Saturday, October 7
Charleston, S.C.
2 p.m.
Mercer University
3-3 , 2-2
24
at
14
#17 The Citadel
3-2 , 1-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Mercer
7
7
7
3
24
The Citadel
0
0
0
14
14
Team Stats
MER
CIT
Total Yards
311
381
Pass Yards
111
180
Rushing Yards
200
201
Penalty Yards
41
19
1st Downs
18
21
3rd Downs
4
3
4th Downs
0
2
TOP
33:36
26:24
1st Quarter
MER 7, CIT 0
MER - CJ Leggett 1 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 5 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:13
2nd Quarter
MER 14, CIT 0
MER - Tee Mitchell 16 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 11 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:29
3rd Quarter
MER 21, CIT 0
MER - Tee Mitchell 2 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 11 plays, 48 yards, TOP 5:10
4th Quarter
MER 21, CIT 7
CIT - D. Allen 1 yd run (Godek kick), 5 plays, 67 yards, TOP 1:43
MER 24, CIT 7
MER - Cole Fisher 29 yd field goal 8 plays, 72 yards, TOP 4:00
MER 24, CIT 14
CIT - Berry 2 yd run (Godek kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:22
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
12
TD
0
YDS
111
INT
0
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
K
/ Football
DB
/ Football
K/P
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
Defense Shines as Mercer Upends #17 The Citadel
10/7/2017 5:54:00 PM | Football
Bears earn first win over nationally-ranked team since 2015
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Mercer forced four turnovers and controlled the ball for 33 minutes en route to a 24-14 upset win over No. 17 (STATS/Coaches) The Citadel at Johnson Hagood Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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The Bears' win was their second over a nationally-ranked program since returning to the gridiron in 2013 and first against The Citadel (3-2, 1-2 Southern Conference) in the modern era (0-3 prior). Mercer improved to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the SoCon.
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Turning Point
Lee Bennett burst into The Citadel's back field and dropped quarterback Dominique Allen for a three-yard-loss and a turnover on downs with 7:59 remaining in the contest. It was a pivotal stop for Mercer and preserved a 14-point lead after the Bulldogs started the drive on the Mercer 21-yard line following a fumble.
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It Was Over When
Harrison Poole intercepted Allen in Mercer territory with 2:33 remaining in the game, closing the door on The Citadel's chances of pulling off a rally in the final minutes.
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Stat of the Game
Mercer held the nation's second-best rushing attack to 201 yards on the ground Saturday, well under The Citadel's season average of 303.5 rushing yards per game. On the other side of the ball, Mercer reached the 200-yard mark for the second straight week.
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Offensive Star
Tee Mitchell ran for a season-high 88 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries to help Mercer control the clock Saturday. The junior averaged 3.8 yards per carry and notched a 43-yard rush to propel Mercer to its first touchdown of the game – a one-yard run by CJ Leggett.
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Defensive Standout
Lee Bennett totaled a career-high 16 tackles (four solo, 12 assisted) while forcing and recovering a fumble on The Citadel's opening drive of the game. His fumble recovery was the sixth of his career, earning him the program record.
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How It Happened
Bennett forced and recovered a fumble on The Citadel's opening drive, setting up a five-play, 48-yard Mercer touchdown drive capped by a one-yard score by Leggett. Mitchell's 43-yard rush on the second play of the drive sent Mercer to the red zone.
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Mercer's defense came up big once again with The Citadel knocking on the door, as Kyle Trammell forced a fumble at the Mercer four-yard line. Dorian Kithcart landed on the loose ball to secure Mercer's second gained turnover of the game. After a third straight punt by Mercer's offense, The Citadel missed a 47-yard field goal attempt with 8:58 remaining in the second quarter. Mercer railed off its second-longest drive of the game following the miss; an 11-play, 70-yard push that ended with a 16-yard touchdown run by Mitchell. The Bears entered halftime with a 14-0 advantage.
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Sam Walker was stripped after a 12-yard reception on Mercer's opening drive of the second half, giving The Citadel a quick spurt of momentum. That was quickly altered three plays later, however, as Will Coneway recovered a fumble forced by Malique Fleming to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
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Mitchell found the end zone for a second time with a two-yard run that capped Mercer's 11-play, 48-yard drive. The score gave Mercer a 21-point lead with 2:57 remaining in the third quarter. Kaelan Riley made two big plays during the drive, hitting Chandler Curtis for a 13-yard completion and running for a first down on third-and-10 at The Citadel's 23-yard line.
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A 10-point fourth quarter by the Bulldogs made things interesting down the stretch. Allen found the end zone less than two minutes into the final quarter, cutting Mercer's lead to 14. Another strike for The Citadel seemed imminent when Riley fumbled at his own 20-yard line with 9:39 remaining, but the Bears' defense rose to the occasion with a fourth-down stop as Bennett burst into the back field for a three-yard loss and turnover on downs.
