Mercer Ranked 12th in AFCA FCS Coaches Poll

MACON, Ga. – Following its 42-7 win at Wofford, Mercer received a No. 12 ranking in the AFCA FCS Coaches Top 25 poll. The Bears moved up one spot from last week.

The Bears are one of three teams from the SoCon ranked in the poll. Chattanooga is ranked No. 9 and Samford is ranked No. 15.

11. UIW
12. Mercer
13. Villanova
14. UT Martin
15. Samford
16. Fordham
17. William & Mary
18. Elon
19. Missouri St.
20. Southeastern Louisiana
21. Eastern Washington
22. Stephen F. Austin
23. Rhode Island
24. Southern Illinois
25. Southeast Missouri St.#FCS
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) October 3, 2022

Mercer put together another strong performance at Wofford. The Bears outgained Wofford 554 to 221 in total offense. The Bears held their third consecutive opponent to under 100 rushing yards as Wofford had just 67 yards on the day.

Fred Payton completed 20-of-25 passes for a season-high 330 yards and two touchdowns. Payton is one of four FCS quarterbacks with zero interceptions this season. Payton is fourth in the FCS in passing efficiency with a 180.42 rating.

Devron Harper has had back-to-back three touchdown games. Harper is tied for third in the FCS with 10 total touchdowns on the season. He also is second in the FCS in receiving touchdowns with seven.

Mercer is thirteenth in the FCS in scoring offense averaging 36.6 points per game.

Mercer has the fifth-best red zone defense in the FCS. Opponents have scored just 61 percent of the time they reached the red zone against the Bears. The Bears are eleventh in the FCS in total defense, allowing just 294.4 yards per game and ninth in scoring defense allowing just 15.2 points per game.

FAMILY WEEKEND
Mercer welcomes Western Carolina to Five Star Stadium this Saturday, Oct. 8. Western Carolina (3-2, 1-1) defeated VMI 38-17 last week.

Mercer Athletics has revealed a thrilling lineup of talented artists that fans are sure to bring the energy to the 2022 Ford Concert Series. This weekend, The Ford Concert Series will include a performance from Rodney Atkins.

You can buy tickets to Saturday's game here.

Players Mentioned

Devron Harper

Fred Payton

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