Mercer football, with a week off after Alabama loss, prepares for conference play
After a 48-14 loss to Alabama, the Mercer Bears had a week off to prepare for their conference opener against Furman this Saturday.
Mercer head coach Drew Cronic said the off week gave him and his team a chance to improve on the mistakes they made against the Crimson Tide.
“In this conference, anybody can beat anybody,” he said. “When you play somebody like Alabama, it magnifies certain things that you do wrong and you can really see it and work on it.”
The Bears will be on the road for their showdown with the Paladins. These two teams met during the abbreviated spring schedule when Mercer beat Furman 26-14 after being down 14-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
One of the biggest storylines coming out of the Alabama game was quarterback Fred Payton’s two touchdowns, one of which was a 60-yard bomb down the seam to Devron Harper. The Bears have gone with two quarterbacks through the first two games with Payton splitting time with last season’s starter, Carter Peevy. Peevy struggled against Alabama but many of his snaps came against the first unit on defense.
“I thought Fred played really well against Alabama, so we will start with him,” Cronic said. “I don’t have to change a lot of things with either of them in there. They both do a lot of the same things well. It is a luxury to have two players you feel like you can win with… I would expect both of them to play, but we will see how it goes..”
Mercer is 1-1 on the season but has not played in a conference game.
“You want to start fast. Furman has got a good team. Furman I can see developing into a rival: similar schools and proximity to each other. So its a big game,” Chronic said. “I am sure Furman feels good about their team and their chance to compete in this conference this year. You got to show up and play good…. Winning is a whole lot better than losing.”
How to Watch
Who: Furman (2-1) vs. Mercer (1-1)
When: 2 p.m. ET
Where: Paladin Stadium, Greenville, South Carolina
Stream: ESPN+/ WatchESPN
- Radio: Mercer Sports Network, 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic