Game Preview: No. 13 Mercer Travels to Winless Wofford

MACON, Ga. –  The Bears return to conference play with a trip to Spartanburg, South Carolina to play Wofford. Kickoff Saturday is set for 1:30 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION
» Date | Time: Saturday, Oct. 1 | 1:30 p.m.
» Teams: Mercer (3-1,1-0) at Wofford (0-4,0-1)
» Location: Spartangburg, S.C. | Gibbs Stadium (13,000) 
» Television: ESPN+
» Television Talent:  Pete Yanity (PxP), Jared Singleton Jr. (Analyst)
» 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
 
QUICK FACTS

This is the first conference away game for the Bears. Mercer went 3-2 on the road in SoCon play last season.
The series between Mercer and Wofford is tied. Each team has won seven games in the series history.
Wofford is currently on a 14-game losing streak. The Terriers last won on Sept. 4, 2021, in their season-opener against Elon.
Mercer's offense has been successful in creating explosive plays. The Bears average 8.5 yards per play, good for second-most in the SoCon.

SCOUTING WOFFORD

Wofford is led by head coach Josh Conklin who is in his fifth season as head coach of the Terriers. The Terriers are coming off a 1-10, 0-8 (Big South) season in 2021.
Wofford has 14 returning starters this season.
The Terriers have struggled to score this season. They had scored just seven combined points through their first three games of the season before scoring 22 last week at Kennesaw State.
Despite its offensive woes, Wofford quarterback Jimmy Weirick set a school record with 358 passing yards in the Terriers loss last week at Kennesaw State.
The Bulldogs rank 21^st in the FCS in points per game (35.7).
Wide receiver Landon Parker leads the Terriers in receiving with 15 receptions for 299 yards.
On the defensive side, things haven't been much better for the Terriers. They rank second-to-last in the conference in total defense, giving up 382.5 yards per game.
The Terriers are also the only team in the SoCon without an interception.

DOMINANT DEFENSE

No team has scored in the fourth quarter against Mercer.
Mercer's defense is coming off back-to-back stout performances in wins over The Citadel and Gardner-Webb
The defense shutout The Citadel and held one of the best rushing attacks in the FCS to just 92 rushing yards and 152 total yards of offense on the day.
Isaac Dowling equaled his career high with 17 tackles (6 solo) against The Citadel. The sophomore linebacker also tallied 2.5 tackles for loss, including a sack.
Against Gardner-Webb, the Bears had three takeaways, including a 67-yard pick-six from Cam Sims.

JAMES AND HARPER MAKING PLAYS

Wide receivers Ty James and Devron Harper have proven to be dangerous weapons in the Mercer offense.
James leads the SoCon in receiving yards with 372 yards.
James was named FCS Offensive Player of the Week for his week 0 performance against Morehead State. In the game, James had 5 receptions for 192 receiving yards and three touchdowns all in the first half.
Harper is tied for the most touchdowns in the SoCon by skill players with seven.
He is the only player in the SoCon to score in three different ways – receiving, rushing and returning.

MOVING UP IN THE POLLS

Mercer is ranked No. 13 in the AFCA Coaches FCS Top 25 and No. 13 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
That is the highest ranking in program history.

BY THE NUMBERS

11-0: Quarterback Fred Payton has an 11-0 touchdown to interception ratio. He is one of four quarterbacks in the FCS without an interception. His 11 touchdown passes are second-most in the SoCon.
0.50: Mercer's offensive line has allowed just 0.50 sacks per game. Tied for the third-best mark in the FCS.
46.2: Mercer is converting 46.2 percent of its third downs; the best conversion rate in the SoCon.

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.

Game Preview: No. 13 Mercer Travels to Winless Wofford

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Players Mentioned

Isaac Dowling

Devron Harper

Ty James

Fred Payton

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Mercer University Athletics

Game Preview: No. 13 Mercer Travels to Winless Wofford

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Isaac Dowling

Devron Harper

Ty James

Fred Payton

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