Mercer Hosts VMI, Looks to Snap Skid Saturday

MACON, Ga. – Mercer returns to Five Star Stadium after two straight road games to host VMI at 4 p.m. Saturday in Southern Conference play.

The Bears (1-3, 0-2 SoCon) own a 2-1 all-time record against VMI, which enters Saturday's clash without a win through four weeks of play (0-4, 0-1). This will be the two programs' second head-to-head matchup in Macon. The game will air on ESPN3 and 96.5 FM The Bull or via the Sportsmic and iHeartRadio apps.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Gameday Central: MercerBears.com
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30 | 4 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (1-3, 0-2 SoCon) vs. VMI (0-4, 0-1 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Five Star Stadium (10,200)
Television: ESPN3
Television Talent: Frank Malloy (play-by-play), Conrad Nix (analyst), Kristin Banks (sideline)
Radio: Mercer Sports Network | 96.5 FM The Bull | iHeartRadio | Sportsmic
Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (play-by-play), Roger Jackson (analyst), Kristin Banks (sideline)
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerFootball
Game Notes: Mercer | VMI | SoCon

Quick Hits

This is Mercer's third of five home games at Five Star Stadium. Mercer is 1-1 in such games.
Saturday's football game at Five Star Stadium is the center of Family Weekend at Mercer University.
All three games between Mercer and VMI have been decided by seven points or less.
Mercer's eight gained turnovers lead the SoCon and rank 20th in the FCS.
Avery Ward and Chandler Curtis have combined for 20 catches, 335 receiving yards and three touchdowns against VMI in their careers.
Lee Bennett led Mercer in tackles against VMI each of the last two years (14, 2015; 11, 2016).
Mercer's three-game losing streak is tied for its longest in the modern era.

Series History
Mercer leads the head-to-head series with VMI, 2-1, having defeated the Keydets twice on the road in Lexington, Va. VMI was victorious in its lone trip to Macon two seasons ago, defeating Mercer 28-21 despite a 14-point rally by the Bears.

Mercer claimed a 33-30 overtime win at VMI last year when Avery Ward hauled in a game-winning 18-yard touchdown reception. Alex Lakes rushed for 91 yards and one touchdown in the win.

#TackleDuchenne
Mercer's football coaching staff will join the nationwide initiative, Coach To Cure MD, by wearing special arm patches at Saturday's game vs. VMI to raise awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Coach To Cure MD is led by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is in its 10th year. It has raised more than $1.5 million to battle the disorder. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common lethal genetic disorder affecting young men in the United States. Fans can help coaches find this cure by texting the word CURE to 50555. Doing so will add a $10 donation to your next mobile phone bill.

Welcome to the L.O.C.
Here comes the boom. The Legion of Chaos, otherwise known as the Mercer defense, is off to a strong start through four games this season. Mercer's eight forced turnovers are the most in the SoCon after an impressive five gained at Auburn on Sept. 16. The Bears also rank second in the SoCon in scoring defense (21.3 points per game).

Return to the Red Zone
One of the biggest positives through four games this season has been the Bears' red zone efficiency on offense. Mercer is 16- for-17 (SoCon-best 94.1 percent) when reaching the red zone, including 12 touchdowns. The first failed trip came at ETSU on a missed field goal. Mercer led the FCS in red zone efficiency in 2015 (.932).

Lakes Rewriting the Record Books
Alex Lakes, the elder of the Mercer offensive backfield, is nearing a pair of career rushing records entering week four of the season. The redshirt senior needs two rushing touchdowns and eight rushing yards to eclipse career records (2,335 rushing yards; 30 rushing touchdowns) held by former quarterback John Russ (2013-16).

Lakes' 29 rushing touchdowns and 2,327 rushing yards are the most by any Mercer running back. He is the only running back in program history with over 2,000 career rushing yards.

Riley In Charge
Kaelan Riley has established himself as a quarterback who can beat teams with both his arm and legs through four career games. The redshirt freshman has tossed seven touchdown passes but also found the end zone three times via the run. He has completed 62.0 percent of his passes and is averaging just under 200 yards passing (194.0) per game. He threw for a career-best 257 yards at ETSU, completing 15-of-22 in the loss.

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.

Mercer Hosts VMI, Looks to Snap Skid Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Lee Bennett

Chandler Curtis

Alex Lakes

Kaelan Riley

John Russ

Avery Ward

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