
MERCER RECEIVES HIGHEST RANKING IN PROGRAM HISTORY, RANKED NO. 16
9/19/2022 11:13:00 AM | Football, Athletics Department
Bears ranked No. 16 in AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
MACON, Ga. – After shutting out The Citadel 17-0, Mercer received its highest ranking in program history, at No. 16, from the AFCA FCS Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
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The Bears are one of three SoCon teams ranked in the poll. Chattanooga was ranked No. 9 and Samford was ranked No. 22.
The Mercer defense shutout The Citadel Bulldogs and Fred Payton connected with Ty James for two third-quarter touchdown passes, leading Mercer to a 17-0 victory over The Citadel in the Southern Conference opener for the Bears Saturday night at Five Star Stadium.Â
Isaac Dowling equaled his career high with 17 tackles (6 solo) in the win. The sophomore linebacker tallied 2.5 tackles for loss, including a sack. Monday, Dowling was named Co-Defensive Player of the Week by Light on College Sports for week three.
The Bears (2-1, 1-0 SoCon) limited the Bulldogs (1-2, 1-1 SoCon) to just 151 yards, and earned the program's first shutout since blanking Point, 69-0, on Sept. 2, 2021.Â
Click here to view the full poll.
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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The Bears are one of three SoCon teams ranked in the poll. Chattanooga was ranked No. 9 and Samford was ranked No. 22.
The Mercer defense shutout The Citadel Bulldogs and Fred Payton connected with Ty James for two third-quarter touchdown passes, leading Mercer to a 17-0 victory over The Citadel in the Southern Conference opener for the Bears Saturday night at Five Star Stadium.Â
Isaac Dowling equaled his career high with 17 tackles (6 solo) in the win. The sophomore linebacker tallied 2.5 tackles for loss, including a sack. Monday, Dowling was named Co-Defensive Player of the Week by Light on College Sports for week three.
The Bears (2-1, 1-0 SoCon) limited the Bulldogs (1-2, 1-1 SoCon) to just 151 yards, and earned the program's first shutout since blanking Point, 69-0, on Sept. 2, 2021.Â
Click here to view the full poll.
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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