Saturday, September 22
Macon, Ga.
4 p.m.
Mercer University
2-2 , 1-1
31
vs
38
The Citadel
1-2 , 1-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
The Citadel
7
7
3
21
38
Mercer
7
10
7
7
31
Team Stats
CIT
MER
Total Yards
475
379
Pass Yards
167
347
Rushing Yards
308
32
Penalty Yards
50
18
1st Downs
21
23
3rd Downs
6
6
4th Downs
4
1
TOP
32:36
27:23
1st Quarter
CIT 0, MER 7
MER - Tee Mitchell 4 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 12 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:35
CIT 7, MER 7
CIT - Jordan Black 25 yd run (Jacob Godek kick), 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 6:49
2nd Quarter
CIT 7, MER 10
MER - Cole Fisher 26 yd field goal 11 plays, 64 yards, TOP 4:28
CIT 7, MER 17
MER - Stephen Houzah 22 yd pass from Robert Riddle (Cole Fisher kick) 4 plays, 41 yards, TOP 1:11
CIT 14, MER 17
CIT - Raleigh Webb 77 yd pass from Jordan Black (Jacob Godek kick) 4 plays, 96 yards, TOP 1:15
3rd Quarter
CIT 14, MER 24
MER - Tucker Cannon 15 yd pass from Robert Riddle (Cole Fisher kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:47
CIT 17, MER 24
CIT - Jacob Godek 27 yd field goal 19 plays, 66 yards, TOP 9:52
4th Quarter
CIT 24, MER 24
CIT - Grant Drakeford 4 yd run (Jacob Godek kick), 10 plays, 57 yards, TOP 4:38
CIT 31, MER 24
CIT - Rod Johnson 5 yd run (Jacob Godek kick), 7 plays, 92 yards, TOP 3:13
CIT 31, MER 31
MER - David Durden 8 yd pass from Robert Riddle (Cole Fisher kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:36
CIT 38, MER 31
CIT - Rod Johnson 94 yd kickoff return (Jacob Godek kick)
Game Leaders
CMP
25
TD
3
YDS
347
INT
1
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
K
/ Football
DB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
Photo by: Christopher Smith
Bears Fall to The Citadel in SoCon Thriller
9/22/2018 9:12:00 PM | Football
Mercer drops first SoCon game of the season in 38-31 heartbreaker
MACON, Ga. – Mercer suffered its first Southern Conference loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion, 38-31, to The Citadel in front of a sold-out crowd of 11,772 at Five Star Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Â
The Citadel (1-2, 1-2 SoCon) scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to stun the Bears (2-2, 1-1), who entered the final quarter with a 24-17 advantage. After Mercer tied the game, 31-31, on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Robert Riddle to David Durden with one minute and 11 seconds remaining, The Citadel's Rod Johnson returned the following kickoff 94 yards for the eventual game-winning score.
Â
Turning Point
The Citadel took its first lead of the game, 31-24, with 4:47 left on the clock as Johnson capped a 92-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. The touchdown rush was part of a 17-point run for the Bulldogs that stretched from the end of the third quarter to under the 5-minute mark of the final frame.
Â
It Was Over When
Riddle was hit and injured while attempting to complete a pass to Marquise Irvin on The Citadel's 35-yard line with less than 30 remaining. Kaelan Riley replaced Riddle under center, but was sacked twice to end the game.
Â
Offensive Star
Marquise Irvin dazzled in Mercer's passing game, recording game-highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (132). It was the senior's first 100-yard receiving game of the season and gives him 352 yards through four games played.
Â
Defensive Star
A career-best seven-tackle effort earned Dorian Kithcart the honors. The Bears' starting nose tackle, who has battled through injuries this season, also added a 5-yard tackle for loss.
Â
How It Happened
Mercer wasted no time in jumping on the board, scoring on its first possession of the game. Riddle finished 5-of-5 in the opening drive for 61 yards, connecting with Irvin three times for 48 of those yards, including a 15-yard completion to The Citadel 4-yard line. Tee Mitchell punched the ball in on the next play for a 7-yard score.
Â
The Bulldogs evened the contest on their next possession with Jordan Black capping off a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown run. Both teams stalled each of their next two drives until the Bears broke through with two consecutive scores in the second quarter: Cole Fisher kicked a 26-yard field goal and Stephen Houzah caught a 22-yard touchdown pass to give Mercer a 17-7 lead with 1:33 left in the first half.
