Mercer football (1-1, 1-0 Southern Conference) picked up their first win of the season last Saturday, Sept. 13, defeating Wofford College (0-3, 0-1 SoCon), 22-21.
It was a tight game filled with defensive stops and a changes at quarterback for both teams. The No. 22 Bears tacked on points first in the first quarter with a 19-yard field goal from kicker Reice Griffith ‘27 after quarterback Braden Atkinson ‘29 led the team down the field on a 73-yard drive. Atkinson made his first start at quarterback for the Bears, taking over signal caller duties from DJ Smith ‘26, who struggled in Mercer’s home opener against Presbyterian College.
Atkinson flashed some chemistry when he connected with wide receiver Adonis McDaniel ‘27 for a long, 26-yard pass in a third-and-3 situation. The Bears finished the drive handing off the ball to running back CJ Miller ‘27, who ran up the middle for his first touchdown of the season. The first quarter ended with Mercer holding a comfortable 10-0 lead.
Wofford would not be put away so quickly, as their starting quarterback Ethan Drumm hit wide receiver Ivory Aikens for an 80-yard scoring catch near midfield. While Mercer's secondary held the Terriers' quarterbacks to a combined 10-for-22 and the Bears' defensive line sacked Wofford three times in the game, the visiting team was able to make large chunk plays in the game to keep the score close. Griffith knocked in a 40-yard field goal to extend Mercer's lead going into halftime, 13-7.
After the break, Wofford scored twice in the opening four minutes of the third quarter. First, Drumm connected with wide receiver Isaiah Scott for a 51-yard touchdown pass, then the Terriers' defense picked off Atkinson and ran it back to give Wofford's offense the ball at Mercer's own 12-yard line. The Bears responded with a 10-play, 48-yard drive that ended with another Griffith field goal to cut the Terriers' lead to five. Mercer forced a three-and-out in the next Wofford drive, but tight end Samuel Albee '27 fumbled while carrying the ball at the 5-yard line.
Another defensive stand gave the ball back to the Bears at the Wofford 33-yard line. A circus-like catch from Miller in the end zone marked two milestones for the players involved while giving Mercer the lead for good. It was Miller's first career receiving touchdown, and it was Atkinson's first collegiate touchdown pass.
After that score, neither team was able to put together a drive that lasted longer than seven plays or go further than 34 yards. Star defensive lineman Andrew Zock ‘28 sacked the Terrier's quarterback on a fourth down play, turning the ball over to the Bears and effectively ending the game.
At quarterback, Atkinson finished the game with more deep success than Smith did against Presbyterian College last week. The freshman passer averaged nearly 12 yards per completion against Wofford versus Smith's seven last week, but Atkinson committed two costly turnovers that allowed the Terriers to remain in the game. It remains to be seen which passer will start in Mercer's next game, a SoCon matchup against The Citadel (1-2, 0-1 SoCon) on Sept. 20 in Charleston, S.C.
Nevaeh Wilson '28 is majoring in Journalism and minoring in Film Studies. She has been writing for The Cluster since her freshman year, and has worked for Mercer's ESPN studio. She enjoys watching college and professional sporting events.
