Mercer football (6-1, 5-0 Southern Conference) beat the Virginia Military Institute (1-7, 0-4 SoCon) in a historic 62-0 home victory on Saturday.
The 829 yards covered during the win set a school record for total yards during a game. The Bears' sixth-straight win also matches the school record for most consecutive wins in a season.
Quarterback Braden Atkinson ‘29 went 29-of-35 passing for 533 yards, a school record, on his way to another SoCon Offensive Player of the Week selection on Monday.
The opening play from scrimmage of the game was a shot downfield from Atkinson to wide receiver Brayden Smith ‘27 on a 75-yard reception pass to make the score 7-0, taking only 10 seconds off the clock.
The Bears scored four more times in the first quarter: Atkinson connected with Smith again on a 32-yard pass to the end zone, running back CJ Miller ‘27 scored on a 59-yard pass, kicker Reice Griffith ‘27 scored on a 25-yard field goal and Miller scored a second time with a massive 75-yard touchdown run down the Bears' sideline.
Wide receiver Adjatay Dabbs ‘28 got in on the action in the second quarter as he connected with Atkinson for an 84-yard touchdown pass off of a quick, 2-play drive that went 86 yards. Dabbs' catch came at the line of scrimmage and, with the help of a block from Kendall Harris '27, he took it the rest of the way untouched.
The last score going into the half came from Griffith, who hit a 50-yard field goal to make the score 41-0 at halftime. Griffith tied the school record again with 14 points in the game, and he surpassed the school record for career field goals made, set in 2018 by Cole Fisher '18.
VMI's special teams unit blocked a Mercer field goal in the Bears' first possession of the second half, but Mercer's defense was able to force a punt on the following Keydets drive. With the ball starting at their own 24-yard line, Mercer ran a 4-lay, 76-yard drive that scored off a 51-yard touchdown pass from Atkinson to wide receiver Adonis McDaniel ‘27.
Reserve quarterback JP Pickles ‘29, who has been used primarily for quarterback sneaks this season, came in to lead the offense in the fourth quarter. His first drive was a 10-play, 94-yard slog that was capped off by running back Ty Doughty's ‘29 15-yard rushing touchdown.
Another freshman playmaker stepped up for the Bears in the fourth quarter as running back Carlos Benjamin ‘29 ran for a 55-yard touchdown for the last score of the game. His score elicited a huge response from the Bears' sideline, whose celebration earned Mercer a sideline warning from the officials.
The shutout against VMI was secured by the Bears' defense, which had a standout performance against a couple of players who Head Coach Mike Jacobs warned about in a press conference leading up to the game. The defensive line was anchored by Andrew Zock '28, who recorded two of the team's five sacks, which is tied for fourth-most in a single game in program history. While the team did not record a turnover – and has not done so with the same regularity as it did last season – the secondary unit gave up just 105 yards in the air, including only one reception greater than 25 yards. The unit recorded nine pass breakups, tied for second-most in a game.
STATS TO KNOW: Despite not starting the first two games of the season, freshman quarterback Atkinson is now second in the SoCon in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and ranks in the top-three in completions, attempts, and completion percentage.
The Bears are 5-5 in the last 10 games against their next opponent, Furman University (5-3, 3-2 SoCon), who is 2-0 at home this year. Mercer's win against the Paladins last year, 49-23, solidified their place atop the SoCon. Head Coach Mike Jacobs' undefeated streak last season came to an end against a conference opponent in an away game.
The Bears will travel to Greenville, S.C., to take on Furman in a matchup that has been advertised as the biggest rivalry in the SoCon. Mercer's Campus Life team is bussing students to the game to throw support behind the team.
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.