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Cole Fisher added insurance with a 29-yard field goal at the 3:59 mark. Despite another touchdown by the Bulldogs – cutting the Bears' lead to 24-14 – and an onside kick recovery on the following kickoff, Mercer held on for the victory as Poole intercepted Allen with two minutes remaining.
Coach Lamb's Take
"I can't say enough about our guys for holding on and earning that road victory we needed. We went 1-0 today and that's what matters. I think we outplayed them in the running game…[The Citadel] had more passing yards than we did. We couldn't get the ball over their heads, but we finally got our running game where it needed to be by the third quarter.
"I can't say enough about our defense. They were flying all around, in and out. It starts up front. I saw Dorian [Kithcart] in there a lot and obviously Isaiah [Buehler] was in there too. We knocked six balls loose – I mean we knocked them loose – and ended up with four turnovers. We were really getting after it. I was really proud of the way they played.
"Toughness is what it takes to win here. At the end of the day, the toughest team is going to win. I can't say enough about our guys. The great thing is seeing how happy those guys are in our locker room right now…it makes me emotional. They worked so hard to get to this point, so hard. We've got to continue it."
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Notables
Team
» Mercer's win was its second over a ranked opponent and first since defeating No. 3 Chattanooga, 17-14, on Nov. 7, 2015 in Macon.
» The Bears never trailed Saturday, leading after each quarter of play.
» The win is Mercer's first over The Citadel since 1931. Mercer entered Saturday's contest with a 0-3 record against the Bulldogs since 2013.
» Saturday marked the first matchup between Mercer and The Citadel in the modern era that was decided by more than three points.
Offense
» Mitchell's 43-yard run in the first quarter was the longest Mercer rush of the year.
» Leggett's one-yard touchdown run was his third in as many games.
» Alex Lakes notched season-highs of 16 carries and 79 rushing yards.
» Marquise Irvin caught a team-best three catches for 30 yards.
Defense
» Mercer forced six fumbles and recovered three Saturday.
» Poole's interception was the first of his career.
» Mercer has 15 gained turnovers through six games played this season.
» Mercer has held opponents to 14 points or less three times this season.
» The Bears held The Citadel to its second lowest rushing total of the season (201 yards). The Citadel entered Saturday averaging 333.5 rushing yards per game.
» Bennett's fumble recovery was the sixth of his career, making him the program's all-time leader.
» The forced fumbles by Bennett and Trammell were the second of their respective careers and first for both since 2014. Fleming's was the first of his career.
» Kithcart and Coneway notched their first career fumble recoveries.
Special Teams
»Grant Goupil punted a season-high nine times and averaged 41.6 yards per punt. He tied a career-long with a 51-yard boot and pinned two inside The Citadel 20-yard line.
» Fisher's 29-yard field goal was his fifth of the season.
» Curtis reeled a 20-yard punt return to The Citadel 48-yard line, setting up Mercer's third touchdown drive of the game (11 plays, 48 yards).
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Football, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerFootball (Twitter), /MercerFootball (Facebook) and @MercerFootball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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The Bears' win was their second over a nationally-ranked program since returning to the gridiron in 2013 and first against The Citadel (3-2, 1-2 Southern Conference) in the modern era (0-3 prior). Mercer improved to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the SoCon.
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Turning Point
Lee Bennett burst into The Citadel's back field and dropped quarterback Dominique Allen for a three-yard-loss and a turnover on downs with 7:59 remaining in the contest. It was a pivotal stop for Mercer and preserved a 14-point lead after the Bulldogs started the drive on the Mercer 21-yard line following a fumble.
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It Was Over When
Harrison Poole intercepted Allen in Mercer territory with 2:33 remaining in the game, closing the door on The Citadel's chances of pulling off a rally in the final minutes.
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Stat of the Game
Mercer held the nation's second-best rushing attack to 201 yards on the ground Saturday, well under The Citadel's season average of 303.5 rushing yards per game. On the other side of the ball, Mercer reached the 200-yard mark for the second straight week.
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Offensive Star
Tee Mitchell ran for a season-high 88 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries to help Mercer control the clock Saturday. The junior averaged 3.8 yards per carry and notched a 43-yard rush to propel Mercer to its first touchdown of the game – a one-yard run by CJ Leggett.
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Defensive Standout
Lee Bennett totaled a career-high 16 tackles (four solo, 12 assisted) while forcing and recovering a fumble on The Citadel's opening drive of the game. His fumble recovery was the sixth of his career, earning him the program record.
