Saturday, November 4
Macon, Ga.
3 p.m.
Mercer University
4-5 , 3-4
3
vs
20
#15 Samford
6-3 , 4-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Samford
0
10
8
2
20
Mercer
0
3
0
0
3
Team Stats
SAM
MER
Total Yards
465
191
Pass Yards
367
158
Rushing Yards
98
33
Penalty Yards
54
52
1st Downs
25
12
3rd Downs
7
4
4th Downs
1
0
TOP
34:06
25:54
2nd Quarter
SAM 0, MER 3
MER - Cole Fisher 36 yd field goal 9 plays, 31 yards, TOP 4:37
SAM 3, MER 3
SAM - Jordan Weaver 21 yd field goal 10 plays, 85 yards, TOP 3:10
SAM 10, MER 3
SAM - Chris Shelling 6 yd pass from Devlin Hodges (Jordan Weaver kick) 6 plays, 49 yards, TOP 2:19
3rd Quarter
SAM 16, MER 3
SAM - Chris Shelling 16 yd pass from Devlin Hodges (Jordan Weaver kickfailed) 12 plays, 76 yards, TOP 3:26
SAM 18, MER 3
SAM - TEAM 10 yd safety
4th Quarter
SAM 20, MER 3
SAM - Brett Granger 9 yd safety
Game Leaders
CMP
18
TD
0
YDS
158
INT
1
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
K
/ Football
K/P
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
Mercer Forces Four Turnovers in Loss to Samford
11/4/2017 8:04:00 PM | Football
Bears total three fumble recoveries, one interception on Homecoming
MACON, Ga. – Mercer forced four Samford turnovers but was unable to muster offensive momentum in a 20-3 loss to the No. 15/16 (STATS/Coaches) Bulldogs in front of a Homecoming crowd of 10,200 at Five Star Stadium on Saturday.
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The Bears (4-5, 3-4 Southern Conference) dropped their second straight game as they struggled with 191 yards of total offense, while Samford (6-3, 4-2) was led by 367 passing yards and two touchdowns by Delvin Hodges.
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Turning Point
Hodges found receiver Chris Shelling in the end zone for the second time with eight minutes and 32 seconds remaining in the third quarter, giving Samford a 16-3 advantage and its first double-digit lead of the contest.
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It Was Over When
A mental miscue by the Mercer offense led to the first of two Samford safeties with 4:09 remaining in the third quarter. The Bulldogs claimed an 18-3 lead and powered their way to the eventual 17-point victory.
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Stat of the Game
Mercer's three-point output marked the first time the Bears have failed to score a touchdown in the modern era (2013-present). It is also the lowest point total for Mercer in the modern era.
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Offensive Star
Tee Mitchell totaled 65 all-purpose yards (33 rushing, 32 receiving) on six carries and six receptions.
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Defensive Standout
Juniors Will Coneway and Isaiah Buehler came up with impressive individual performances on the defensive side of the ball. Coneway notched 11 total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a pass break-up. Buehler recorded two sacks on consecutive plays en route to five total tackles.
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How It Happened
Mercer's defense showed up early, forcing two turnovers in the first quarter, highlighted by an interception by Kyle Williams. The senior linebacker's pick came on Samford's first drive of the game and was followed by a BJ Bohler fumble recovery with 1:41 left in the frame after Grant Goupil's punt bounced off a Samford player.
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Mercer converted the fumble recovery into the first points of the game; Cole Fisher drilled a 36-yard field goal with 12 minutes left in the second quarter to claim a 3-0 lead. However, they were the only points Mercer would muster Saturday as Samford scored 20 unanswered, keyed by a pair of touchdown passes from Hodges to Shelling. The duo linked up with less than one minute remaining in the first half to take a 10-3 lead before breaking the game open with 8:32 left in the third quarter on another touchdown strike.
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The Bears forced two more fumbles in the third and fourth quarters, but were unable to swing momentum into their favor, going three-and-out and fumbling on the following drives afterward.
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Coach Lamb's Take
"This obviously wasn't the outcome we wanted on Homecoming and Senior Day," said head coach Bobby Lamb. "I thought we had a great game plan coming into the day, but it didn't pan out how we hoped.
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"I want to commend our defense for holding a very powerful [Samford] offense to 16 points [four points scored on safeties] today. They played exceptionally well. On offense, we could not get anything going. When we did, there was a yellow [flag] out there on the field. We shot ourselves in the foot, especially in the first half.
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"We didn't do well enough passing, catching, running or coaching today. That's on me as the head coach. This is all on my shoulders. We have to respond now by playing for pride and for the love of football."
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Notables
Team
» Mercer fell to 0-4 against Samford in the modern era.
» Mercer's loss was its first in SoCon play decided by more than seven points.
» Mercer committed six of its eight penalties in the first half.
