Football is Back: Mercer Set to Kick-Off Season Saturday

Saturday, August 31

Cullowhee, N.C.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

Western Carolina

Photo by: Allyson Lamb

Football is Back: Mercer Set to Kick-Off Season Saturday

8/29/2019 1:39:00 PM | Football

Watch Listen Live Stats Game Notes

The Bears are set to venture into the mountains to face the Catamounts

By: Jace Sanders

MACON, Ga. – It has been nearly 300 days since Mercer took to the gridiron; but the Bears will return with high hopes and renewed energy when they hit the field to begin the 2019 campaign against Western Carolina Saturday at 6 p.m. (ET) in E.J. Whitmire Stadium.

The game is the first of 13 Southern Conference games to be broadcast on Nexstar TV this season – fans in Macon can watch the game locally on WMUB (Cox Channel 112). As always, the game will also be broadcast by "Voice of the Bears" Rick Cameron and his crew on The Creek (100.9 FM) and the SportsMic App.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
» Date/Time: Saturday, Aug. 31 / 6 p.m. (ET)
» Teams: Mercer (0-0, 0-0 SoCon) at Western Carolina (0-0, 0-0 SoCon)
» Location: Cullowhee, N.C. | E.J. Whitmire Stadium (13,742)
» Television: Nexstar TV | WMUB (Cox 112)
» Television Talent: Pete Yanity (PxP), Jared Singleton (Analyst)
» Radio: Mercer Sports Network | 100.9 The Creek FM | SportsMic
» Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (PxP), Roger Jackson (Analyst), Charles Davis (Sideline)
» Live Stats: CatamountSports.com
» Twitter Updates: @MercerFootball

The season-opening matchup pits the Bears against the Catamounts in a rematch of one of the most exciting games of last season.

On October 20 of last year, the two squads met at Five Star Stadium and proceeded to combine for a cool 105 points and 1,282 yards of total offense. The Bears were able to pull away with a 59-46 victory, but not before Catamount starting quarterback Tyrie Adams threw for 360 yards, rushed for 185 and scored four total touchdowns in the game.

SCOUTING WCU
The Catamounts feature one of the most powerful offenses in the Southern Conference. In 2018, WCU finished the year ranked 17th nationally in total offense - and was in the top 30 in both rushing and passing offense.

Led by the explosive Adams at quarterback, the Catamounts displayed a passing efficiency rating of 141.8 last year, good enough for 22nd in all of FCS. Adams threw for over 2,400 yards and rushed for 1,000 more yards in 11 games last season.

Quick Hits

Saturday will mark the first time in program history that Mercer opens the season on the road in SoCon play. The only other time the Bears opened with a conference opponent was 2016, when #15 The Citadel paid a visit to Five Star Stadium.
The Bears are 3-2 against Western Carolina in the modern era. All five games have been offensive showcases, with the lowest combined point total being 45 (Mercer, 24-21, 2015)
Mercer received seven votes in the STATS FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll. Mercer is one of seven SoCon teams to at least receive votes in the organization's preseason poll.
The Bears ranked third nationally and led the SoCon in red zone offense a year ago, scoring on 92 percent of drives that made it inside the 20. Mercer also ranked fifth in the category in 2017.
Mercer is looking to get off to a good start in SoCon play, after finishing 4-4 in the conference each of the past three seasons.
Mercer returns nine of its top 11 tacklers from last year's defensive unit, including linebacker Will Coneway (94 tackles).
Coneway enters the 2019 opener needing just nine tackles (211) to tie former teammate Lemarkus Bailey (220) for third all-time in career total tackles in school history.

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.