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How It Happened
Bennett forced and recovered a fumble on The Citadel's opening drive, setting up a five-play, 48-yard Mercer touchdown drive capped by a one-yard score by Leggett. Mitchell's 43-yard rush on the second play of the drive sent Mercer to the red zone.
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Mercer's defense came up big once again with The Citadel knocking on the door, as Kyle Trammell forced a fumble at the Mercer four-yard line. Dorian Kithcart landed on the loose ball to secure Mercer's second gained turnover of the game. After a third straight punt by Mercer's offense, The Citadel missed a 47-yard field goal attempt with 8:58 remaining in the second quarter. Mercer railed off its second-longest drive of the game following the miss; an 11-play, 70-yard push that ended with a 16-yard touchdown run by Mitchell. The Bears entered halftime with a 14-0 advantage.
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Sam Walker was stripped after a 12-yard reception on Mercer's opening drive of the second half, giving The Citadel a quick spurt of momentum. That was quickly altered three plays later, however, as Will Coneway recovered a fumble forced by Malique Fleming to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
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Mitchell found the end zone for a second time with a two-yard run that capped Mercer's 11-play, 48-yard drive. The score gave Mercer a 21-point lead with 2:57 remaining in the third quarter. Kaelan Riley made two big plays during the drive, hitting Chandler Curtis for a 13-yard completion and running for a first down on third-and-10 at The Citadel's 23-yard line.
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A 10-point fourth quarter by the Bulldogs made things interesting down the stretch. Allen found the end zone less than two minutes into the final quarter, cutting Mercer's lead to 14. Another strike for The Citadel seemed imminent when Riley fumbled at his own 20-yard line with 9:39 remaining, but the Bears' defense rose to the occasion with a fourth-down stop as Bennett burst into the back field for a three-yard loss and turnover on downs.
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Cole Fisher added insurance with a 29-yard field goal at the 3:59 mark. Despite another touchdown by the Bulldogs – cutting the Bears' lead to 24-14 – and an onside kick recovery on the following kickoff, Mercer held on for the victory as Poole intercepted Allen with two minutes remaining.
Coach Lamb's Take
"I can't say enough about our guys for holding on and earning that road victory we needed. We went 1-0 today and that's what matters. I think we outplayed them in the running game…[The Citadel] had more passing yards than we did. We couldn't get the ball over their heads, but we finally got our running game where it needed to be by the third quarter.
"I can't say enough about our defense. They were flying all around, in and out. It starts up front. I saw Dorian [Kithcart] in there a lot and obviously Isaiah [Buehler] was in there too. We knocked six balls loose – I mean we knocked them loose – and ended up with four turnovers. We were really getting after it. I was really proud of the way they played.
"Toughness is what it takes to win here. At the end of the day, the toughest team is going to win. I can't say enough about our guys. The great thing is seeing how happy those guys are in our locker room right now…it makes me emotional. They worked so hard to get to this point, so hard. We've got to continue it."
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Notables
Team
» Mercer's win was its second over a ranked opponent and first since defeating No. 3 Chattanooga, 17-14, on Nov. 7, 2015 in Macon.
» The Bears never trailed Saturday, leading after each quarter of play.
» The win is Mercer's first over The Citadel since 1931. Mercer entered Saturday's contest with a 0-3 record against the Bulldogs since 2013.
» Saturday marked the first matchup between Mercer and The Citadel in the modern era that was decided by more than three points.
Offense
» Mitchell's 43-yard run in the first quarter was the longest Mercer rush of the year.
» Leggett's one-yard touchdown run was his third in as many games.
» Alex Lakes notched season-highs of 16 carries and 79 rushing yards.
» Marquise Irvin caught a team-best three catches for 30 yards.
Defense
» Mercer forced six fumbles and recovered three Saturday.
» Poole's interception was the first of his career.
» Mercer has 15 gained turnovers through six games played this season.
» Mercer has held opponents to 14 points or less three times this season.
» The Bears held The Citadel to its second lowest rushing total of the season (201 yards). The Citadel entered Saturday averaging 333.5 rushing yards per game.
» Bennett's fumble recovery was the sixth of his career, making him the program's all-time leader.
» The forced fumbles by Bennett and Trammell were the second of their respective careers and first for both since 2014. Fleming's was the first of his career.
» Kithcart and Coneway notched their first career fumble recoveries.
Special Teams
»Grant Goupil punted a season-high nine times and averaged 41.6 yards per punt. He tied a career-long with a 51-yard boot and pinned two inside The Citadel 20-yard line.
» Fisher's 29-yard field goal was his fifth of the season.
» Curtis reeled a 20-yard punt return to The Citadel 48-yard line, setting up Mercer's third touchdown drive of the game (11 plays, 48 yards).
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Football, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerFootball (Twitter), /MercerFootball (Facebook) and @MercerFootball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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