Saturday, September 29
Lexington, Va.
1:30 p.m.
Mercer University
3-2 , 2-1
48
at
38
VMI
0-5 , 0-4
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
MER
13
14
14
7
48
VMI
7
13
0
18
38
Team Stats
MER
VMI
Total Yards
516
489
Pass Yards
248
434
Rushing Yards
268
55
Penalty Yards
82
30
1st Downs
22
28
3rd Downs
1
7
4th Downs
0
3
TOP
32:04
27:56
1st Quarter
MER 0, VMI 7
VMI - Javeon Lara 59 yd pass from Reece Udinski (Grant Clemons kick) 6 plays, 92 yards, TOP 1:28
MER 3, VMI 7
MER - Cole Fisher 25 yd field goal 7 plays, 67 yards, TOP 3:08
MER 6, VMI 7
MER - Cole Fisher 38 yd field goal 5 plays, 8 yards, TOP 1:20
MER 13, VMI 7
MER - Tee Mitchell 2 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 2 plays, 7 yards, TOP 0:32
2nd Quarter
MER 20, VMI 7
MER - Tee Mitchell 5 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 4 plays, 16 yards, TOP 1:18
MER 20, VMI 14
VMI - Quan Myers 1 yd run (Grant Clemons kick), 10 plays, 48 yards, TOP 2:59
MER 27, VMI 14
MER - Stephen Houzah 55 yd pass from Kaelan Riley (Cole Fisher kick) 5 plays, 83 yards, TOP 1:55
MER 27, VMI 20
VMI - Quan Myers 9 yd run (Grant Clemons kickfailed), 14 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:00
3rd Quarter
MER 34, VMI 20
MER - Tee Mitchell 1 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 6 plays, 94 yards, TOP 2:52
MER 41, VMI 20
MER - Marquise Irvin 35 yd pass from Kaelan Riley (Cole Fisher kick) 4 plays, 48 yards, TOP 1:39
4th Quarter
MER 41, VMI 22
VMI - C. Weatherman 5 yd safety
MER 41, VMI 30
VMI - Jakob Herres 14 yd pass from Reece Udinski (Reece Udinski rush) 8 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:22
MER 41, VMI 38
VMI - Kris Thornton 3 yd pass from Reece Udinski (Jakob Herres pass) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:41
MER 48, VMI 38
MER - Tyray Devezin 34 yd run (Cole Fisher kick), 3 plays, 47 yards, TOP 1:03
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
14
TD
2
YDS
248
INT
0
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
K
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
P
/ FootballPhoto by: Allyson Lamb
Bears Rush Past VMI in SoCon Road Win
9/29/2018 7:54:00 PM | Football
Tee Mitchell, Tyray Devezin run over Keydets in 48-38 victory
LEXINGTON, Va. – Running backs Tee Mitchell and Tyray Devezin combined for 284 rushing yards and four touchdowns to lead Mercer to a 48-38 road win at VMI in Southern Conference action at Foster Stadium on Saturday.
After allowing 20 first-half points, the Bears (3-2, 2-1 SoCon) held VMI scoreless in the third quarter with an interception and two turnovers forced on downs before withstanding a late rally by the Keydets (0-5, 0-4 SoCon). It was Mercer's third straight win over VMI dating back to 2016.
Turning Point
BJ Bohler picked off VMI quarterback Reece Udinski with his first career interception to halt the Keydets' momentum in a pivotal third-quarter sequence. Mercer had marched 48 yards to open the third quarter, only to come away empty-handed with a missed field goal. Bohler's interception flipped momentum back in the Bears' favor as they scored on their following two offensive drives.
It Was Over When
Tyray Devezin took a 34-yard rush to the house with 59 seconds remaining in the game, giving Mercer a two-score lead (48-38). The touchdown run snapped an 18-point run by VMI in the fourth quarter that had cut the Bears' lead to three points.
Offensive Star
The two-headed rushing attack of Tee Mitchell and Tyray Devezin was the difference on Saturday, as the two Bears combined for 284 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Both running backs crossed the century mark before the end of the third quarter.
Mitchell, who set a career-high with three touchdowns and 25 carries, rushed for 129 yards while Devezin set a career-high of 155 rushing yards on 14 carries (11.1 yards per carry).
Defensive Star
LeMarkus Bailey filled up the stats sheet with a little bit of everything on defense. The senior captain totaled seven tackles (three solo), two tackles for loss, one sack, a career-high three pass break-ups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. His forced fumble – the fifth of his career – came on a sack and led to a VMI turnover.
How It Happened
A sluggish start by both teams' offenses was quickly forgotten when VMI struck with a 57-yard touchdown pass to open a back-and-forth scoring frenzy. Mercer responded quickly, with scores on each of their following three drives – consecutive made field goals by Cole Fisher and a two-yard touchdown run by Tee Mitchell – to claim a 13-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Mercer's defense got into a rhythm during the same time frame, forcing two punts, a turnover on downs and a fumble recovery. With the Bears leading 13-7 with 11 minutes left in the first half, LeMarkus Bailey sacked Udinski and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Bradley Earnest at the VMI 16. The turnover translated to easy points, as Mitchell found the end zone for a second time four plays later.
