Mercer football (6-1, 5-0 Southern Conference) is set to take on Furman University (5-3, 3-2 SoCon) this Saturday, in a game t that has been billed as the conference's biggest rivalry by Mercer Athletics. Campus Life and the Mercer Maniacs are offering free fare for a trip to support the team in Greenville, S.C. Registration and other information is available via student email.
The last time the two teams played was last year, when the Bears won and clinched their first-ever Southern Conference title, 49-23. The Paladins need a win to stay in the race for the No. 1 seed while the Bears, No. 15 in the FCS, will hope to remain healthy and sharp for next week's test against Western Carolina University, the only SoCon team undefeated in conference play.
Mercer quarterback Braden Atkinson ‘29 is coming off a record-breaking game against the Virginia Military Institute, in which he threw for five touchdowns and passed for 533 yards. Following the performance, he was named the SoCon’s Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight time and is on the Jerry Rice Award watch list for the best freshman football player in the FCS. Wide receiver Brayden Smith ‘27 and running back CJ Miller ‘27, will both complement Atkinson on the offense. Both players went for triple-digit yardage from scrimmage and multiple touchdowns apiece last game. After a slow start to the season, Smith now leads the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns.
Furman’s defense has been tough against the pass this season, giving up the third-fewest passing yards in the conference. Standout defensive end Joshua Stoneking will prove a formidable pass rush against the Mercer offensive line, as he leads the SoCon in sacks and tackles for loss. For its part, the Bears' offensive line has not allowed a sack since it took on The Citadel on Sept. 20, according to Athletics. Stoneking racked up two sacks and a forced fumble in the Paladins' last game. Avoiding this pressure and taking care of the football will be critical for Mercer under Atkinson, whose two closest games this season involved the team committing multiple critical turnovers.
Defensive end Andrew Zock ‘28 and linebacker Drew Clare ‘27 have been major play makers for the team. Zock is second in the conference in sacks, while he and Clare are second and third in tackles for loss, respectively. The Bears defense has been dominant this season, leading the SoCon in sacks and forced fumbles while giving up the fewest opponent points and yards per game. Through seven games, the team has allowed an average of 15 points per contest and shutout two SoCon teams during their six-game winning streak.
“Furman is one of the most consistent teams in our conference,” Mercer Head Coach Mike Jacobs said, giving props to the team's head coach and its stout defense, mentioning Stoneking as a big factor.
“We just gotta be ready to play, you can’t make it any bigger than it is, but you got to recognize that you got a big challenge this week.”
The game will kickoff at 2 p.m.
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.
