Saturday, November 3
Macon, Ga.
3 p.m.
Mercer University
4-5 , 3-3
18
vs
21
ETSU
8-2 , 6-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
ETSU
0
14
7
0
21
Mercer
7
3
5
3
18
Team Stats
ETSU
MER
Total Yards
360
310
Pass Yards
161
186
Rushing Yards
199
124
Penalty Yards
17
15
1st Downs
17
19
3rd Downs
8
7
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
31:30
28:23
1st Quarter
ETSU 0, MER 7
MER - Tyray Devezin 1 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 14 plays, 77 yards, TOP 5:32
2nd Quarter
ETSU 7, MER 7
ETSU - Quay Holmes 6 yd pass from Austin Herink (JJ Jerman kick) 9 plays, 77 yards, TOP 4:35
ETSU 7, MER 10
MER - Cole Fisher 24 yd field goal 13 plays, 76 yards, TOP 4:53
ETSU 14, MER 10
ETSU - Quay Holmes 1 yd run (JJ Jerman kick), 8 plays, 38 yards, TOP 3:14
3rd Quarter
ETSU 14, MER 12
MER - Travonte Easley 5 yd safety
ETSU 14, MER 15
MER - Cole Fisher 41 yd field goal 6 plays, 42 yards, TOP 2:59
ETSU 21, MER 15
ETSU - Quay Holmes 5 yd run (JJ Jerman kick), 4 plays, 20 yards, TOP 1:55
4th Quarter
ETSU 21, MER 18
MER - Cole Fisher 24 yd field goal 16 plays, 68 yards, TOP 7:38
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
15
TD
0
YDS
186
INT
2
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
K
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
P
/ Football
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
No. 22 ETSU Foils Mercer’s Upset Bid on Homecoming
11/3/2018 8:12:00 PM | Football
Bears fall, 21-18, on Homecoming at Five Star Stadium
MACON, Ga. – Mercer found the end zone just once and failed to capitalize offensively in the fourth quarter in a 21-18 defeat to No. 23/22 (Coaches/STATS) ETSU on Homecoming at Five Star Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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The loss dropped Mercer to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in Southern Conference play, while the Bucs (8-2, 6-1) clinched at least a share of the league title with the road victory. The Bears scored a first-quarter touchdown but totaled just 11 points the rest of the way on three field goals and a safety.
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ETSU running back Quay Holmes total three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and totaled 131 all-purpose yards in the Bucs' win.
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Turning Point
Just after Mercer's defense forced a turnover on downs with 6:06 left on the clock and a three-point deficit (21-18), the Bears failed to build an offensive drive, going 3-and-out before punting from their own 40-yard line. ETSU regained possession with 5:20 remaining and held the ball the rest of the game.
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It Was Over When
The Bucs churned out a game-sealing, 11-play drive over the final 5:20 of the contest. ETSU was successful twice on third-down conversions on the drive, completing a 19-yard pass on 3rd-and-8 and rushing for seven yards on 3rd-and-5 en route to running out the clock.
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Offensive Star
With Tee Mitchell out due to a shoulder injury and Harrison Frost making his first career start at quarterback, the spotlight was on Tyray Devezin to lead Mercer's offense on Saturday. The sophomore did what he could, taking a career-high 29 carries for 113 yards and one touchdown.
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Defensive Star
Sophomore corner back BJ Bohler set a career-high with eight tackles (four solo, four assisted) and tallied his second career forced fumble. Bohler knocked the ball ajar from ETSU's Jacob Saylors, who took a 45-yard rush to the Mercer 5-yard line; the ball rolled into the end zone and out-of-bounds, proceeding in a touchback that gave the Bears' possession.
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How It Happened
Mercer gained early momentum at the end of the first quarter after the game started with three consecutive scoreless drives between the two teams. The fourth and final drive of the first frame – a 14-play, 77-yard drive – was capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Tyray Devezin for his team-leading seventh touchdown of the season. Harrison Frost impressed in the first quarter, completing 7-of-11 passes for 72 yards. Four of his seven completions went to Marquise Irvin.
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The Bucs snatched momentum from Mercer in the second quarter, outscoring the Bears 14-3 to take a 14-10 lead into halftime. Mercer's lone score in the second quarter came via Cole Fisher's 24-yard field goal with 5:18 remaining. ETSU's Quay Holmes scored his first rushing touchdown of the day with 36 seconds left in the first half to give ETSU its first lead of the game.
