OUT-RIGHT! Bears Capture First Conference Title In 92 Years

Saturday, November 23

Macon, Ga.

3 p.m.

Mercer University

10-2 , 7-1

Furman

3-8 , 2-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Furman

Mercer

OUT-RIGHT! Bears Capture First Conference Title In 92 Years

11/23/2024 3:12:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Eighth-ranked Mercer amassed more than 500 yards of total offense and forced a trio of turnovers on the way to a 49-23 victory over visiting Furman on Saturday evening at Five Star Stadium. The win allowed the Orange & Black to claim the 2024 Southern Conference outright, and give MU its first league title bringing home the 1932 Dixie Conference crown.

It was the ninth-straight home win for the Bears (10-2, 7-1 SoCon) who claimed the league's automatic berth into the NCAA postseason two weeks ago with a shutout win at VMI. The setback snapped a two-game series win streak for the Paladins (3-8, 2-5) who fell to 5-6 all-time in Macon.

Mercer will learn of its postseason fate on Sunday afternoon when the Bears gather at an undisclosed location to watch the NCAA FCS Playoffs Selection Show. The program is set to air at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Mercer 49, Furman 23
RECORDS: Mercer 10-2 (7-1 SoCon); Furman 3-8 (2-5 SoCon)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga.. (Five Star Stadium)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Furman used a gift near midfield to tack up the first points of the afternoon for either team, capping a 3-play, 42-yard scoring drive on a halfback touchdown pass. The visitors gained 12 yards on the ground with their first two plays of the possession before Gavin Hall took a lateral and found Colton Hinton wide open in the end zone on a 29-yard touchdown pass. FU 7, MU 0

The Bears answered immediately, driving 75 yards with eight plays on the ensuing possession, including a 3-yard touchdown plunge by CJ Miller. Whitt Newbauer went 3-for-4 for 62 yards on the drive, including a 31-yard pass-and-catch to Tyrell Coard that moved the hosts all the way down to the 1-yard line. FU 7, MU 7

Furman struck again minutes later, capping a 14-play, 66-yard scoring drive with a 22-yard field goal from Ian Williams. The Paladins converted a pair of key 3^rd-down situations to fuel the possession, and Gavin Hall's 16-yard run down the near sideline set the visitors up with a 1^st-and-Goal at the 10-yard line. FU 10, MU 7

Mercer punched back again on the ensuing drive, culminating a 5-play, 75-yard possession with Whitt Newbauer's 46-yard scoring strike to Adjatay Dabbs. Dwayne McGee chewed up 25 yards on just two carries to move the Bears to midfield, and CJ Miller's 4-yard run set up the scoring play. MU 14, FU 10

Mercer added unconventional points to its lead three plays later. Andrew Zock ran down quarterback Trey Hedden in the backfield on a busted play and forced a loose ball that was caught in the air by Tommy Bliss and returned 35 yards for a touchdown. MU 21, FU 10

THE DEFENSE DELIVERS 💪@AndrewZock1 forces the fumble and @BliTommy takes it to the house for another @Truist touchdown!

Q1 | 0:23
Mercer 21, Furman 10 pic.twitter.com/OEMIarZZhG
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) November 23, 2024

2ND QUARTER

The Bears made it a three-score game with an 8-play, 46-yard drive midway through the second period. Dwayne McGee did a brunt of the work on the possession, carrying the ball five times for 25 yards, but Whitt Newbauer capped the scoring drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Sawyer Burt. MU 28, FU 10

Furman tacked up the last points of the opening half in the waning minutes when Ian Williams made good on a 32-yard field goal with nine seconds showing on the game clock. Trey Hedden completed five passes for 63 yards to move the Paladins inside the MU 20-yard line, but the defense held tough after that. MU 28, FU 13

Extending the lead 🙌@sawyer_burt powers it in for the @Truist touchdown!

Q2 | 1:19
Mercer 28, Furman 10 pic.twitter.com/zhzb2yaE0v
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) November 23, 2024

3RD QUARTER

Furman forced a 3-and-out on Mercer's initial possession of the second half, then used the momentum to tack up points on its first drive of the third quarter. Furman mustered just three yards on its first three plays of the possession, but Ian Williams matched a school record by nailing a 57-yard field goal on fourth down. MU 28, FU 16

Mercer answered back immediately, driving seven yards on just seven plays on the following possession. Dwayne McGee carried the ball four times for 57 yards on the scoring drive, including a 16-yard scoring jaunt. He crossed the 1,000-yard plateau for the season with a 12-yard carry on the prior play. MU 35, FU 16

TJ Moore's FCS-leading seventh interception of the season on the first play of the ensuing drive set Mercer up at the Furman 31-yard line, and the Bears padded their lead three plays later. A six-yard rush by Parker Wroble, as well as an incomplete pass, set up a 31-yard touchdown pass from Whitt Newbauer to Adjatay Dabbs. MU 42, FU 16

Have a day, @AdjatayD!

Dabbs hauls in another @Truist touchdown from @whitt_newbauer‼️

Q3 | 7:29
Mercer 42, Furman 16 pic.twitter.com/z8dFcZCz4o
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) November 23, 2024

4TH QUARTER

The Bears continued to pile it on in the fourth quarter as freshman Billy Martin capped a 6-play, 55-yard drive when he powered in from the 6-yard line. The scoring play was set up by DJ Smith's 34-yard pass to Adjatay Dabbs seconds earlier. MU 49, FU 16

Furman put the final points of the afternoon on the scoreboard midway through the period. The visitors got a chunk of yardage on an 18-yard run from Bailor Hughes, but finished off the drive three plays later when Trey Hedden connected with Ethan Harris on a 47-yard touchdown pass. MU 49, FU 23

SOCON CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/8bMvLhCqU4
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) November 23, 2024

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Redshirt freshman Adjatay Dabbs had a career day, catching eight passes for 181 yards and his first two career touchdowns. Three of his receptions went for 26 or more yards, including scoring receptions of 31 and 46 yards.
+ Freshman Whitt Newbauer threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-28 passing with one interception. He was 10-of-15 for 158 yards in the first half alone.
+ Senior Dwayne McGee carried the ball 15 times for 74 yards and one touchdown to become just the third 1,000-yard back in program history. He is the first MU running back to cross the 1,000-yard plateau since Tyray Devezin racked up 1,002 yards in 2019. Alex Lakes holds the school record with 1,107 yards in 2014.
+ Senior Isaac Dowling registered a team-best nine tackles to pace the defensive effort for the Bears, while TJ Moore logged four tackles, one interception and a pass break-up. Tommy Bliss turned in MU's FCS-leading seventh defensive touchdown of the campaign.

NOTABLES

+ Saturday's victory marked the school record-tying ninth-straight home win for the Bears, a streak that dates all the way back to a 31-7 win over Wofford last season. The Bears improved to 49-20 all-time at Five Star Stadium with the result as well.
+ MU improved to 6-12-2 in the series with Furman, and is now 5-6 against the Paladins in the modern era of the program in Macon. The sides have split the last four meetings in Middle Georgia.
+ Saturday's result gave the Bears a perfect 6-0 mark at home this season – the first time that the program has turned in an undefeated regular season home record since the 2013 squad won all eight of its home games.

UP NEXT

Mercer will gather at an undisclosed location on Sunday afternoon to view the NCAA FCS Playoffs Selection show which is scheduled to air at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

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