Â
The Citadel would cut Mercer's lead to 17-14, however, when Black found Raleigh Webb for a 77-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left in the second quarter.
Â
Mercer scored on its first drive of the second half, marching 75 yards on nine plays as Riddle hit Tucker Cannon for a 15-yard touchdown pass. On third-and-6, Riddle fumbled, only to have the ball recovered by Tyray Devezin, who rushed for a gain of 13 yards into The Citadel territory. The lucky break paid off for Mercer as Riddle found Irvin for a 28-yard completion before connecting with Cannon for the score. The Citadel responded with a clock-consuming 19-play drive that lasted 9:52 and ended with a field goal to keep it as a one-score game (Mercer, 24-17).
Â
A difficult fourth quarter for Mercer started quick as Riddle was intercepted by The Citadel's Khafari Buffalo, which sparked a game-tying drive by the Bulldogs that ended with a 4-yard touchdown run by Grant Drakeford. The Citadel would later take its first lead of the game, 31-24, on a 5-yard run by Johnson with 4:47 remaining.
Â
Riddle was impressive on Mercer's next drive, completing four passes, including a 41-yard strike to Houzah that set up a game-tying, toe-tapping touchdown snag by David Durden in the corner of the end zone with 1:11 left on the clock. The tie was short-lived though, as The Citadel's Johnson returned the following kickoff 94 yards for the game-winning score. Riddle led the Bears down the field for a final attempt at sending the game to overtime, but was taken out of the game after a hit, sealing The Citadel's victory.
Â
Coach Lamb's Take
Lamb's opening statement:
"It was a very difficult loss for our team tonight," said head coach Bobby Lamb. "I just told our guys, 'you lose as a team and you win as a team.' We had a team effort in last week's win and we had a team effort in tonight's loss.
Â
"Offensively, we couldn't rush the ball very well. When you can't run the ball, it puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback. I thought defensively, we couldn't get [The Citadel] off the field. They are really good on the offensive line; they do what they do and they live for third-and-two or fourth-and-one [situations]. As for special teams, we led the nation in kickoff return coverage last season, but [The Citadel] made blocks to return that final kick for a touchdown and win the game.
Â
"My hat is off to Coach [Brent] Thompson and his crew, they did a really good job. They wanted to get in the [SoCon] race, and that's what they did tonight. We've got to go back and get better and move forward. We didn't win it in the fourth quarter; it's a long season and we still have a ways to go."
Â
Notables
» Mercer fell to 23-10 at Five Star Stadium since 2013.
» Robert Riddle threw for a single-game program record of 347 yards. He finished 25-of-37 with three touchdowns and one interception.
» The Bears fell to 1-4 against The Citadel dating back to 2014.
» Will Coneway had a career-best 13 tackles (five solo, eight assisted) to lead both teams.
» Six Bears recorded eight tackles or more: Coneway (13), Michael Freeman (9), Malique Fleming (9), Harrison Poole (8), Eric Jackson (8) and Isaiah Buehler (8).
» Two Bears, Tucker Cannon and David Durden, recorded their first career touchdown receptions.
» Irvin tallied a career-long 33-yard punt return.
» Mercer was a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone on offense and is now 16-for-17 on the season.
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.
Â
Â
The Citadel (1-2, 1-2 SoCon) scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to stun the Bears (2-2, 1-1), who entered the final quarter with a 24-17 advantage. After Mercer tied the game, 31-31, on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Robert Riddle to David Durden with one minute and 11 seconds remaining, The Citadel's Rod Johnson returned the following kickoff 94 yards for the eventual game-winning score.
Â
Turning Point
The Citadel took its first lead of the game, 31-24, with 4:47 left on the clock as Johnson capped a 92-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. The touchdown rush was part of a 17-point run for the Bulldogs that stretched from the end of the third quarter to under the 5-minute mark of the final frame.
Â
It Was Over When
Riddle was hit and injured while attempting to complete a pass to Marquise Irvin on The Citadel's 35-yard line with less than 30 remaining. Kaelan Riley replaced Riddle under center, but was sacked twice to end the game.
Â
Offensive Star
Marquise Irvin dazzled in Mercer's passing game, recording game-highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (132). It was the senior's first 100-yard receiving game of the season and gives him 352 yards through four games played.
Â
Defensive Star
A career-best seven-tackle effort earned Dorian Kithcart the honors. The Bears' starting nose tackle, who has battled through injuries this season, also added a 5-yard tackle for loss.
