No. 11 Mercer hosts No. 16 Furman in Homecoming matchup with conference title on the line
The race for the regular season Southern Conference championship is coming down to the final two weeks of the regular season. This game features two of the teams in contention as No. 11 Mercer welcomes No. 16 Furman to Five Star Stadium Saturday.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. It is Homecoming and Senior day for Mercer.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
- Date | Time: Saturday, Nov. 12 | 3 p.m.
- Teams: Furman (7-2, 5-1) at Mercer (7-2, 5-1)
- Location: Macon, Ga. | Five Star Stadium (10,200)
- Television: ESPN+ / Nexstar on WMUB
- Television Talent: Pete Yanity (Play-by-Play) Jared Singleton (Analyst)
- Radio: Mercer Sports Network | 100.9 The Creek FM | SportsMic
- Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (PxP), Bryce Koon (Analyst), Charles Davis (Sideline)
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
- Twitter Updates: @MercerFootball
QUICK FACTS
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, there are four teams who can still win the regular season SoCon title: Samford, Furman, Mercer, and Chattanooga.
This is the 21st meeting between the programs. Furman leads the series 10-8-2. However, since football returned to Mercer in 2013, the series is tied 4-4.
Mercer is 38-18 all-time in Five Star Stadium. With a win, the Bears would finish the regular season with a perfect 5-0 record. The last time Mercer went undefeated at home was in 2013 when the Bears went 8-0 at home.
Mercer head coach Drew Cronic was an assistant coach at Furman from 2002-10 and during the 2017 season.
SCOUTING FURMAN
Furman is led by sixth year head coach Clay Hendrix. Hendrix is a Furman alum. The Paladins are coming off a 6-5, 4-4 (SoCon) season in 2021.
The Paladin’s lone conference loss this season was to then No. 16 Samford 34-27.
Furman is riding a four-game road winning streak coming into this game.
Furman’s defense excels in getting takeaways. Their 21 takeaways on the season are tied with Mercer and Chattanooga for the most in the SoCon. The Paladins are second in the FCS in interceptions with 14. Mercer leads the FCS with 17 INT’s.
Offensively, Furman has a great running game. They lead the SoCon in rushing yards per game at 224.2.
SCHOOL RECORDS SET THIS SEASON
Quarterback Fred Payton set a Mercer school record for most passing touchdowns in a game with 5 against ETSU. His 28 passing touchdowns on the season is also a school record.
Wide receivers Devron Harper and Ty James broke the school record for receiving touchdowns in a season as both are currently sitting on 10 receiving touchdowns this year.
DYNAMIC DUO AT WIDE RECEIVER
Wide receivers Ty James and Devron Harper have proven to be dangerous weapons in the Mercer offense.
James leads the SoCon in receiving yards with 739 yards. He was named FCS Offensive Player of the Week for his week 0 performance against Morehead State. In the game, James had 5 receptions for 192 receiving yards and three touchdowns all in the first half.
Harper and James have each set a Mercer school record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 10.
Harper has 16 total touchdowns on the season. That is tied for the second-most in the FCS.
In his last five games, James has 5 receiving touchdowns.
Harper is the only player in the SoCon to score in four different ways – receiving (8), rushing (4), kick return (1) and punt return (1).
DOMINANT DEFENSE
Mercer’s defense has been one of the best in the FCS through six games. The Bears have held their last four opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.
The defense is top-10 in the FCS in scoring defense (8th) and total defense (10th).
Mercer’s defense has 12 interceptions to lead the FCS.
The Bears’ defense leads the SoCon in scoring defense (13.7 ppg), total defense (286.8 ypg) and passing defense (173.3 ypg). They also have only allowed three passing touchdowns, tops in the SoCon.
In Mercer’s 17-0 win over The Citadel, linebacker Isaac Dowling tied a career-high with 17 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack in the game.
Against Gardner-Webb, the Bears forced three Gardner-Webb turnovers. Cam Sims had a 67-yard pick-six to give the bears a 21-point lead at halftime.
The defense has given up just seven points in the fourth quarter all year.
BY THE NUMBERS
5: The Bears have given up just five sacks this season. That is the second fewest given up by any FCS team this season.
49: Mercer has scored 49 touchdowns this season. That is third most in program history. The most is 60, set in 2013.
100: Ty James has four 100-yard receiving games this season. That is the most 100-yard receiving games this season by any SoCon player.