Offense
» Kaelan Riley had a sub-50 percent completion percentage for the first time this season and failed to throw a touchdown pass for only the second time in his young career.
» Mitchell averaged 5.5 yards per carry, including a 13-yard scamper.
» Five Bears caught multiple passes, including Mitchell (six) and Chandler Curtis (four).
Defense
» Mercer has forced three or more turnovers in five of nine games this season.
» Coneway forced his team-leading third fumble of the season. He is one of only four Bears in program history to record at least three in a season.
» Buehler notched his second career two-sack performance. He recorded both sacks on consecutive plays in the second quarter.
» Williams' interception was the first of his career.
» Harrison Poole's forced fumble and fumble recovery were both career-firsts.
Special Teams
» Grant Goupil's 56-yard punt in the third quarter was a career-long.
» Fisher was good from 36 yards out on his only field goal attempt of the night.
» BJ Bohler continued to impress on special teams, recovering his first career fumble.
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 (4-5, 3-4 Southern Conference) dropped their second straight game as they struggled with 191 yards of total offense, while Samford (6-3, 4-2) was led by 367 passing yards and two touchdowns by Delvin Hodges.
Â
Turning Point
Hodges found receiver Chris Shelling in the end zone for the second time with eight minutes and 32 seconds remaining in the third quarter, giving Samford a 16-3 advantage and its first double-digit lead of the contest.
Â
It Was Over When
A mental miscue by the Mercer offense led to the first of two Samford safeties with 4:09 remaining in the third quarter. The Bulldogs claimed an 18-3 lead and powered their way to the eventual 17-point victory.
Â
Stat of the Game
Mercer's three-point output marked the first time the Bears have failed to score a touchdown in the modern era (2013-present). It is also the lowest point total for Mercer in the modern era.
Â
Offensive Star
Tee Mitchell totaled 65 all-purpose yards (33 rushing, 32 receiving) on six carries and six receptions.
Â
Defensive Standout
Juniors Will Coneway and Isaiah Buehler came up with impressive individual performances on the defensive side of the ball. Coneway notched 11 total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a pass break-up. Buehler recorded two sacks on consecutive plays en route to five total tackles.
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How It Happened
Mercer's defense showed up early, forcing two turnovers in the first quarter, highlighted by an interception by Kyle Williams. The senior linebacker's pick came on Samford's first drive of the game and was followed by a BJ Bohler fumble recovery with 1:41 left in the frame after Grant Goupil's punt bounced off a Samford player.
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Mercer converted the fumble recovery into the first points of the game; Cole Fisher drilled a 36-yard field goal with 12 minutes left in the second quarter to claim a 3-0 lead. However, they were the only points Mercer would muster Saturday as Samford scored 20 unanswered, keyed by a pair of touchdown passes from Hodges to Shelling. The duo linked up with less than one minute remaining in the first half to take a 10-3 lead before breaking the game open with 8:32 left in the third quarter on another touchdown strike.
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The Bears forced two more fumbles in the third and fourth quarters, but were unable to swing momentum into their favor, going three-and-out and fumbling on the following drives afterward.
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Coach Lamb's Take
"This obviously wasn't the outcome we wanted on Homecoming and Senior Day," said head coach Bobby Lamb. "I thought we had a great game plan coming into the day, but it didn't pan out how we hoped.
Â
"I want to commend our defense for holding a very powerful [Samford] offense to 16 points [four points scored on safeties] today. They played exceptionally well. On offense, we could not get anything going. When we did, there was a yellow [flag] out there on the field. We shot ourselves in the foot, especially in the first half.
Â
"We didn't do well enough passing, catching, running or coaching today. That's on me as the head coach. This is all on my shoulders. We have to respond now by playing for pride and for the love of football."
Â
Notables
Team
» Mercer fell to 0-4 against Samford in the modern era.
» Mercer's loss was its first in SoCon play decided by more than seven points.
» Mercer committed six of its eight penalties in the first half.
Offense
» Kaelan Riley had a sub-50 percent completion percentage for the first time this season and failed to throw a touchdown pass for only the second time in his young career.
» Mitchell averaged 5.5 yards per carry, including a 13-yard scamper.
» Five Bears caught multiple passes, including Mitchell (six) and Chandler Curtis (four).
Defense
» Mercer has forced three or more turnovers in five of nine games this season.
» Coneway forced his team-leading third fumble of the season. He is one of only four Bears in program history to record at least three in a season.
» Buehler notched his second career two-sack performance. He recorded both sacks on consecutive plays in the second quarter.
» Williams' interception was the first of his career.
» Harrison Poole's forced fumble and fumble recovery were both career-firsts.
Special Teams
» Grant Goupil's 56-yard punt in the third quarter was a career-long.
» Fisher was good from 36 yards out on his only field goal attempt of the night.
» BJ Bohler continued to impress on special teams, recovering his first career fumble.
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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