A Look at Today’s Opponent: Mercer

QUICK LOOK AT TODAY’S OPPONENT: MERCER

u The Mercer Bears come to Cullowhee riding a two-game winning streak in Southern Conference play, downing Furman 24-3 in Greenville, S.C., before outlasting the Samford Bulldogs in a shoot out last weekend in Macon, 45-42 ... the Bears' lone loss of the season came at NCAA FBS No. 1

Alabama in Tuscaloosa back on Sept. 11 ... Mercer is receiving votes in both national FCS polls; u Mercer held Furman out of the end zone in the 24-3 road win while matching a school record with four interceptions in the winning effort ... It was the first time since 2013 (vs. Drake) that Mercer had four INTs in the same game; u Mercer rushed for a program-best 539 yards in the season-opening victory over Point University in Macon back on Sept. 2, finishing the game with a program-best 778 yards of total offense ... Mercer set program records with 10 touchdowns in the 69-0 win ... the Bears averaged 9.3 yards per game, the second-best average in program history; u Mercer enters Saturday's road game at Western Carolina ranked second in the SoCon scoring offense, averaging 38.0 points per game, and fourth in scoring defense by limiting opponents to 23.2 points per game against ... the Bears boast the league's second-best total offensive production (492.0 yards per game) that includes leading the SoCon in rushing offense (295.0 yds/gm); u Mercer tailback FRED DAVIS (pictured below) collected numerous honors following last weekend's home win over Samford where he rewrote the Mercer record book, rushing for 276 yards and five touchdowns ... His 276 rushing yards shattered the previous school record of 202 yards ... Davis was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week ... Stats Perform FCS National

Offensive Player of the Week ... and the College Football Performance Awards FCS National Performer of the Week. u Davis became just the 15th FCS player over the last 25 years to have 275+ rushing yards and five or more rushing touchdowns in the same game; u Davis enters the weekend ranked second in the SoCon in rushing, averaging 108.0 yards per game on the ground ... He has scored a SoCon-high tying seven rushing touchdowns; u Davis ranks 12th in the NCAA FCS with 432 rushing yards this season and is tied for seventh in rushing average (108.0 yds/gm); u Mercer linebacker ISAAC DOWLING (pictured below) ranks 11th in the SoCon in tackles per game with an average of 6.8 per game ... a second-year freshman, Dowling also has 2.5 tackles for loss ...

Last season, Dowling registered 90 tackles to lead the team and ranked sixth in the SoCon; u Mercer's DREW CRONIC was named the 20th head football coach in Mercer University history on

Dec. 10, 2019 and is in his second season in Macon this fall ... In his first season at Mercer, Cronic led the Bears to their best Southern Conference season since joining the conference with five league wins, including three over ranked foes ... Cronic guided Mercer to a No. 23 ranking in the

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll; u Mercer was picked to finish in sixth place in both the media and coaches poll ... the Bears put FIVE players on the 2021 Preseason All-Southern Conference team; u The Bears’ lone preseason All-SoCon first team member was sophomore defensive lineman SOLOMON ZUBAIRU ... BRANDON MARSHALL (running back), CHRIS HILL (defensive line), ISAAC DOWLING (linebacker) and LANCE WISE (defensive back) earned second team honors; u Mercer landed NINE players on the Preseason All-SoCon team from Phil Steele Magazine; u DID YOU KNOW: Mercer's 2021 football roster features 75 players from the state of Georgia for a second-consecutive season.

ABOUT MERCER

SCOUTING THE BEARS QUICK FACTS:

Location: ......................... Macon, Ga. Founded: ...............................1833 Enrollment: ............................9,000 Colors: ........................ Orange & Black Conference: ........................ Southern Facility (Capacity): ..... Five Star Stadium (10,200) President: ............... William B. Underwood Athletics Director: ....................Jim Cole Head Coach: .......... Drew Cronic (Georgia, 1998) Record at MER: .................... 8-7 (2nd yr) Overall Record: .................. 55-13 (6th yr) Basic Offense: ........................Spread Basic Defense: ........................... 4-3

2021 SCHEDULE:

Sept. 2 POINT W, 69-0 Sept. 11 at #1 (FBS) Alabama L, 48-14 Sept. 25 at Furman * W, 24-3 Oct. 2 SAMFORD * W, 45-42 Oct. 9 at Western Carolina * 3:30 pm Oct. 16 VMI * 4 pm Oct. 23 WOFFORD * 6 pm Oct. 30 at The Citadel * 2 pm Nov. 13 CHATTANOOGA * 3 pm Nov. 20 at ETSU * 1 pm

HEAD COACH DREW CRONIC