Mercer set to battle VMI at home Saturday in Southern Conference showdown
The Mercer Bears are running all over the Southern Conference.
A week after he set schools records with 276 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 28 carries, Fred Davis led Mercer to a 34-24 victory over Western Carolina, toting the ball 26 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Marshall added 91 yards on only 11 carries.
The Bears (4-1, 3-0) hope to continue their rushing — and winning — ways when they welcome the Virginia Military Institute to Macon for a 4 p.m. kickoff Saturday. VMI (4-2, 2-1) has one of the worst rush defenses in the country, letting up more than 280 yards a game.
The Keydets do have recent history on their side, after shredding Mercer 41-14 in the abbreviated spring season earlier this year. And conference games are never easy, even if the Bears have beaten up on SoCon foes recently. But Mercer has been stellar at home under Drew Cronic, rattling off six consecutive victories at Five Star Stadium.
“It’ll be big this game, we need a big crowd there and everyone ready to roll,” Cronic said after last weekend’s victory. “We have to prepare to be great and then we need to get into that stadium and play the best football game we’ve played.”
A victory would put Mercer well on its way to a potential season-ending showdown with ETSU for the SoCon title. The Bucs are also undefeated in conference play, and 6-0 on the season.
But first comes VMI, who have a bell-cow running back of their own: senior Korey Birdy leads the Keydets with 613 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Despite shaky performances this season, VMI finds plenty of ways to score, averaging almost 30 points per game. Mercer’s defense held firm against Western Carolina after letting up 42 points against Samford, thanks three forced turnovers, including a late interception by safety Lance Wise.
“That was huge. That blew that game open right there at the end when Lance did that and took it back,” Cronic said. “That’s something Coach [Joel] Taylor really harped on. They’ve really focused on the turnover battle this summer, this August, and those things are showing up.”
Jon Langston will headline the Oct. 16 entry in the Ford Football Concert Series before the game. Langston’s debut major label single, “When It Comes To Loving You” reached No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes Chart. His most recent single, “Try Missing You,” was released in July.
How to watch
- Who: Mercer (4-1, 3-0) vs. VMI (4-2, 2-1)
- When: 4 p.m. ET Saturday
- Where: Five Star Stadium, Macon
- Stream: ESPN+ / WatchESPN
- Radio: Mercer Sports Network, 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic
