Mercer football (3-1, 3-0 Southern Conference) will host Samford University (0-5, 0-3 SoCon) in a conference matchup at Five Star Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4.
The matchup will be an opportunity for revenge for the Bears, as the Bulldogs spoiled Mercer's undefeated season last year, beating them 55-35 on the road in Birmingham, Ala. The two teams have a bitter modern rivalry that has included many close games, such as a double overtime victory by Samford in 2022, and a 2021 heavyweight fight that saw Mercer freshman Fred Davis rush for 276 yards and five touchdowns, including the game-winner with less than two minutes left in the game.
The two teams come into the matchup in opposing circumstances: the SoCon's No. 1 Bears are coming off of three consecutive SoCon wins after a disappointing home opener loss, while the last-place Bulldogs have yet to put together a single win, being outscored by at least 15 in every outing thus far.
Samford does have some threats on both sides of the ball, though, including linebacker Jaden Mosley, who leads the SoCon with 24 solo tackles and 26 assisted tackles on defense. On the offensive side of the ball, veteran quarterback Quincy Crittendon is leading the SoCon in pass completion, with 64.8%, and passing yards, with a total of 1,245.
“You can’t take anyone lightly in our conference, especially when they have a veteran quarterback," Head Coach Mike Jacobs said in a press conference on Monday. "We will be prepared for a well-coached football team this weekend."
On the Bear's side, running back CJ Miller ‘27 leads the SoCon with 381 rushing yards, and was named SoCon’s offensive player of the week after putting together a 172-yard, two-touchdown performance. Miller was also recognized as the best offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision last week. Quarterback Braden Atkinson ‘29 has been dominant in his three starts so far, throwing for at least 300 yards in each win.
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.