Â
How It Happened
Mercer wasted no time in jumping on the board, scoring on its first possession of the game. Riddle finished 5-of-5 in the opening drive for 61 yards, connecting with Irvin three times for 48 of those yards, including a 15-yard completion to The Citadel 4-yard line. Tee Mitchell punched the ball in on the next play for a 7-yard score.
Â
The Bulldogs evened the contest on their next possession with Jordan Black capping off a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown run. Both teams stalled each of their next two drives until the Bears broke through with two consecutive scores in the second quarter: Cole Fisher kicked a 26-yard field goal and Stephen Houzah caught a 22-yard touchdown pass to give Mercer a 17-7 lead with 1:33 left in the first half.
Â
The Citadel would cut Mercer's lead to 17-14, however, when Black found Raleigh Webb for a 77-yard touchdown pass with 15 seconds left in the second quarter.
Â
Mercer scored on its first drive of the second half, marching 75 yards on nine plays as Riddle hit Tucker Cannon for a 15-yard touchdown pass. On third-and-6, Riddle fumbled, only to have the ball recovered by Tyray Devezin, who rushed for a gain of 13 yards into The Citadel territory. The lucky break paid off for Mercer as Riddle found Irvin for a 28-yard completion before connecting with Cannon for the score. The Citadel responded with a clock-consuming 19-play drive that lasted 9:52 and ended with a field goal to keep it as a one-score game (Mercer, 24-17).
Â
A difficult fourth quarter for Mercer started quick as Riddle was intercepted by The Citadel's Khafari Buffalo, which sparked a game-tying drive by the Bulldogs that ended with a 4-yard touchdown run by Grant Drakeford. The Citadel would later take its first lead of the game, 31-24, on a 5-yard run by Johnson with 4:47 remaining.
Â
Riddle was impressive on Mercer's next drive, completing four passes, including a 41-yard strike to Houzah that set up a game-tying, toe-tapping touchdown snag by David Durden in the corner of the end zone with 1:11 left on the clock. The tie was short-lived though, as The Citadel's Johnson returned the following kickoff 94 yards for the game-winning score. Riddle led the Bears down the field for a final attempt at sending the game to overtime, but was taken out of the game after a hit, sealing The Citadel's victory.
Â
Coach Lamb's Take
Lamb's opening statement:
"It was a very difficult loss for our team tonight," said head coach Bobby Lamb. "I just told our guys, 'you lose as a team and you win as a team.' We had a team effort in last week's win and we had a team effort in tonight's loss.
Â
"Offensively, we couldn't rush the ball very well. When you can't run the ball, it puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback. I thought defensively, we couldn't get [The Citadel] off the field. They are really good on the offensive line; they do what they do and they live for third-and-two or fourth-and-one [situations]. As for special teams, we led the nation in kickoff return coverage last season, but [The Citadel] made blocks to return that final kick for a touchdown and win the game.
Â
"My hat is off to Coach [Brent] Thompson and his crew, they did a really good job. They wanted to get in the [SoCon] race, and that's what they did tonight. We've got to go back and get better and move forward. We didn't win it in the fourth quarter; it's a long season and we still have a ways to go."
Â
Notables
» Mercer fell to 23-10 at Five Star Stadium since 2013.
» Robert Riddle threw for a single-game program record of 347 yards. He finished 25-of-37 with three touchdowns and one interception.
» The Bears fell to 1-4 against The Citadel dating back to 2014.
» Will Coneway had a career-best 13 tackles (five solo, eight assisted) to lead both teams.
» Six Bears recorded eight tackles or more: Coneway (13), Michael Freeman (9), Malique Fleming (9), Harrison Poole (8), Eric Jackson (8) and Isaiah Buehler (8).
» Two Bears, Tucker Cannon and David Durden, recorded their first career touchdown receptions.
» Irvin tallied a career-long 33-yard punt return.
» Mercer was a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone on offense and is now 16-for-17 on the season.
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.
Â
Mercer v Erskine WBB Highlight Reel: 12/17/2025
Wednesday, December 17
Mercer Women's Basketball 2025 | vs. Miss Valley St | Full Game Highlights
Sunday, December 14
Mercer Men's Basketball 2025 | vs. Oglethorpe | Full Game Highlights
Sunday, December 07
Mercer Football 2025 | 2nd Rd of FCS Playoffs | vs. South Dakota | Full Game Highlights
Saturday, December 06
