Saturday, November 17
Macon, Ga.
3 p.m.
Mercer University
5-6 , 4-4
30
vs
35
Furman
6-4 , 6-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Furman
7
13
9
6
35
Mercer
7
3
14
6
30
Team Stats
FUR
MER
Total Yards
434
408
Pass Yards
189
231
Rushing Yards
245
177
Penalty Yards
60
39
1st Downs
26
24
3rd Downs
4
4
4th Downs
2
3
TOP
36:18
23:42
1st Quarter
FUR 7, MER 0
FUR - Ryan DeLuca 16 yd pass from Harris Roberts (Grayson Atkins kick) 9 plays, 87 yards, TOP 4:28
FUR 7, MER 7
MER - David Durden 30 yd pass from Harrison Frost (Cole Fisher kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:36
2nd Quarter
FUR 13, MER 7
FUR - Jake Walker 10 yd pass from Harris Roberts (Grayson Atkins kickfailed) 9 plays, 71 yards, TOP 4:44
FUR 20, MER 7
FUR - Avery Armstrong 19 yd pass from Harris Roberts (Grayson Atkins kick) 7 plays, 81 yards, TOP 3:05
FUR 20, MER 10
MER - Cole Fisher 22 yd field goal 12 plays, 70 yards, TOP 5:30
3rd Quarter
FUR 20, MER 17
MER - Sidney Otiwu 12 yd fumble recovery (Cole Fisher kick)
FUR 26, MER 17
FUR - Ryan DeLuca 24 yd pass from Harris Roberts (Grayson Atkins kickblocked) 10 plays, 95 yards, TOP 4:35
FUR 29, MER 17
FUR - Grayson Atkins 42 yd field goal 4 plays, 2 yards, TOP 1:26
FUR 29, MER 24
MER - Marquise Irvin 11 yd pass from Kaelan Riley (Cole Fisher kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:49
4th Quarter
FUR 29, MER 30
MER - Tyray Devezin 24 yd pass from Kaelan Riley (Tyray Devezin rushfailed) 5 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:25
FUR 35, MER 30
FUR - Jake Walker 11 yd pass from Harris Roberts (Devin Wynn passfailed) 9 plays, 67 yards, TOP 4:35
Game Leaders
CMP
7
TD
1
YDS
120
INT
0
CMP
9
TD
2
YDS
111
INT
0
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
K
/ FootballQB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
P
/ Football
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
Bears Fight to Finish in 35-30 Loss to Furman
11/17/2018 8:28:00 PM | Football
Mercer ends season with 4-4 SoCon record after loss on Senior Day
MACON, Ga. – Sophomore running back Tyray Devezin had a career night with 235 all-purpose yards (185 rushing, 50 receiving) as Mercer's comeback bid fell short in a 35-30 Southern Conference loss to Furman on Saturday at Five Star Stadium.
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Devezin was the focal point of a Mercer offense that rallied from an early 13-point deficit and held a one-point advantage with 11 minutes left in the game before eventually falling to the visiting Paladins (6-4, 6-2 SoCon) on Senior Day. Mercer ended the season 5-6 overall and 4-4 in SoCon play.
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Turning Point
Furman scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with an 11-yard pass from Harris Roberts to Jake Walker with 6:52 remaining in the game after driving 67 yards on nine plays. The game-winning drive came immediately after Mercer had taken its first lead of the game, 30-29, with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Kaelan Riley to Tyray Devezin.
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It Was Over When
Nothing was set in stone until the final play of the game, when Mercer quarterback Kaelan Riley was strip-sacked at the Furman 41-yard line while attempting a Hail Mary pass to the end zone with two seconds left and the Bears trailing, 35-30.
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Offensive Star
Tyray Devezin proved that the future remains bright for Mercer Football as he totaled 235 all-purpose yards (185 rushing, 50 receiving) and one touchdown in the loss. His 235 all-purpose yards, 185 rushing yards and 30 carries are all the second-highest single-game totals at Mercer.
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Defensive Star
Another young Bear, Sidney Otiwu, produced on the defensive side of the ball on Saturday. Otiwu totaled seven tackles (three solo, four assisted), two tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery that he returned 12 yards for a touchdown.
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How It Happened
Furman held the upper hand throughout the first half as it had its way with the Bears' defense on three touchdown drives before halftime. The Paladins led, 20-10, at halftime as they scored on three consecutive drives over the first and second quarters, all ending in touchdown passes by Harris Roberts.
