No. 17 Bears Post First Half Outburst, Then Hold Off East Texas A&M

Saturday, August 29

Macon, Ga.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

1-0 , 0-0

East Texas A&M

0-1 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
East Texas A&M	0	0	7	8	15
Mercer	10	13	0	0	23

No. 17 Bears Post First Half Outburst, Then Hold Off East Texas A&M

8/30/2026 1:11:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Cameron Goggins returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown to give 17^th-ranked Mercer a 23-0 advantage heading into halftime, but visiting East Texas A&M nearly battled all the way back before succumbing to the Bears, 23-15, on Saturday evening at Five Star Stadium.

It was the 21st win in the last 25 home outings for the Bears (1-0) who also moved to 10-4 all-time in season openers with the result. The win also marked the successful debut for skipper Joel Taylor who was named MU's 22^nd head coach in December.

Saturday evening's setback marked the fourth-straight season-opening loss for East Texas A&M (0-1).

THE BASICS

SCORE: Mercer 23, East Texas A&M 15
RECORDS: Mercer 1-0 (0-0 SoCon); East Texas A&M 0-1 (0-0 SLC)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga. (Five Star Stadium)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

The Bears put the first points of the game on the board midway through the opening period when newcomer Simon Zeidan etched his name in the history books with a 55-yard field goal. Senior Jaylen King converted a key third down late in the drive with a 13-yard pass to Brayden Smith that moved the hosts across midfield. MU 3, ETAMU 0

Senior newcomer Zahmari Palode-Gary keyed a 4-play, 76-yard scoring drive with a 62-yard scamper on second down, and Jaylen King found Jackson Kostmayer on a 12-yard touchdown pass two plays later. MU 10, ETAMU 0

.@SimonZeidan97 converts from 55 yards out for our first points of the season! 🙌

1Q | 6:49
Mercer 3, East Texas A&M 0#ATTACK pic.twitter.com/okjAi7YSA5
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 29, 2026

2ND QUARTER

Justin Ferguson picked off Eric Rodriguez deep in Mercer territory late in the second quarter, and the Bears followed with a 7-play, 65-yard possession that eventually culminated with a 21-yard field goal from Zeidan. Jaylen King connected with Brayden Smith on a 47-yard pass-and-catch that moved the hosts all the way down to the 5-yard line before the Lions dug their heels in. MU 13, ETAMU 0

Mercer's stop troops limited the visitors to just three yards on the ensuing possession to force a punt, and the Bears kept the momentum going minutes later when they strung together a 12-play, 62-yard drive that was accentuated on a 33-yard field goal from Simon Zeidan. MU converted a pair of 3^rd-and-short situations along the way to keep the drive going. MU 16, ETAMU 0

Eric Rodriguez found Micah Simpson on a 10-yard gainer on the ensuing play from scrimmage, but Cameron Goggins stepped in front of Rodriguez's next attempt and returned the pickoff 38 yards for a touchdown. It was the second Mercer score in 15 seconds. MU 23, ETAMU 0

PICK-6‼️@CameronGoggins1 jumps the route and makes a big play before the half! 🔥🤫

2Q | 0:15
Mercer 23, East Texas A&M 0#ATTACK pic.twitter.com/6FFm3q7nVA
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 30, 2026

3RD QUARTER

East Texas A&M finally got on the board midway through the third period when it engineered a 4-play, 56-yard touchdown drive. The Lions mustered just eight yards on the first three plays of the possession, but Eric Rodriguez connected with Micah Simpson on a 48-yard touchdown on 4^th-and-2 to get on the board. MU 23, ETAMU 7

Another one for the defense!@Mikepolke2 has his first career interception! 👏#ATTACK pic.twitter.com/ZaLSkcAdQF
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 30, 2026

4TH QUARTER

The Lions bridged the third and fourth quarters with a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that got the visitors within striking distance. Eric Rodriguez completed all four of his passing attempts for 73 yards to key the possession, but a 1-yard dive by Quay Middlebrooks dealt the final damage. Eric Rodriguez punched it in from three yards away on the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt. MU 23, ETAMU 15

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Senior Brayden Smith matched a career high with nine catches and finished the night with 131 receiving yards to pace the Mercer offense. Four of his receptions went for 13 or more yards.
+ Sophomore Simon Zeidan went 3-for-4 on field goal attempts, while also converting on both of his point-after kicks, to finish the evening with 11 points. His school-record 55-yard field goal in the first quarter was just the fifth 50+-yard field goal in program history.
+ Sophomore Justin Ferguson matched a team-best with six tackles, all solo, while also turning in an interception and a pass break-up. Senior Cameron Goggins and sophomore Mike Polke both picked off a pass as well.

NOTABLES

+ Mercer has now won 21 of its last 25 games at Five Star Stadium dating back to the start of the 2022 campaign. The Bears also improved to 10-4 in home openers as well.
+ Joel Taylor notched a win in his debut as Mercer's head coach and moved to 2-0 in his programs' head coaching debuts after also posting a victory in his first game as West Georgia's head coach in 2024 (38-29 home win over Samford on Aug. 31, 2024).
+ The Bears improved to 2-0 in the FCS Kickoff, while also matching Jacksonville State for the most appearances (3) in the 12-game-old event. Mercer knocked off North Alabama, 17-7, in the 2023 FCS Kickoff, and battled nationally-ranked UC Davis to a No Contest in last year's FCS Kickoff.

UP NEXT

Mercer will continue its season-opening 3-game home stand next Saturday (September 5) when it locks horns with Pioneer League rival Presbyterian (1-0) at Five Star Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and tickets are still available for purchase at MercerBears.com/Tickets.

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