Getting off to quick start has eluded Mercer in Southern Conference play

Three seasons into its stay in the Southern Conference, Mercer hasn’t beaten Wofford or won its conference opener.

The Bears hope to change both of those trends Saturday at Five Star Stadium.

Mercer lost to Furman (25-20) in its first-ever conference game in 2014, then lost to Wofford (34-33) in its 2015 conference opener and The Citadel (24-23) in its 2016 conference opener. The Bears also lost to Wofford in 2014 (34-6) and 2016 (31-21).

“In the first game, they beat our brains out. In the second game, we went into overtime and missed the extra point,” Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb said of the series with the Terriers. “And then last year, it was a really tight game in the third quarter, and they came up with a big punt block in the third quarter, which really changed the game. When you look at each game, they’ve made the one more play that counts to win the game.

“So that’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to make that one more play or two more plays that can give ourselves an advantage going into that fourth quarter.”

Mercer opened its 2017 season with a 48-7 win over Jacksonville, which is a non-scholarship program. Wofford knocked off Furman last week in conference play.

“I’m excited about our team,” Lamb said. “I think our senior class has done a great job of taking ownership of this team. Any time that you’re a favorite and you go out and dominate the game, you’re doing something right off the field. I think our coaches did a great job in character development in the offseason, and it’s really carried over to our football team. So I think we’re right where we need to be.”

Mercer finished 1-6 in Southern Conference play in 2014, 2-5 in 2015 and 4-4 in 2016. Wofford is one of three conference teams to win its first three games against Mercer, joining Samford and The Citadel.

“You can tell the energy in the team and around the guys. We feel confident,” Mercer running back Tee Mitchell said of the Bears’ conference opener. “There’s no hesitation or shyness when it comes to this week. We know it’s a big game, but we know we’re prepared.”

This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Getting off to quick start has eluded Mercer in Southern Conference play."