After VMI cut Mercer's lead to 20-14 with a rushing touchdown, Kaelan Riley hit a wide open Stephen Houzah for a 55-yard score with 2:12 remaining in the half. A 9-yard rushing touchdown by VMI's Quan Thomas with 12 seconds remaining made it a 27-20 game.
Two touchdowns in the third quarter – Mitchell's third rushing score and a 35-yard touchdown pass from Riley to Marquise Irvin – complimented a strong 15 minutes by Mercer's defense. BJ Bohler tallied his first of two interceptions on VMI's first offensive drive of the second half and the Bears forced turnovers on downs on the three following Keydet drives.
Momentum shifted to VMI's favor in the fourth quarter as the Keydets scored 18 straight points, sparked by a safety with 9:55 left in the game. Udinski tossed two touchdowns after the safety and the Keydets were successful on both two-point conversions, suddenly cutting Mercer's lead to 41-38. Tony Jones II recovered an onside kick, however, and set up a game-clinching 34-yard touchdown run by Devezin with less than a minute left to give Mercer a two-score advantage. Bohler notched his second interception of the game moments later, all but sealing the victory.
Quotables
Head Coach Bobby Lamb
"We came into the game wanting to run the ball because we knew we'd need our defense fresh and off the field as much as possible against VMI. We got off to a slow start, but we found some matchups we liked and I thought Tee [Mitchell] and Tyray [Devezin] ran extremely hard. Our offensive line blocked extremely well, too."
"One of the biggest points in the game for us came in the third quarter when we had a 94-yard touchdown drive that was followed by a fourth-down stop near midfield on defense. We followed that with another touchdown to make it a 41-20 ball game and that was huge for us. We didn't finish the game like we wanted to, but this was great experience for us and a road win in the Southern Conference is never easy to come by."
Running back Tyray Devezin
"I pride myself on never letting one player bring me down when I have the ball in my hands. I've stuck with that throughout my career and I'm just happy we pulled out a win today. We had to be our own energy today, being so far away from home."
Defensive back BJ Bohler
"We were preparing for VMI's passing attack all week…it was a tough challenge by our defense got the job done, I'm just happy to have played a part in all of it. I told myself and my parents before the game that I had to make a statement today.
"Mercer brought me here to be a defensive back, so I'm just doing my job out there. I just try to bring it from start to finish every time."
Notables
» Mercer improved to 4-1 all-time versus VMI. The Bears have won three straight in the series.
» After 13 points decided Mercer and VMI's first three meetings, the Bears have defeated VMI by a combined 45 points in the last two head-to-head games.
» Mercer's 12 tackles for loss are its second-most in a single game (13.0 vs. Berry, 2013).
» Tyray Devezin's 155 rushing yards are the fourth most by a Mercer player in a single game.
» Saturday marked the second time this season that Devezin and Tee Mitchell have both rushed for 100 yards in the same game. It was Mitchell's ninth career 100-yard rushing performance.
» Mitchell needs 213 rushing yards to break Mercer's career record (2,604).
» Stephen Houzah has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games.
» Marquise Irvin had his second straight game with 100-plus receiving yards.
» BJ Bohler joined Houzah as the only Bears to intercept two passes in a single game.
» Will Coneway tallied a game-high 11 tackles. He has 10 or more tackles in three of five games.
» Cole Fisher has made two or more field goals in a single game eight times in his career.
» Matt Shiel averaged 47.2 yards on five punts, including a season-best 58-yarder.
» Tucker Cannon had a career-best 51-yard punt return.
» Kaelan Riley threw for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his first full game under center this season. The sophomore was 14-of-24 passing.
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.
After allowing 20 first-half points, the Bears (3-2, 2-1 SoCon) held VMI scoreless in the third quarter with an interception and two turnovers forced on downs before withstanding a late rally by the Keydets (0-5, 0-4 SoCon). It was Mercer's third straight win over VMI dating back to 2016.
Turning Point
BJ Bohler picked off VMI quarterback Reece Udinski with his first career interception to halt the Keydets' momentum in a pivotal third-quarter sequence. Mercer had marched 48 yards to open the third quarter, only to come away empty-handed with a missed field goal. Bohler's interception flipped momentum back in the Bears' favor as they scored on their following two offensive drives.
It Was Over When
Tyray Devezin took a 34-yard rush to the house with 59 seconds remaining in the game, giving Mercer a two-score lead (48-38). The touchdown run snapped an 18-point run by VMI in the fourth quarter that had cut the Bears' lead to three points.
Offensive Star
The two-headed rushing attack of Tee Mitchell and Tyray Devezin was the difference on Saturday, as the two Bears combined for 284 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Both running backs crossed the century mark before the end of the third quarter.
Mitchell, who set a career-high with three touchdowns and 25 carries, rushed for 129 yards while Devezin set a career-high of 155 rushing yards on 14 carries (11.1 yards per carry).
Defensive Star
LeMarkus Bailey filled up the stats sheet with a little bit of everything on defense. The senior captain totaled seven tackles (three solo), two tackles for loss, one sack, a career-high three pass break-ups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. His forced fumble – the fifth of his career – came on a sack and led to a VMI turnover.
How It Happened
A sluggish start by both teams' offenses was quickly forgotten when VMI struck with a 57-yard touchdown pass to open a back-and-forth scoring frenzy. Mercer responded quickly, with scores on each of their following three drives – consecutive made field goals by Cole Fisher and a two-yard touchdown run by Tee Mitchell – to claim a 13-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Mercer's defense got into a rhythm during the same time frame, forcing two punts, a turnover on downs and a fumble recovery. With the Bears leading 13-7 with 11 minutes left in the first half, LeMarkus Bailey sacked Udinski and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Bradley Earnest at the VMI 16. The turnover translated to easy points, as Mitchell found the end zone for a second time four plays later.
After VMI cut Mercer's lead to 20-14 with a rushing touchdown, Kaelan Riley hit a wide open Stephen Houzah for a 55-yard score with 2:12 remaining in the half. A 9-yard rushing touchdown by VMI's Quan Thomas with 12 seconds remaining made it a 27-20 game.
Two touchdowns in the third quarter – Mitchell's third rushing score and a 35-yard touchdown pass from Riley to Marquise Irvin – complimented a strong 15 minutes by Mercer's defense. BJ Bohler tallied his first of two interceptions on VMI's first offensive drive of the second half and the Bears forced turnovers on downs on the three following Keydet drives.
Momentum shifted to VMI's favor in the fourth quarter as the Keydets scored 18 straight points, sparked by a safety with 9:55 left in the game. Udinski tossed two touchdowns after the safety and the Keydets were successful on both two-point conversions, suddenly cutting Mercer's lead to 41-38. Tony Jones II recovered an onside kick, however, and set up a game-clinching 34-yard touchdown run by Devezin with less than a minute left to give Mercer a two-score advantage. Bohler notched his second interception of the game moments later, all but sealing the victory.
Quotables
Head Coach Bobby Lamb
"We came into the game wanting to run the ball because we knew we'd need our defense fresh and off the field as much as possible against VMI. We got off to a slow start, but we found some matchups we liked and I thought Tee [Mitchell] and Tyray [Devezin] ran extremely hard. Our offensive line blocked extremely well, too."
"One of the biggest points in the game for us came in the third quarter when we had a 94-yard touchdown drive that was followed by a fourth-down stop near midfield on defense. We followed that with another touchdown to make it a 41-20 ball game and that was huge for us. We didn't finish the game like we wanted to, but this was great experience for us and a road win in the Southern Conference is never easy to come by."
Running back Tyray Devezin
"I pride myself on never letting one player bring me down when I have the ball in my hands. I've stuck with that throughout my career and I'm just happy we pulled out a win today. We had to be our own energy today, being so far away from home."
Defensive back BJ Bohler
"We were preparing for VMI's passing attack all week…it was a tough challenge by our defense got the job done, I'm just happy to have played a part in all of it. I told myself and my parents before the game that I had to make a statement today.
"Mercer brought me here to be a defensive back, so I'm just doing my job out there. I just try to bring it from start to finish every time."
Notables
» Mercer improved to 4-1 all-time versus VMI. The Bears have won three straight in the series.
» After 13 points decided Mercer and VMI's first three meetings, the Bears have defeated VMI by a combined 45 points in the last two head-to-head games.
» Mercer's 12 tackles for loss are its second-most in a single game (13.0 vs. Berry, 2013).
» Tyray Devezin's 155 rushing yards are the fourth most by a Mercer player in a single game.
» Saturday marked the second time this season that Devezin and Tee Mitchell have both rushed for 100 yards in the same game. It was Mitchell's ninth career 100-yard rushing performance.
» Mitchell needs 213 rushing yards to break Mercer's career record (2,604).
» Stephen Houzah has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games.
» Marquise Irvin had his second straight game with 100-plus receiving yards.
» BJ Bohler joined Houzah as the only Bears to intercept two passes in a single game.
» Will Coneway tallied a game-high 11 tackles. He has 10 or more tackles in three of five games.
» Cole Fisher has made two or more field goals in a single game eight times in his career.
» Matt Shiel averaged 47.2 yards on five punts, including a season-best 58-yarder.
» Tucker Cannon had a career-best 51-yard punt return.
» Kaelan Riley threw for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his first full game under center this season. The sophomore was 14-of-24 passing.
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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