No. 7 Bears Run Past No. 10 Rhode Island In Defensive Standoff

Saturday, December 7

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

11-2 , 7-1

Rhode Island

11-3 , 7-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Rhode Island

Mercer

No. 7 Bears Run Past No. 10 Rhode Island In Defensive Standoff

12/7/2024 7:09:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Myles Redding got Mercer on the board with a 25-yard interception return in the opening quarter, and Dwayne McGee turned in a 33-yard scamper late in the third quarter to set up a go-ahead touchdown, as the No. 7 national-seeded Bears outlasted No. 10 national seed Rhode Island, 17-10, in FCS Playoffs action on Saturday afternoon at Five Star Stadium.

It was the school record-breaking 10^th-straight home win for the Bears (11-2) who also registered their program-best 11^th win of the season in the process as well. The setback snapped a three-game win streak for the Rams (11-3) who rolled into the weekend averaging 160.2 rushing yards per game, but were held to just 49 on Saturday.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Mercer 17, Rhode Island 10
RECORDS: Mercer 11-2 (7-1 SoCon); Rhode Island 11-3 (7-1 CAA)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga.. (Five Star Stadium)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Shawn Harris's 87-yard punt return for a touchdown was negated via an invalid fair catch signal, and Mercer wasted no time in seizing the momentum. Myles Redding picked off Hunter Helms on the ensuing play from scrimmage and sprinted 25 yards for what would turn out to be the first half's only touchdown. MU 7, URI 0

PICK. SIX. TOUCHDOWN. 🤯 @MylesTooNice #FCSPlayoffs x 🎥 ESPN+ / @MercerFootball pic.twitter.com/Z1fsFM7WxH
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 7, 2024

2ND QUARTER

The ice was broken on an otherwise quiet first half for the Rhode Island offense when the Rams used their final possession of the opening half to put points on the board. A 13-yard pass from Hunter Helms to Gabe Sloat moved the visitors down to the 1-yard line with 24 ticks remaining, but the Bears stuffed a pair of potential game-tying plays and forced the Rams to settle for a 17-yard field goal from Ty Groff as time expired. MU 7, URI 3

.@isaacd3_ was all over that one🤯 pic.twitter.com/gxS4BHu9pH
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) December 7, 2024

3RD QUARTER

A 23-yard punt return from Shawn Harris set the Rams up near midfield, and Rhode Island needed just one play after that to storm ahead. Hunter Helms hit Marquis Buchanan in stride down the far sideline for a 56-yard touchdown that gave the visitors their first lead of the afternoon. URI 10, MU 7

There goes DeeWee🌬️

.@DeeWeeBig3 picks up 33 yards to set up a first and goal! pic.twitter.com/gsWKvSW7II
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) December 7, 2024

4TH QUARTER

Mercer bridged the third and fourth quarters with a 7-play, 69-yard scoring drive that gave it the lead for good. Dwayne McGee jaunted 33-yards on first down to set the Bears up with a 1^st-and-Goal situation from the 10-yard line, and Whitt Newbauer delivered the goods three plays later with a 4-yard scoring toss to Adjatay Dabbs. MU 14, URI 10

Dwayne McGee found another gear amid an MU drive five minutes later, doing most of the work on an 8-play, 58-yard scoring drive that was capped on Reice Griffith's 24-yard field goal. McGee scampered 40 yards on the opening play of the possession, and Mercer moved into the red zone three plays later on Whitt Newbauer's 17-yard pass to Samuel Albee. MU 17, URI 10

TOUCHDOWN‼️

.@whitt_newbauer looks to the left and finds @AdjatayD for six to open the fourth quarter! pic.twitter.com/E9pGKYoYRa
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) December 7, 2024

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Senior Dwayne McGee ran for 114 yards on 21 carries to move himself atop Mercer's single season rushing list. McGee upped his 2024 rushing total to 1,132 yards (216 attempts) and surpassed former MU standout Alex Lakes who amassed 1,107 yards on 200 carries in 2014.
+ Safety Myles Redding vaulted himself up alongside current teammate and fellow senior TJ Moore with his school record-tying seventh interception of the campaign, while also posting four tackles (2 solo). Senior Isaac Dowling paced the MU defense with nine stops (5 solo) on the afternoon.
+ Redshirt freshman Adjatay Dabbs caught a team-best five passes for 23 yards and accounted for Mercer's only offensive points of the contest with a 4-yard touchdown catch in the fourth period.

NOTABLES

+ Saturday's result gave the Bears their school record-breaking 10^th-straight home win – a streak that dates all the way back to a 31-17 win over Wofford at Five Star Stadium. It was also the program's 50^th win inside their home stadium as the Orange & Black improved to 50-20 (.714) in Macon since resurrecting the program prior to the 2014 season.
+ Mercer has now yielded 73 or fewer rushing yards in nine games this season. The Bears limited Rhode Island to just 49 yards rushing in Saturday's win. Malik Grant, who came into the game sporting the nation's third-best rushing total (1,390 yards), was held to just 36 yards on 13 carries.
+ The Bears exited Saturday's outing without committing a turnover. It is the fourth time this season that Mercer has not registered a giveaway.

UP NEXT

Mercer make the long trip to Fargo, N.D., to battle No. 2 national seed North Dakota State (11-2). A date and kickoff time have yet to be announced.

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SUPPORT THE BEARS

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