Bus carrying Mercer football team catches fire outside a Golden Corral in SC

A bus carrying Mercer football players and equipment caught on fire Friday outside of a Golden Corral in Columbia, South Carolina.

Players and coaches were inside the restaurant at the time of the fire. Mercer staff and students rushed to the bus to get equipment unloaded as the fire burned near the back of the bus. The Bears are set to play Virginia Military Institute on Saturday and had stopped to eat when the fire began.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The Telegraph has reached out to Mercer Athletics for additional information on the fire.

Mercer is 1-1 during its spring conference schedule after going 0-3 during the fall out-of-conference schedule. The Bears topped The Citadel in their home conference opener, 42-28.

This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 5:28 PM.