Football Has Win Skein Stopped By No. 20 Chattanooga

Saturday, October 14

Macon, Ga.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

4-3 , 2-2

Chattanooga

5-2 , 4-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Chattanooga

Mercer

Football Has Win Skein Stopped By No. 20 Chattanooga

10/14/2023 8:50:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

MACON – Visiting and 20^th-ranked Chattanooga racked up more than 350 yards of total offense and got five field goals from Clayton Crile on the way to a 22-10 victory over the Mercer football team on Saturday evening at Five Star Stadium.

The loss snapped a two-week string of victories for the Bears (4-3, 2-2 SoCon) who tasted defeat for just the second time in the last 10 home outings. It was the fifth win in the last six contests for the Mocs (5-2, 4-1) who were upset by the Bears on their last trip to Middle Georgia in 2021.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Chattanooga 22, Mercer 10
RECORDS: Mercer 4-3, 2-2 SoCon; Chattanooga 5-2, 4-1 SoCon
LOCATION: Johnson City, Tenn. (William B. Greene Jr. Stadium)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Javin Whatley returned the game's opening kickoff to the midfield stripe, and Chattanooga went to work after that with an 8-play, 37-yard scoring drive that gave it the lead for good. Jamoi Mayes's 8-yard reception gave the visitors a first down inside the red zone, but the Mocs ultimately settled for a 32-yard field goal attempt from Clayton Crile. UTC 3, MU 0

A bad snap on a punt attempt late in the first quarter gave Chattanooga the ball at the Mercer 28-yard line. The Mocs gained just four yards on the next three plays from scrimmage before opting for another field goal from Clayton Crile, this one from 37 yards away. UTC 6, MU 0

Here is @5langg making himself at home in the Chattanooga backfield on a BIG 1st down stop.

5:36 left to play in the 1st quarter: #20 Chattanooga 3, Mercer 0. pic.twitter.com/7HnmdgHD7i
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) October 14, 2023

2ND QUARTER

Chattanooga set up for their seventh possession of the afternoon near midfield, and got a big 16-yard pass from Chase Artopoeus on first down to scoot inside the 30-yard line, but the drive stalled after that. The Mocs eventually pushed their lead out to two scores on another 37-yard field goal from Clayton Crile. UTC 9, MU 0

Chattanooga turned a near-miss by the Bears into more points right before the halftime break, culminating a 10-play, 59-yard scoring drive with a 45-yard field goal from Clayton Crile. The Mocs converted a pair of 3^rd-and-long situations to keep the drive alive, but were eventually slowed inside the 30-yard line. UTC 12, MU 0

Offensive yards coming at a premium today thanks to defensive efforts like this.@SavioFrazier and @washburn_isaiah turn in a "Not So Fast My Friend" stop on this one.

7:43 left to play in the opening half: #20 Chattanooga 6, Mercer 0#RaiseTheBar I #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/RjryO99Ww3
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) October 14, 2023

3RD QUARTER

Mercer scratched the scoreboard with its second possession of the third quarter, capping a 5-play, 33-yard scoring drive with Carter Peevy's 10-yard scoring strike to Ty James in the corner of the end zone. The touchdown was set up on a 31 yard strike from Peevy to James three plays earlier. UTC 12, MU 7

Chattanooga punched right back on the ensuing possession, driving 75 yards on six plays, including a 30-yard touchdown pass from Chase Artopoeus to Sam Phillips. Artopoeus completed all four of his pass attempts on the possession for 85 yards. UTC 19, MU 7

Mercer punched back again with its next possession, capping a 10-play, 54-yard scoring drive with a 36-yard field goal from Reice Grifith. Carter Peevy threw for 63 yards on a 4-of-6 passing on the possession, including a 28-yard toss to Devron Harper that moved the Bears inside the red zone. UTC 19, MU 10

H I M#RaiseTheBar | #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/v9YL2x58Hh
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) October 14, 2023

4TH QUARTER

Chattanooga capped the scoring on the evening with just less than four minutes left to play in the final stanza. Gino Appleberry shouldered most of the load on the 8-play, 52-yard scoring drive, but it was a 27-yard field goal by Clayton Crile that finished it off. UTC 22, MU 10

BIG SACK attack by @BraydenManley5 who drops Chattanooga quarterback Chase Artopoeus for a 2-yard loss.#RaiseTheBar I #478Day I #RoarTogether pic.twitter.com/MsH9JbfqNp
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) October 14, 2023

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Senior Ty James caught six passes for 135 yards, including a third-quarter touchdown. He caught four passes for 96 yards in the second and third quarters alone.
+ Senior Devron Harper became Mercer's all-time leader in punt return yards with 28 yards on four attempts. He also logged seven receptions for 99 yards.
+ Senior Lance Wise Jr. registered a season-best 13 tackles to pace the Mercer defense, including six solo stops. His performance also included a tackle for loss in the fourth quarter.

NOTABLES

+ Chattanooga's touchdown midway through the third quarter snapped a streak of nearly 165 touchdown-less minutes turned in by the Mercer defense. The last touchdown allowed by the Bears prior to that score was a 20-yard touchdown scamper by Furman (September 23) with eight minutes left in regulation.
+ Saturday's setback marked just the second home loss for the Bears in the last 10 games at Five Star Stadium. The only other setback during that span was a 23-13 loss to then-No. 13 Furman in November of last season.
+ UTC improved to 22-11-1 all-time against the Bears in a series that dates back to the 1909 campaign. The squads have split 10 games since football returned to Macon in 2013.

UP NEXT

The Bears will close out a 2-game home stand on October 21 when they take on Wofford (0-7, 0-4 SoCon) on Monroe County Day at Five Star Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. The Terriers were a 41-10 victim at East Tennessee State earlier Saturday.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow Mercer Football on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" Mercer Football on Facebook.

SUPPORT THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, visit S upportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu.