Saturday, October 20
Macon, Ga.
4 p.m.
Mercer University
4-3 , 3-1
59
vs
46
Western Carolina
3-4 , 1-4
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Western Carolina
7
20
6
13
46
Mercer
0
28
17
14
59
Team Stats
WCU
MER
Total Yards
710
572
Pass Yards
401
294
Rushing Yards
309
278
Penalty Yards
95
93
1st Downs
35
25
3rd Downs
8
4
4th Downs
3
0
TOP
30:55
29:05
1st Quarter
WCU 7, MER 0
WCU - Jordan Mathis 23 yd pass from Tyrie Adams (Will Horton kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:57
2nd Quarter
WCU 14, MER 0
WCU - Owen Cosenke 5 yd pass from Ian Berryman (Will Horton kick) 17 plays, 90 yards, TOP 7:11
WCU 14, MER 7
MER - Tyray Devezin 18 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 6 plays, 56 yards, TOP 1:48
WCU 21, MER 7
WCU - Connell Young 58 yd pass from Tyrie Adams (Will Horton kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:15
WCU 21, MER 14
MER - Sam Walker 49 yd pass from Kaelan Riley (Cole Fisher kick) 4 plays, 66 yards, TOP 1:54
WCU 21, MER 21
MER - David Durden 40 yd pass from Kaelan Riley (Cole Fisher kick) 3 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:23
WCU 24, MER 21
WCU - Will Horton 36 yd field goal 11 plays, 57 yards, TOP 2:18
WCU 24, MER 28
MER - David Durden 95 yd kickoff return (Cole Fisher kick)
WCU 27, MER 28
WCU - Will Horton 43 yd field goal 5 plays, 33 yards, TOP 0:24
3rd Quarter
WCU 27, MER 35
MER - Tee Mitchell 2 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 3 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:06
WCU 27, MER 38
MER - Cole Fisher 37 yd field goal 8 plays, 43 yards, TOP 2:55
WCU 33, MER 38
WCU - Tyrie Adams 3 yd run (Tyrie Adams passfailed), 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:34
WCU 33, MER 45
MER - Stephen Houzah 27 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:22
4th Quarter
WCU 33, MER 52
MER - Tee Mitchell 61 yd pass from Kaelan Riley (Cole Fisher kick) 7 plays, 93 yards, TOP 5:17
WCU 33, MER 59
MER - Tyray Devezin 5 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 6 plays, 50 yards, TOP 2:07
WCU 40, MER 59
WCU - Tyrie Adams 11 yd run (Will Horton kick), 6 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:42
WCU 46, MER 59
WCU - Nate Mullen 17 yd pass from Will Jones () 8 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:56
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
16
TD
3
YDS
294
INT
0
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
K
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
Photo by: Allyson Lamb
Mercer Shatters Records in Shootout Win over Catamounts
10/20/2018 10:20:00 PM | Football
Bears defeat Western Carolina, 59-46, as Mitchell sets rushing record
MACON, Ga. – Tee Mitchell broke Mercer's career rushing record to lead the Bears to a 59-46 shootout victory over Western Carolina in Southern Conference action on Saturday at Five Star Stadium.
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Mitchell, a senior, rushed for 157 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries to break former teammate Alex Lakes' record of 2,604 yards. The career rushing mark was one of many records that fell on Saturday; Cole Fisher broke the program's career scoring record of 188 points with an 11-point effort and Mercer set a team record for most points scored (59) in a SoCon contest.
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The offensive frenzy included 1,282 total offensive yards between the two teams, including 710 on 95 plays by the Catamounts. Mercer improved to 4-3 (3-1 SoCon) with its third consecutive win over Western Carolina (3-4, 1-4).
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Turning Point
Bradley Earnest made a fourth-down tackle of Western Carolina quarterback Tyrie Adams that forced a turnover on downs with 10 minutes and 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The pivotal stop came shortly after Mercer took a 35-27 lead and also led to a 37-yard field goal by Fisher, which put the Bears ahead by two scores.
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It Was Over When
Having already set the program's career rushing record, Mitchell added to his day and provided a finishing blow with a 61-yard touchdown reception on a wheel route with 11:34 left in the fourth quarter to give Mercer a 52-33 advantage.
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Offensive Star
Tee Mitchell thrashed Western Carolina's defense on Saturday, much like the senior running back had done in his previous three career games against the Catamounts. Mitchell entered the game needing 121 rushing yards to set the program's career rushing record and eclipsed the mark in the third quarter. He totaled 218 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) on the day.
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Defensive Star
Graduate transfer linebacker Bradley Earnest stepped up in big moments for the Bears' defense during his nine-tackle performance. Earnest recorded his second sack this season to force a fourth down and an eventual missed field goal by the Catamounts in the first quarter. Earnest then came up big once again with his fourth-down tackle that forced a turnover on downs in the key third-quarter sequence.
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How It Happened
The Bears trailed 7-0 after the opening quarter as Western Carolina scored on its opening drive of the contest. Mercer held strong for the remainder of the quarter; the Bears forced a missed field goal on the Catamounts' second drive.
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The flood gates opened in the second quarter as Mercer and Western Carolina combined for 48 points over 15 minutes of play. The Catamounts led by 14 points twice, including a 21-7 advantage when Adams hit Cornell Young for a 58-yard touchdown pass with 7:42 left before halftime. Mercer staged its rally shortly after as Kaelan Riley connected with Sam Walker and David Durden for touchdown passes of 49 and 40 yards to tie the game at 21-21.
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A 36-yard field goal by the Catamounts with 36 seconds left in the quarter seemingly gave them a three-point lead heading into the break, but Durden flipped the script with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the following play. Western Carolina kicked another successful field goal as time expired, but the Bears took a 28-27 lead into the intermission.
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Mercer scored the first 10 points of the third quarter to take a 38-27 lead. In between the two scores – a two-yard rush by Mitchell and a 37-yard field goal by Fisher – Mercer's defense came up with a momentum-swinging stop on fourth down that forced a turnover on downs. The Catamounts brought the game within five points at 38-33 later in the third quarter, but 21 straight points by Mercer put the game out of reach.
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Quotables
Bobby Lamb's opening statement…
"It was a long, long game, but the Bears came out on top and that makes it a great night at Five Star Stadium. A lot of things happened in this game…Tee [Mitchell] and Cole [Fisher] set program records.
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"We really settled into our run-pass game tonight after a bit of a slow start. [Tight end] Sam Walker came up with some really big plays in the passing game, too. Defensively, we gave up a lot of yards. What can you say about [Catamounts quarterback] Tyrie Adams? He was superman. We couldn't get him on the ground. At the end of the day, we didn't tackle well and that made things difficult for us.
Â
"We carried a lot of momentum from that third-quarter stop when [Bradley] Earnest made the play on fourth down to turn the ball over. From there, our offense kicked it into high gear and we earned a hard-fought SoCon win."
Â
Lamb on David Durden's well-rounded performance…
"One way to describe [Durden] is that he's just a football player. He's out on special teams, our kick-blocking unit and he's a wide receiver. The kid loves contact and loves playing the game."
Â
Lamb on Mitchell's record-breaking performance…
"We congratulated Tee in the locker room after the game for his outstanding performance. Tee has played a lot of football here…that screen pass he caught has never looked that good when we've done it in practice."
Â
Tee Mitchell on breaking Mercer's all-time rushing record…
"It's a good feeling…a lot of the credit goes to our offensive line and the coaching staff. Coach [Joe] Pizzo has done a great job implementing a dynamic offense this year. I'm not trying to get too hung up on the record because we've got plenty of football left and a title to fight for. I'm focused on staying healthy and helping this team."
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Notables
» Mercer has won three straight games against Western Carolina and leads the all-time series, 3-2.
» Mercer's 3-1 start in SoCon play is its best four-game start since joining the league in 2014.
» Mitchell recorded his 10th career 100-yard rushing performance, putting him in a tie for third-most in SoCon history. He needs two more such performances to tie the league record.
» Fisher broke Mercer's career scoring record with an 11-point effort on Saturday. He connected on his lone field goal attempt and made eight extra-point attempts to break Alex Lakes' former record of 192 points.
» David Durden's 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown is the longest in program history.
» Will Coneway and LeMarkus Bailey led Mercer's defense with 12 and 10 tackles, respectively.
» The combined 105 points between Mercer and Western Carolina are a Five Star Stadium record.
» The Bears were 4-for-4 in the red zone and are now 27-for-29 on the season.
» Sam Walker led Mercer with four receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. He entered the game with five receptions for 19 yards this season.
» Kaelan Riley tossed three touchdowns for the second straight week. He hasn't thrown an interception in his last 95 pass attempts.
» Tyray Devezin averaged 11.8 yards per rush and found the end zone twice.
» Stephen Houzah recorded his first career rushing touchdown. He is the only active player in the SoCon with at least one career interception, receiving touchdown and rushing touchdown.
» Senior Brandon Gurley recorded his first career interception.
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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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Mitchell, a senior, rushed for 157 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries to break former teammate Alex Lakes' record of 2,604 yards. The career rushing mark was one of many records that fell on Saturday; Cole Fisher broke the program's career scoring record of 188 points with an 11-point effort and Mercer set a team record for most points scored (59) in a SoCon contest.
Â
The offensive frenzy included 1,282 total offensive yards between the two teams, including 710 on 95 plays by the Catamounts. Mercer improved to 4-3 (3-1 SoCon) with its third consecutive win over Western Carolina (3-4, 1-4).
Â
Turning Point
Bradley Earnest made a fourth-down tackle of Western Carolina quarterback Tyrie Adams that forced a turnover on downs with 10 minutes and 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The pivotal stop came shortly after Mercer took a 35-27 lead and also led to a 37-yard field goal by Fisher, which put the Bears ahead by two scores.
