663 yards and six scores.

“We got some blue-collar guys upfront that work hard and I feel really good about our offensive line,” Cignetti said. “And as they go, the running game goes.

“Summers was extraordinary at breaking tackles last year and McNair did a nice job as did Cyphers, so I think we’ve got a good backfield. I think we have a good line and I think we’ve strengthened ourselves at receiver, so we have a chance to improve on offense.”

All that talent is settled around sophomore quarterback Davis Cheek — the 2017 CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year and a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award.

Cheek threw for 2,431 yards and 15 touchdowns, and rushed for two more scores in his first season with the Phoenix.

“And he took a step in the spring,” Cignetti said. “And what we’re trying to do is surround him with as many weapons as we can, so we can take advantage of the things he does well.”

As Cheek elevates the offense, Cignetti said senior linebacker Warren Messer does the same for the defense.

Messer was a STATS FCS and Phil Steele second-team All-American last year for his team-high 114 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and two interceptions.

The 5-11, 227-pounder anchors a unit that also returns junior defensive lineman Marcus Willoughby, who had seven sacks last season, as well as senior safety Tyler Campbell, a former running back that changed sides of the ball ahead of last season.

Between Willoughby, Messer and Campbell, the Phoenix have a defender at each level that Cignetti said can replicate or improve upon their strong previous season-long performances.

“The nucleus is there,” Cignetti said. “And with an extra year in the package, it’ll be a little more instinctive and reactive for all of them where they’re not thinking about their assignment or what their gap is, so we’ll get better.”