No. 19 Mercer will face Presbyterian College at Five Star Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5, in the second game of the Bears' three-game homestand to open the season.
The Bears will look to avenge last year's 15-10 loss to the Blue Hose in Mercer's home opener. The Bears have won 11 of the 17 meetings between the two programs, with the series dating to 1927.
Mercer enters Saturday's matchup 1-0 after a 23-15 win over East Texas A&M to open the season, where the Bears put up 23 uncontested points in the first half before narrowly staving off a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter.
The Bears hope to build on a defensive performance that produced three interceptions against the Lions while continuing to develop offensively. Cameron Goggins '29 will be one player to watch on defense. Goggins was named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week after recording three tackles and a pick-six against East Texas.
Presbyterian's starting QB Landon Sharpe excelled in his first start for the Blue Hose, completing nearly 70% of his passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns, but gave up one interception. He also rushed for a team-high 88 yards and an additional touchdown. Neutralizing Sharpe's dual-threat ability will be a top priority for the Bears, who put little pressure on East Texas's quarterback in their season opener and finished with only one sack.
Mercer starting QB Jaylen King '27 will have to be more productive against the Blue Hose when targeting receivers not named Brayden Smith '27, who accounted for 131 of his 189 passing yards in the team's opener. Smith will likely be blanketed by standout Blue Hose cornerback Noah Taylor, who was named a Preseason All-PFL nominee and who broke up three passes in Presbyterian's season opener.
The Bears will also look to improve their rushing effiency, especially against a Presbyterian team who fields talented defensive lineman like Andrew Ruppe, who finish with nine tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery in their season opener against the University of Virginia at Wise.
Mercer will likely feature fifth-year running back Zahmari Palode-Gary more prominently, given his success with big plays in the Bear's season opener and fifth-year starter Micah Bell's struggles. The Blue Hose were prone to giving up chunk plays in their season opener, including two 50+ yard touchdown passes and a 62-yard touchdown rush.
Mercer scored all 23 of its points in the first half against East Texas A&M. The Bears will look to maintain that offensive production throughout Saturday's game while preventing Presbyterian from building momentum late.
With a new head coach, a 1-0 record and a chance to respond to last year's narrow loss, Mercer enters Saturday's matchup with an opportunity to start the season 2-0 and add another win to its long history against Presbyterian.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday. A win would move Mercer to 2-0 before the Bears host Furman University on Sept. 12.
Kaylee Grace Buchanan '29 is double majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology with an minor in Religion. When not writing, she enjoys reading, baking and playing tennis. You can also catch her on the pickleball courts jamming out to some music as well.