Â
It Was Over When
Having already set the program's career rushing record, Mitchell added to his day and provided a finishing blow with a 61-yard touchdown reception on a wheel route with 11:34 left in the fourth quarter to give Mercer a 52-33 advantage.
Â
Offensive Star
Tee Mitchell thrashed Western Carolina's defense on Saturday, much like the senior running back had done in his previous three career games against the Catamounts. Mitchell entered the game needing 121 rushing yards to set the program's career rushing record and eclipsed the mark in the third quarter. He totaled 218 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) on the day.
Â
Defensive Star
Graduate transfer linebacker Bradley Earnest stepped up in big moments for the Bears' defense during his nine-tackle performance. Earnest recorded his second sack this season to force a fourth down and an eventual missed field goal by the Catamounts in the first quarter. Earnest then came up big once again with his fourth-down tackle that forced a turnover on downs in the key third-quarter sequence.
Â
How It Happened
The Bears trailed 7-0 after the opening quarter as Western Carolina scored on its opening drive of the contest. Mercer held strong for the remainder of the quarter; the Bears forced a missed field goal on the Catamounts' second drive.
Â
The flood gates opened in the second quarter as Mercer and Western Carolina combined for 48 points over 15 minutes of play. The Catamounts led by 14 points twice, including a 21-7 advantage when Adams hit Cornell Young for a 58-yard touchdown pass with 7:42 left before halftime. Mercer staged its rally shortly after as Kaelan Riley connected with Sam Walker and David Durden for touchdown passes of 49 and 40 yards to tie the game at 21-21.
Â
A 36-yard field goal by the Catamounts with 36 seconds left in the quarter seemingly gave them a three-point lead heading into the break, but Durden flipped the script with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the following play. Western Carolina kicked another successful field goal as time expired, but the Bears took a 28-27 lead into the intermission.
Â
Mercer scored the first 10 points of the third quarter to take a 38-27 lead. In between the two scores – a two-yard rush by Mitchell and a 37-yard field goal by Fisher – Mercer's defense came up with a momentum-swinging stop on fourth down that forced a turnover on downs. The Catamounts brought the game within five points at 38-33 later in the third quarter, but 21 straight points by Mercer put the game out of reach.
Â
Quotables
Bobby Lamb's opening statement…
"It was a long, long game, but the Bears came out on top and that makes it a great night at Five Star Stadium. A lot of things happened in this game…Tee [Mitchell] and Cole [Fisher] set program records.
Â
"We really settled into our run-pass game tonight after a bit of a slow start. [Tight end] Sam Walker came up with some really big plays in the passing game, too. Defensively, we gave up a lot of yards. What can you say about [Catamounts quarterback] Tyrie Adams? He was superman. We couldn't get him on the ground. At the end of the day, we didn't tackle well and that made things difficult for us.
Â
"We carried a lot of momentum from that third-quarter stop when [Bradley] Earnest made the play on fourth down to turn the ball over. From there, our offense kicked it into high gear and we earned a hard-fought SoCon win."
Â
Lamb on David Durden's well-rounded performance…
"One way to describe [Durden] is that he's just a football player. He's out on special teams, our kick-blocking unit and he's a wide receiver. The kid loves contact and loves playing the game."
Â
Lamb on Mitchell's record-breaking performance…
"We congratulated Tee in the locker room after the game for his outstanding performance. Tee has played a lot of football here…that screen pass he caught has never looked that good when we've done it in practice."
Â
Tee Mitchell on breaking Mercer's all-time rushing record…
"It's a good feeling…a lot of the credit goes to our offensive line and the coaching staff. Coach [Joe] Pizzo has done a great job implementing a dynamic offense this year. I'm not trying to get too hung up on the record because we've got plenty of football left and a title to fight for. I'm focused on staying healthy and helping this team."
Â
Notables
» Mercer has won three straight games against Western Carolina and leads the all-time series, 3-2.
» Mercer's 3-1 start in SoCon play is its best four-game start since joining the league in 2014.
» Mitchell recorded his 10th career 100-yard rushing performance, putting him in a tie for third-most in SoCon history. He needs two more such performances to tie the league record.
» Fisher broke Mercer's career scoring record with an 11-point effort on Saturday. He connected on his lone field goal attempt and made eight extra-point attempts to break Alex Lakes' former record of 192 points.
» David Durden's 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown is the longest in program history.
» Will Coneway and LeMarkus Bailey led Mercer's defense with 12 and 10 tackles, respectively.
» The combined 105 points between Mercer and Western Carolina are a Five Star Stadium record.
» The Bears were 4-for-4 in the red zone and are now 27-for-29 on the season.
» Sam Walker led Mercer with four receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. He entered the game with five receptions for 19 yards this season.
» Kaelan Riley tossed three touchdowns for the second straight week. He hasn't thrown an interception in his last 95 pass attempts.
» Tyray Devezin averaged 11.8 yards per rush and found the end zone twice.
» Stephen Houzah recorded his first career rushing touchdown. He is the only active player in the SoCon with at least one career interception, receiving touchdown and rushing touchdown.
» Senior Brandon Gurley recorded his first career interception.
Â
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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