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An unconventional start to the second half saw Mercer score five points in the first seven minutes to take a 15-14 advantage. Mercer registered a safety on ETSU's first drive of the third quarter as Bradley Earnest popped Bucs quarterback Austin Herink with a sack and forced fumble at the ETSU 5-yard line. The fumble was recovered by ETSU's Greg McCloud in the end zone, who was tackled by Travonte' Easley for the safety. The Bears scored on their next possession with a 41-yard field goal by Fisher with 8:25 left in the third quarter.
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With just over four minutes remaining in the third frame, Frost was intercepted by ETSU's Artevius Smith for the second time, giving the Bucs prime field position with at the Mercer 20-yard line. ETSU scored four plays later to take a 21-15 lead.
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Fisher made his third field goal with 9:24 left in the contest, cutting ETSU's lead to 21-18. The field goal capped a 16-play, 68-yard drive by the Bears that extended from the third to fourth quarters. Mercer's defense rose to the occasion with a turnover on downs on the following ETSU drive, giving the Bears an offensive opportunity to tie or take the lead with 6:06 left. Mercer failed to capitalize, however, going 3-and-out with three incomplete passes by Frost before punting with 5:20 remaining. ETSU ended the contest, driving 70 yards on 11 plays while forcing the Bears to use their final two timeouts.
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Quotables
Bobby Lamb's opening statement:
"It was a tough day and a tough feeling to have in the locker room…the air went out of the balloon with this loss," said head coach Bobby Lamb. "I thought our defense played its best game of the year and really got after it.
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"Offensively, I thought Tyray [Devezin] had a solid game after being asked to do a lot today. And, Harrison Frost…the guy was put in a tough situation as a walk-on quarterback going against one of the toughest defenses in the league. [Frost] performed admirably; obviously the two [interceptions] were costly, but I thought he made a lot of plays and I'm proud of him.
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"At the end of the day, we came up three points short. You have to give ETSU credit for another close win in SoCon play. It just seems to be their year, and they earned it. It was a tough day for us."
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Notables
» Harrison Frost made his first collegiate start at quarterback, finishing 15-of-31 with 186 passing yards and two interceptions.
» Tyray Devezin set a new career-high with 29 carries. It was the second-most carries by a Mercer player in a single game, ranking behind John Russ' 41 carries at Samford on Nov. 12, 2016.
» Devezin's 113 rushing yards marked the third time this season he has rushed for over 100 yards.
» Saturday was just the second time this season that ETSU has surrendered 100-plus rushing yards to an opposing running back (Lennox McAfee, Wofford, 121 yards).
» Cole Fisher was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals, knocking in attempts from 24 (twice) and 41 yards. It is the third time in Fisher's career and second time this season that he has made three field goals in a single game.
» Three Bears – Malique Fleming, Eric Jackson and Will Coneway – led Mercer with nine total tackles.
» Bradley Earnest recorded his team-leading third sack of the season and forced a fumble in the process, which led to an eventual safety by the Bears' defense.
» Four Bears – Sidney Otiwu, LeMarkus Bailey, Dorian Kithcart and Earnest – recorded one tackle for loss.
» Marquise Irvin led Mercer with six catches for 60 yards. He has caught five-plus catches in seven of nine games this season.
» Matt Shiel averaged 53.7 yards per punt on three punts, including a season-long 60-yard kick.
» Mercer was 4-for-4 in the red zone and improved to 32-for-34 in such opportunities this season.
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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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The loss dropped Mercer to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in Southern Conference play, while the Bucs (8-2, 6-1) clinched at least a share of the league title with the road victory. The Bears scored a first-quarter touchdown but totaled just 11 points the rest of the way on three field goals and a safety.
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ETSU running back Quay Holmes total three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and totaled 131 all-purpose yards in the Bucs' win.
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Turning Point
Just after Mercer's defense forced a turnover on downs with 6:06 left on the clock and a three-point deficit (21-18), the Bears failed to build an offensive drive, going 3-and-out before punting from their own 40-yard line. ETSU regained possession with 5:20 remaining and held the ball the rest of the game.
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It Was Over When
The Bucs churned out a game-sealing, 11-play drive over the final 5:20 of the contest. ETSU was successful twice on third-down conversions on the drive, completing a 19-yard pass on 3rd-and-8 and rushing for seven yards on 3rd-and-5 en route to running out the clock.
Â
Offensive Star
With Tee Mitchell out due to a shoulder injury and Harrison Frost making his first career start at quarterback, the spotlight was on Tyray Devezin to lead Mercer's offense on Saturday. The sophomore did what he could, taking a career-high 29 carries for 113 yards and one touchdown.
