Bears Welcome Samford To Town For SoCon Showdown

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University football team is back at home this Saturday to take on Southern Conference foe, Samford. This will be the first time the Bears have played host to a conference opponent this season.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
» Date | Time: Saturday, Oct. 2 | 6 p.m.
» Teams: Samford (2-2, 1-1 SoCon) at Mercer (2-1, 1-0 SoCon)
» Location: Macon, Ga. | Five Star Stadium (10,200)
» Television: ESPN+
» Television Talent: Frank Malloy (PxP), Phil Cox (Color), Avery Braxton (Sideline)
» Radio: Mercer Sports Network | 100.9 The Creek FM | SportsMic
» Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (PxP), Bryce Koon (Analyst), Charles Davis (Sideline)
» Live Stats: StatBroadcast
» Twitter Updates: @MercerFootball
» Game Notes: Mercer | Samford | SoCon

QUICK HITS

The Bears defense has been a force all year. Mercer tops the SoCon in several statistical categories, including scoring defense (17.0) and total defense (271.7).
Not only has the Bears defense been dominant, but the offense has been able to put up points, averaging 35.7 PPG. Mercer has been a force on the ground, leading the SoCon with 276.7 rushing yards per game.
Mercer opened up SoCon play with a controlling 24-3 victory over Furman. The Bears defense tied a school record with four interceptions during the game. The last time they did this was in 2013 against Drake.
On the ground, the Bears are led by a dynamic duo in Fred Davis and Brandon Marshall. The pair of running backs have combined for 275 yards and five touchdowns through the first three games.
Fred Payton leads the air attack for the Bears. The Coastal Carolina transfer has tossed for 381 yards and four touchdowns in the early goings of the season. His 156.6 passing efficiency leads all QBs in the SoCon.
The Mercer Bears opened the 2021 season with a bang, setting a new program record with 778 yards of offense in a 69-0 win over the Point Skyhawks on Sept. 2. Numerous other records fell in the victory with the Bears scoring their most points in a game (69), accumulating the most yards in one contest (778) and most rushing yards in a game (539). The Bears' 10 touchdowns and 9.1 rushing yards per play, as well as Devin Folser's nine extra points, are all new records for a single game. The Orange & Black averaged 9.3 yards per play, the second-best average in program history.
The nation's top FBS team, Alabama was on the docket for the Bears in week two. The Crimson Tide took down the Bears by a score of 48-14. Fred Taylor took to the air for the Bears two scores of the game. He connected with Devron Harper for a 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He followed that up with a 22-yard TD pass to Ty James in the fourth quarter.
Mercer takes on Samford this week. The Bears are 2-5 against the Bulldogs since 2014, with Samford winning the matchup last year 44-20. Isaac Dowling had a career high of 17 tackles, including 11 solo tackles in the loss to the Bulldogs.
Jason Poe was featured on Bruce Feldman's Freaks of College Athletics List, which ranked the top 100 most athletic players in college football. Poe, an offensive lineman who transferred from Lenoir-Rhyne, earned the 68th spot on Feldman's list.
HERO Sports named Mercer linebacker Isaac Dowling a preseason all-american. Dowling received HERO Sports Third Team All-America honors and was one of five linebackers to receive recognition, joining Bryce Flater (Northern Iowa), Tristan Wheeler (Richmond), Adrian Hope (Furman) and Jack Cochrane (South Dakota).

SCOUTING SAMFORD

Samford comes in with a 2-2 record overall and a 1-1 record against SoCon opponents. The Bulldogs opened the season with a controlling 52-14 win over Tennessee Tech. In SoCon play, Samford won their opener against Western Carolina 42-37 and then fell to #15 ETSU 55-48 in overtime.
The Bulldogs can certainly pile up yards and points. They rank top 10 in the FCS in total offense (496) and top five in passing offense (380.2).
Samford boasts a 38-31 record under head coach Chris Hatcher. Hatcher is 4-2 against Mercer during his time with the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs have had back-to-back SoCon offensive players of the week. Running back DeMarcus Ware won the honor on Sept. 20, followed by QB Liam Welch on Sept. 27.
Samford's overtime loss to ETSU last week was the team's seventh overtime game in the last three seasons.
During the matchup with ETSU last week, Samford QB Liam Welch set a Samford and Southern Conference record for passing yards (582), total offense (655), completions (56), and attempts (73).

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.

Bears Welcome Samford To Town For SoCon Showdown

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Players Mentioned

Fred Davis

Isaac Dowling

Isaac Dowling

Devin Folser

Devron Harper

Ty James

Brandon Marshall

Fred Payton

Jason Poe

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Mercer University Athletics

Bears Welcome Samford To Town For SoCon Showdown

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Fred Davis

Isaac Dowling

Isaac Dowling

Devin Folser

Devron Harper

Ty James

Brandon Marshall

Fred Payton

Jason Poe

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