Another tough test awaits Mercer defense

Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb is well aware how difficult the job facing a defensive coaching staff in FCS play can be.

The Bears' current stretch of games is the perfect example of that.

Two weeks ago, Mercer was tasked with slowing down VMI and its high-flying passing attack. Last week, Mercer turned its focus to The Citadel's powerful option offense.

And on Saturday, the Bears face off with Chattanooga's dynamic and diverse attack.

"It's very difficult on the defense. Basically we went from facing VMI that threw it all over the lot to facing a downhill, an old-school wishbone team, a double-slot team in The Citadel, and now we're on to Chattanooga, which is kind of a hybrid," Lamb said. "They use a lot of quarterback runs, don't throw it quite as much as people think, but it's a hybrid between the two.

"So it's very difficult to change those gears, but that's life as a defensive coordinator in FCS football. FCS football is very creative, and there are a lot of different offenses you have to defend."

The Mocs are 7-1 overall and 5-0 in conference play, and they won the conference title last year with an 8-0 record. Mercer is 3-5 overall and 0-4 in the conference, losing those conference games by a combined 13 points.

The Bears lost by seven points to the Mocs last year.

"I know Mercer is way better than what their record indicates, especially their conference record," Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman said. "They've got good players. Third year of their program and second year in the Southern Conference, what they've done is really remarkable. To be as competitive as they are this early in the process is a testimony to what they're doing over there at Mercer and their coaching staff. Look at last year's game. We very easily could have lost that game. We were actually playing good leading up to that game. We could have lost.

"You haven't once seen them not play hard in any of the games you've seen them play on film. They compete. You have to get a win. You have to get over the hump of winning one like that. We were in the same boat here for a long time here in Chattanooga. We couldn't get that win to get us over the hump and snowball a little bit. They're going to get one, and once they do, I think they're going to be a dangerous team."

Jacob Huesman, the head coach's son, leads the Chattanooga offense from his quarterback spot. He is a two-time conference player of the year and ranks second in the conference with 253.6 yards of total offense per game this season. Huesman is second in the conference with 95.9 rushing yards per game, trailing only teammate Derrick Crane, who leads the conference with 97.8 rushing yards per game and 11 rushing touchdowns.

"They're the cream of the crop for a reason. No. 1, Coach Russ Huesman has done an outstanding job of going in there and getting that program headed in the right direction," Lamb said. "Before he got there, Chattanooga had some tough, tough years. And then the second reason is because of another Huesman, his son. He's probably going to be a three-time player of the year in this league moving forward.

"He's a great runner, a 225-pound kid who never gets hurt. It's a big challenge for the defense because any time you're facing a running offense with the defense spread out like that, you're basically trying to defend 12."

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Another tough test awaits Mercer defense ."