Â
Defensive Star
Sophomore corner back BJ Bohler set a career-high with eight tackles (four solo, four assisted) and tallied his second career forced fumble. Bohler knocked the ball ajar from ETSU's Jacob Saylors, who took a 45-yard rush to the Mercer 5-yard line; the ball rolled into the end zone and out-of-bounds, proceeding in a touchback that gave the Bears' possession.
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How It Happened
Mercer gained early momentum at the end of the first quarter after the game started with three consecutive scoreless drives between the two teams. The fourth and final drive of the first frame – a 14-play, 77-yard drive – was capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Tyray Devezin for his team-leading seventh touchdown of the season. Harrison Frost impressed in the first quarter, completing 7-of-11 passes for 72 yards. Four of his seven completions went to Marquise Irvin.
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The Bucs snatched momentum from Mercer in the second quarter, outscoring the Bears 14-3 to take a 14-10 lead into halftime. Mercer's lone score in the second quarter came via Cole Fisher's 24-yard field goal with 5:18 remaining. ETSU's Quay Holmes scored his first rushing touchdown of the day with 36 seconds left in the first half to give ETSU its first lead of the game.
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An unconventional start to the second half saw Mercer score five points in the first seven minutes to take a 15-14 advantage. Mercer registered a safety on ETSU's first drive of the third quarter as Bradley Earnest popped Bucs quarterback Austin Herink with a sack and forced fumble at the ETSU 5-yard line. The fumble was recovered by ETSU's Greg McCloud in the end zone, who was tackled by Travonte' Easley for the safety. The Bears scored on their next possession with a 41-yard field goal by Fisher with 8:25 left in the third quarter.
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With just over four minutes remaining in the third frame, Frost was intercepted by ETSU's Artevius Smith for the second time, giving the Bucs prime field position with at the Mercer 20-yard line. ETSU scored four plays later to take a 21-15 lead.
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Fisher made his third field goal with 9:24 left in the contest, cutting ETSU's lead to 21-18. The field goal capped a 16-play, 68-yard drive by the Bears that extended from the third to fourth quarters. Mercer's defense rose to the occasion with a turnover on downs on the following ETSU drive, giving the Bears an offensive opportunity to tie or take the lead with 6:06 left. Mercer failed to capitalize, however, going 3-and-out with three incomplete passes by Frost before punting with 5:20 remaining. ETSU ended the contest, driving 70 yards on 11 plays while forcing the Bears to use their final two timeouts.
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Quotables
Bobby Lamb's opening statement:
"It was a tough day and a tough feeling to have in the locker room…the air went out of the balloon with this loss," said head coach Bobby Lamb. "I thought our defense played its best game of the year and really got after it.
Â
"Offensively, I thought Tyray [Devezin] had a solid game after being asked to do a lot today. And, Harrison Frost…the guy was put in a tough situation as a walk-on quarterback going against one of the toughest defenses in the league. [Frost] performed admirably; obviously the two [interceptions] were costly, but I thought he made a lot of plays and I'm proud of him.
Â
"At the end of the day, we came up three points short. You have to give ETSU credit for another close win in SoCon play. It just seems to be their year, and they earned it. It was a tough day for us."
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Notables
» Harrison Frost made his first collegiate start at quarterback, finishing 15-of-31 with 186 passing yards and two interceptions.
» Tyray Devezin set a new career-high with 29 carries. It was the second-most carries by a Mercer player in a single game, ranking behind John Russ' 41 carries at Samford on Nov. 12, 2016.
» Devezin's 113 rushing yards marked the third time this season he has rushed for over 100 yards.
» Saturday was just the second time this season that ETSU has surrendered 100-plus rushing yards to an opposing running back (Lennox McAfee, Wofford, 121 yards).
» Cole Fisher was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals, knocking in attempts from 24 (twice) and 41 yards. It is the third time in Fisher's career and second time this season that he has made three field goals in a single game.
» Three Bears – Malique Fleming, Eric Jackson and Will Coneway – led Mercer with nine total tackles.
» Bradley Earnest recorded his team-leading third sack of the season and forced a fumble in the process, which led to an eventual safety by the Bears' defense.
» Four Bears – Sidney Otiwu, LeMarkus Bailey, Dorian Kithcart and Earnest – recorded one tackle for loss.
» Marquise Irvin led Mercer with six catches for 60 yards. He has caught five-plus catches in seven of nine games this season.
» Matt Shiel averaged 53.7 yards per punt on three punts, including a season-long 60-yard kick.
» Mercer was 4-for-4 in the red zone and improved to 32-for-34 in such opportunities this season.
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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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