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Mercer's first score of the game came with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter as David Durden made an acrobatic 30-yard touchdown reception from Harrison Frost to tie the game at 7-7. Furman would stretch its lead to 20-7 by the 9:30 mark of the second quarter, however, with the latter two of its three first-half touchdown drives. A 22-yard field goal by Cole Fisher made it a 10-point game heading into the intermission.
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The second half started with a bang for the Bears as Sidney Otiwu returned a fumble recovery 12 yards for a touchdown after Furman's Devin Wynn fumbled a pitch on the first offensive play of the half. With Mercer trailing, 20-17, both teams traded punts before the Paladins struck with a 24-yard touchdown pass with 8:03 in the third quarter to take a 26-17 lead; Harrison Poole blocked Furman's PAT attempt to keep the Bears within nine points.
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Frost was later strip-sacked with 4:28 left in the third quarter to give Furman the ball at Mercer's 27-yard line; the Paladins drive ended with a 42-yard field goal that gave them a 12-point advantage.
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Mercer's final push was sparked by Kaelan Riley, who replaced Frost on Mercer's following offensive drive and led the Bears 75 yards on eight plays and found Marquise Irvin for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the third quarter. Tyray Devezin rushed for 46 yards on the drive while Riley found Irvin twice for a total of 29 yards through the air.
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After Mercer forced a three-and-out of Furman on the next drive, Riley led the Bears to a go-ahead touchdown – a 24-yard screen pass to Devezin – with 11:37 remaining in the game. Mercer led 30-29 after failing a two-point conversion with a rush by Devezin. Furman would respond soundly on the following drive, taking the ball 67 yards on nine plays before finding the end zone to take a 35-30 advantage. Mercer had two more chances in the fourth quarter but was unable to pull off the comeback win as Riley was strip-sacked with two seconds left on the clock as he attempted a Hail Mary pass from the Furman 41-yard line.
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Quotables
Bobby Lamb's opening statement:
"It was a tough locker room to leave tonight, especially when you have 17 seniors who gave so much to this program. Whether you win or lose, all 17 of those seniors will graduate. As I told them, this journey is about the relationships they've built here. But it's still tough to see them go through pain in a game that we really played well in at times.
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"I was extremely pleased with our fight in the second half; we came out of the locker room [at halftime] with a lot of fight and were ready to go. We had energy all day long, but at the end of the day we didn't make enough plays. Hats off to Furman for the win…they did what they needed to do to win this game.
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"This season was tough with plenty of ups and downs and battling through injuries game after game, but I can say I'm proud of our team for how they never let up."
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Notables
» Mercer finished 4-4 in SoCon play for the third straight season.
» All five games played between Mercer and Furman in the Modern Era (2013-present) have been decided by seven points or less.
» Sidney Otiwu's fumble recovery resulted in Mercer's first defensive touchdown of the season.
» Bobby Lamb fell to 2-3 against his alma mater, Furman, as head coach at Mercer.
» Devezin's 926 rushing yards this season are the third most by a Bear, trailing Alex Lakes' 1,107 in 2014 and Tee Mitchell's 946 in 2015.
» Eric Jackson's 12 tackles were a season-high.
» Kaelan Riley was 9-for-16 passing with 111 yards and two touchdowns.
» Marquise Irvin caught five passes for 70 yards and one touchdown. He broke his own single-season receiving record in the process, finishing the year with 814 receiving yards.
» Six Bears recorded at least half of a tackle for loss.
» Will Coneway tallied double-digit tackles (11) for the fifth time this season and finished with 94 tackles for the year. The 94 tackles are the fourth most by a Mercer player in a single season.
» Matt Shiel averaged 47.2 yards per punt in six attempts.
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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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Devezin was the focal point of a Mercer offense that rallied from an early 13-point deficit and held a one-point advantage with 11 minutes left in the game before eventually falling to the visiting Paladins (6-4, 6-2 SoCon) on Senior Day. Mercer ended the season 5-6 overall and 4-4 in SoCon play.
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Turning Point
Furman scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with an 11-yard pass from Harris Roberts to Jake Walker with 6:52 remaining in the game after driving 67 yards on nine plays. The game-winning drive came immediately after Mercer had taken its first lead of the game, 30-29, with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Kaelan Riley to Tyray Devezin.
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It Was Over When
Nothing was set in stone until the final play of the game, when Mercer quarterback Kaelan Riley was strip-sacked at the Furman 41-yard line while attempting a Hail Mary pass to the end zone with two seconds left and the Bears trailing, 35-30.
