No. 20 Mercer (4-2, 1-1 Southern Conference) will return home to face Western Carolina University (3-3, 1-1 SoCon) at Five Star Stadium on Saturday. The matchup is a key game for the Bears, who at this point in the season need a victory to have a chance at three-peating a stacked SoCon this year.
Mercer enters the game after a dominant 54-3 win over the Virginia Military Institute. The Bears once again had a powerful ground attack, totaling 402 yards on 47 carries. Fifth-year running back Zahmari Palod-Gary again paced the Mercer backs, rushing for 130.
Mercer has had to rely on their veteran rushing attack in the absence of consistent quarterback play this season. Mercer quarterback Jaylen King ‘27 returned to the gridiron against VMI after being injured during the Bears' game against Georgia Tech two weeks ago. He threw for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his return. JP Pickles ‘28, playing in reserve and ran for 66 yards on six carries, but head coach Joel Taylor said at the Sept. 30 press conference that King will remain the starting quarterback for the Bears.
Western Carolina also brings momentum into Saturday’s matchup after upsetting No. 8 Tennessee Tech 44-20 last Saturday. The Catamounts forced five turnovers, with running back Josh Perry ‘29 rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
WCU has the SoCon’s best offense this year, averaging nearly 35 points a game. Quarterback Lex Thomas leads the SoCon with 1,478 passing yards, ranking 11th nationally in the FCS, along with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He is also a rushing threat, with 256 yards on the season.
The real strength of the Catamount attack though, is through the ground, where they have rushed for 16 touchdowns, good for best in the SoCon. Mercer will face a tough task containing Perry, who is coming off a career-high rushing performance against Tennessee Tech. Denying Western Carolina’s rushing will be key for a Bears defense that has held opponents to 219 yards per game, the lowest in the SoCon. Perry has posted two 100-yard rushing games in his last three, including 142 yards and three touchdowns against Presbyterian, highlighted by a 62-yard touchdown run.
The Western Carolina defense has been their weakness this season. They’ve given up at least 20 points in five of their last six games, and gave up 58 points to current SoCon leader East Tennessee State University (4-2, 2-0 SoCon) on Sept. 26.
In many ways, the Bears’ strengths and weaknesses parallel the Catamounts’. Both rely on their strong, high-scoring rushing attack, but are let down at times by the effectiveness of their defense. The Bears, though, turn the ball over far more; Mercer’s quarterbacks have totalled a SoCon-leading seven interceptions, while WCU ranks last with one. Eliminating costly turnovers and churning out an advantage against the Catamounts through the ground will be key to a Bears victory.
The Bears lead the all-time series against Western Carolina 10-2. After the Catamounts, Mercer will continue SoCon play against Samford University next Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. before taking a week off.
