Saturday, October 10
Macon, Ga.
3 p.m.
Mercer University
vs
Western Carolina
Saturday Stakes: Mercer Hosts Western Carolina In Key SoCon Showdown
10/9/2026 6:00:00 AM | Football
Kickoff Is Slated For 3 p.m. ET On ESPN+
MACON – Nationally-ranked Mercer (4-2, 1-1 SoCon) will return home for the first time in nearly a month on Saturday when it welcomes Southern Conference nemesis Western Carolina (3-3, 1-1 SoCon) to Five Star Stadium in Macon. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:02 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Frank Malloy (play-by-play) and Phil Cox (commentary) calling all of the action from the booth.
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| Â ABOUT THE GAME | |||
| Date: Saturday, October 10 Time: 3 p.m. ET Location: Macon, Georgia I Five Star Stadium TV: ESPN+ Listen Live: 100.9 The Creek I Sportsmic Network Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Twitter Updates: @MercerFootball |
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| Â GAME NOTES (PDF) | |||
| Mercer Game Notes | Western Carolina Game Notes | SoCon Weekly Release | |
| Â TICKETS | |||
| Tickets are still available for Saturday's game and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets. | |||
| Â MERCER/WESTERN CAROLINA SERIES | |||
| Saturday's matchup is the 13th meeting all-time between the Bears and Western Carolina. Mercer leads the all-time series, 10-2, and will ride a 10-game series win streak into Saturday's game at Five Star Stadium. Mercer is 5-1 all-time against the Catamounts in both Macon and Cullowhee, N.C., and boasts a 5-game series win streak in both cities. The Bears have averaged nearly 45 points (44.7) per game against the Catamounts over their current 10-game series win streak, and have tacked up 49 or more points four times across that span. The series has produced plenty  of offense recently, with the teams combining for 83 points in 2023, 78 points in 2024 and 96 points in 2025. | |||
| Â SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS | |||
| Western Carolina remains one of the league's most explosive offensive teams, averaging 34.5 points and 439.5 yards per game. The Catamounts are balanced offensively, producing 261.7 passing yards and 177.8 rushing yards per game, while converting nearly 46 percent of their third downs. Offensively, everything starts with quarterback Lex Thomas, who has completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 1,478 yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions while also adding 256 rushing yards and five rushing scores. Thomas is a dual-threat player who extends drives with his legs and has been extremely careful with the football. The Catamounts have been outstanding in the red zone, scoring on 25 of 26 opportunities (96.2 percent), including 17 touchdowns. | |||
| Â NO PLACE LIKE HOME | |||
| Mercer is 56-23 (.709) all-time in Five Star Stadium after the Week 2 setback to Furman. The Bears have captured 22 of their last 27 home games heading into Saturday's matchup with Western Carolina in Macon, and boast a 26-6 (.813) clip in their home stadium over the last 5-plus seasons (since 2020), including a 17-4 clip against league foes. | |||
| Â BEARS STILL FORMIDABLE AGAINST SOCON TEAMS | |||
| Despite seeing its 12-game Southern Conference win streak come to an abrupt end against Furman in Week 2, Mercer is 33-9 (.786) against Southern Conference teams over the last 5-plus seasons (2021-26). The Bears had not fallen to a SoCon rival since Oct. 19, 2024 (55-35 at Samford). That setback in Birmingham, Ala., snapped a season-opening 6-game win streak for the program. MU has captured 22 of its last 25 games against SoCon opponents dating back to a 38-3 win over VMI on  Sept. 30, 2023. The Bears are 11-2 at home across that stretch and 11-1 away from Macon. Mercer registered an  unbeaten 8-0 mark against league teams last season en route to its second-straight conference championship. | |||
| Â NEXT WEEK FOR THE BEARS | |||
| Mercer hits the road again on October 10 when it makes the short hop to Birmingham, Alabama, to take on Southern Conference rival Samford. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Pete Hanna Stadium and tickets can be purchased by visiting the Samford athletic ticketing portal. | |||
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