Manley, McGee Rake In SoCon Weekly Awards

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Two days removed from playing pivotal roles in 14^th-ranked Mercer's 44-34 comeback win over 24^th-ranked Western Carolina on Saturday, running back Dwayne McGee and defensive lineman Brayden Manley were crowned with Southern Conference weekly awards on Monday afternoon.

McGee, a senior from Osceola, Fla., was named the league's offensive player of the week after totaling 245 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including a Mercer-best 223 rushing yards on 18 carries (12.39 yards/attempt). The Lenoir-Rhyne transfer scored on runs of 64 and 59 yards in the pivotal victory, while also recording three other rushes of 20 or more yards.

The 223-yard performance is the best rushing total by an MU running back since Fred Davis amassed 276 yards (28 carries) amid a home win over Samford on Oct. 2, 2021. McGee also became the first Mercer player in more than a decade to amass 100 rushing yards by the halftime break.

A product of Vanceboro, Manley tacked up career bests in both tackles (8) and sacks (2-1/2) in pacing a defensive effort that allowed just 10 points over the game's final 40 minutes. Manley's 2-1/2 sacks resulted in a loss of 11 yards, but he also registered three other stops that went for no gain. Five of his eight stops in the contest came amid a dominant second half performance.

The Bears (7-1, 4-1 SoCon) will close out a two-game home stand on Saturday when they culminate Homecoming Week on campus by battling No. 23 East Tennessee State (5-3, 3-1) at Five Star Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.

Players Mentioned

Brayden Manley

Dwayne McGee

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