Bears to Battle Bulldogs Saturday

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Football got back on track last weekend but will turn its eyes upon a new challenge Saturday, as the Bears travel to Charleston to face off with The Citadel in a key Southern Conference matchup; kickoff is set for 2 p.m. from Johnson Hagood Stadium.

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and, as always, fans can listen in as "Voice of the Bears" Rick Cameron and his crew broadcast across the airwaves on The Creek (100.9 FM) and the SportsMic App.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
» Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 26 / 2 p.m. (ET)
» Teams: Mercer (3-4, 2-2 SoCon) at The Citadel (4-4, 2-2 SoCon)
» Location: Charleston, S.C. | Johnson Hagood Stadium (11,500)
» Television: ESPN+
» Television Talent: Kevin Fitzgerald (Play-by-Play) | Matt Dean (Analyst) | Emily Crevani (Sideline)
» Radio: Mercer Sports Network | 100.9 The Creek FM | SportsMic
» Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (PxP), Roger Jackson (Analyst), Charles Davis (Sideline)
» Live Stats: MercerBears.com
» Twitter Updates: @MercerFootball

SERIES HISTORY | LAST MEETING
The Citadel leads the all-time series with Mercer, 10-5-1, dating back to the teams' first meeting in Charleston during the 1906 season. Since then, the Bulldogs hold a 4-3-1 advantage in the series at home – the last three road teams have won in the series.

In 2018, The Citadel scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to stun the Bears, 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 1:11 remaining – The Citadel's Rod Johnson returned the following kickoff 94 yards for the eventual game-winning score.

BEATING THE BULLDOGS
The Citadel has had a magical 2019 season, defeating Georgia Tech in Atlanta earlier in the year and knocking off No. 8 Furman in dominating fashion last Saturday. The Bulldogs sport one of the nation's top rushing offenses, running the "Wing-T" or triple option offense nearly to perfection. They rank eighth nationally in rushing offense and lead the FCS in time of possession - 36:03 minutes per game.

Quick Hits

Bears running back Deondre Johnson has rushed for 6.20 yards per carry this season, which ranks 17th best in the FCS and third in the conference.
Senior linebacker Will Coneway's 270 career tackles rank as the 12th most among all active players in the FCS – safety Eric Jackson is close behind at 23^rd with 235.
Redshirt freshman kicker Caleb Dowden remains perfect on field goal (9-for-9) and extra-point attempts this season (25-for-25) - one of two players in the FCS to do so.
As a team, Mercer is second in the country with 27.27 yards per kick return this season – Deondre Johnson's 98-yard touchdown against Chattanooga is one of just three kickoff return touchdowns in the FCS this year.

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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Players Mentioned

Will Coneway

Caleb Dowden

David Durden

Eric Jackson

Deondre Johnson

Robert Riddle

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