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Offensive Star
Tyray Devezin proved that the future remains bright for Mercer Football as he totaled 235 all-purpose yards (185 rushing, 50 receiving) and one touchdown in the loss. His 235 all-purpose yards, 185 rushing yards and 30 carries are all the second-highest single-game totals at Mercer.
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Defensive Star
Another young Bear, Sidney Otiwu, produced on the defensive side of the ball on Saturday. Otiwu totaled seven tackles (three solo, four assisted), two tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery that he returned 12 yards for a touchdown.
Â
How It Happened
Furman held the upper hand throughout the first half as it had its way with the Bears' defense on three touchdown drives before halftime. The Paladins led, 20-10, at halftime as they scored on three consecutive drives over the first and second quarters, all ending in touchdown passes by Harris Roberts.
Â
Mercer's first score of the game came with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter as David Durden made an acrobatic 30-yard touchdown reception from Harrison Frost to tie the game at 7-7. Furman would stretch its lead to 20-7 by the 9:30 mark of the second quarter, however, with the latter two of its three first-half touchdown drives. A 22-yard field goal by Cole Fisher made it a 10-point game heading into the intermission.
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The second half started with a bang for the Bears as Sidney Otiwu returned a fumble recovery 12 yards for a touchdown after Furman's Devin Wynn fumbled a pitch on the first offensive play of the half. With Mercer trailing, 20-17, both teams traded punts before the Paladins struck with a 24-yard touchdown pass with 8:03 in the third quarter to take a 26-17 lead; Harrison Poole blocked Furman's PAT attempt to keep the Bears within nine points.
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Frost was later strip-sacked with 4:28 left in the third quarter to give Furman the ball at Mercer's 27-yard line; the Paladins drive ended with a 42-yard field goal that gave them a 12-point advantage.
Â
Mercer's final push was sparked by Kaelan Riley, who replaced Frost on Mercer's following offensive drive and led the Bears 75 yards on eight plays and found Marquise Irvin for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the third quarter. Tyray Devezin rushed for 46 yards on the drive while Riley found Irvin twice for a total of 29 yards through the air.
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After Mercer forced a three-and-out of Furman on the next drive, Riley led the Bears to a go-ahead touchdown – a 24-yard screen pass to Devezin – with 11:37 remaining in the game. Mercer led 30-29 after failing a two-point conversion with a rush by Devezin. Furman would respond soundly on the following drive, taking the ball 67 yards on nine plays before finding the end zone to take a 35-30 advantage. Mercer had two more chances in the fourth quarter but was unable to pull off the comeback win as Riley was strip-sacked with two seconds left on the clock as he attempted a Hail Mary pass from the Furman 41-yard line.
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Quotables
Bobby Lamb's opening statement:
"It was a tough locker room to leave tonight, especially when you have 17 seniors who gave so much to this program. Whether you win or lose, all 17 of those seniors will graduate. As I told them, this journey is about the relationships they've built here. But it's still tough to see them go through pain in a game that we really played well in at times.
Â
"I was extremely pleased with our fight in the second half; we came out of the locker room [at halftime] with a lot of fight and were ready to go. We had energy all day long, but at the end of the day we didn't make enough plays. Hats off to Furman for the win…they did what they needed to do to win this game.
Â
"This season was tough with plenty of ups and downs and battling through injuries game after game, but I can say I'm proud of our team for how they never let up."
Â
Notables
» Mercer finished 4-4 in SoCon play for the third straight season.
» All five games played between Mercer and Furman in the Modern Era (2013-present) have been decided by seven points or less.
» Sidney Otiwu's fumble recovery resulted in Mercer's first defensive touchdown of the season.
» Bobby Lamb fell to 2-3 against his alma mater, Furman, as head coach at Mercer.
» Devezin's 926 rushing yards this season are the third most by a Bear, trailing Alex Lakes' 1,107 in 2014 and Tee Mitchell's 946 in 2015.
» Eric Jackson's 12 tackles were a season-high.
» Kaelan Riley was 9-for-16 passing with 111 yards and two touchdowns.
» Marquise Irvin caught five passes for 70 yards and one touchdown. He broke his own single-season receiving record in the process, finishing the year with 814 receiving yards.
» Six Bears recorded at least half of a tackle for loss.
» Will Coneway tallied double-digit tackles (11) for the fifth time this season and finished with 94 tackles for the year. The 94 tackles are the fourth most by a Mercer player in a single season.
» Matt Shiel averaged 47.2 yards per punt in six attempts.
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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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