Mercer falls short of SoCon title bid. Bears will find out playoff fate on Sunday
Mercer nearly captured its first Southern Conference title in the school’s history, but a late rally by ETSU leaves the Bears hoping for an at-large FCS playoffs bid after a 38-35 loss.
The two teams came into the day as the top two teams in the conference and the final regular-season game of the season would determine the winner of the SoCon title. Both teams got off to slow starts on offense with back-to-back three-and-outs.
ETSU scored first with a 43-yard touchdown from Tyler Riddell to Malik Murray to put the Bucs up 7-0 with eight minutes left in the first quarter.
The Bears responded with a 26-yard field goal by Devin Folser. Mercer’s defense forced a punt on the following drive. Devron Harper broke off a 33-yard run to set up a Fred Davis touchdown from the 5-yard line to put Mercer up 10-7.
The Bucs finished the first half scoring 14 unanswered to go into halftime up 21-10. Mercer came out of the break in need of a spark and found it in wide receiver Ty James. James spun loose for a 66-yard catch and run to set Davis up for his second touchdown of the game.
After a stop by the Bears’ defense, Mercer drove into field-goal range where Folser knocked home his second of the day from 31 yards to bring Mercer within one.
Mercer scored on a third straight drive as quarterback Fred Payton found Ethan Dirriam for the 5-yard touchdown. The Bears scored 18 unanswered in the third quarter to head to the fourth quarter up 28-21.
On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Tyler Riddell finally stopped the bleeding for the Bucs. Riddell delivered a strike to Will Huzzie for the score to tie the game.
The connection between Payton and James was on display all game but perhaps the biggest example was the 48-yard touchdown to put the Bears back up 35-28 with just under 13 minutes remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, Folder hit a line drive that drilled an ETSU player and the ball bounced back for Folser to fall on. It was reminiscent of the play against Chattanooga that sealed the win for the Bears. It looked as though Mercer would have a chance to put the game out of reach on the drive, but on the first play Payton’s pass was intercepted by ETSU.
The Bears’ defense forced the Bucs to settle for a field goal after the turnover. But on the next drive, Payton’s pass was once again intercepted. Riddell hit Malik Murray for a 13-yard touchdown to put ETSU up 38-35 with 1:47 left.
On the final drive of the game, Mercer moved the ball down the field quickly and into ETSU territory. With two seconds left in the game, Folser stepped up for a 42-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. Folser’s kick banked in off the upright but the Bucs got a late timeout in to nullify the score. On the second attempt, Folser missed wide as ETSU hung on for the win.
Three stars:
Fred Payton, Mercer quarterback: He isn’t typically a guy who throws the ball around the field. The offense is far more predicated on establishing the run game.
But against ETSU, the Bears pulled out all the stops including Payton throwing the ball more. He finished 21-of-31 for 375 yards and two touchdowns.
The Coastal Carolina transfer has shined as a starter this season. Against Chattanooga, it was his legs that led the Bears to victory. Against ETSU, he showcased he could do it with his arm as well.
Ty James, Mercer wide receiver: James is another transfer from an FBS program who has come up big for Mercer this season.
The former Georgia Bulldog put on a show in Johnson City against the Bucs. James had eight catches for 224 yards.
On the first drive of the second half, James ignited the offense with a 66-yard gain to set up a touchdown to pull Mercer within one score.
Mercer went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter, and James’ play seemed to be the swing in momentum the Bears needed to get going.
Mercer head coach Drew Cronic: When Mercer moved on from Bobby Lamb, who helped restart the program in 2013, the Bears looked like a team in for a long-term transition period.
Cronic came in with a completely different offensive system with elements of the Wing-T offense as one of the key parts of the change. It was a big overhaul in schemes and culture.
But in Cronic’s second season at the helm, the Bears have clearly overachieved. They are already competing for conference championships and playoff berths, something no one could’ve guessed would happen this quickly.
Cronic has come in and built on the foundation laid by Lamb and has the Bears soaring to new heights. This team could be a force for years to come in the SoCon under Cronic.
What’s next?
The postseason
The Bears must now rely on getting an at-large bid after failing to clinch the automatic bid with a SoCon title win. Mercer seems to be on the fence. The Bears‘ nonconference schedule consisted of Alabama and Point University, an NAIA program. This could prove costly as the Bears may not have done enough to erase the 45-7 loss to VMI. There is a chance Mercer can sneak in and grab a spot based on a quality win over Chattanooga and nearly pulling off the upset of ETSU for the title. Mercer is clearly a playoff quality team after its performance on Saturday but fans and players will be holding their breath until the bracket is announced on Sunday.
This story was originally published November 20, 2021 at 5:45 PM.