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2025 Mercer Bears football team

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American college football season

2025Mercer Bears football

SoCon champion
FCS Playoffs
Conference	Southern Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 7
FCS Coaches	No. 8
Record	9–2 (8–0 SoCon)
Head coach	Mike Jacobs (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Anthony Soto (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Jahmal Brown (2nd season)
Home stadium	Five Star Stadium
Seasons ← 2024 2026 →

2025 Southern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 7Mercer $^	8	–	0	9	–	2
Western Carolina	6	–	2	7	–	5
East Tennessee State	5	–	3	7	–	5
Wofford	5	–	3	6	–	6
Chattanooga	4	–	4	5	–	7
Furman	4	–	4	6	–	6
The Citadel	3	–	5	4	–	8
Samford	1	–	7	1	–	11
VMI	0	–	8	1	–	11

$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant As of November 26, 2025 Rankings fromSTATS Poll

The2025 Mercer Bears football team representMercer University as a member of theSouthern Conference (SoCon) during the2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears are led by second-year head coachMike Jacobs and play at theFive Star Stadium inMacon, Georgia.

Schedule

[edit]

On August 23, Mercer was set to play in theFCS Kickoff in their only nationally televised game of the season. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the game was suspended due to lightning as UC Davis led 23–17. In the early morning hours of August 24, it was announced that the game would not resume, and that both teams had agreed to declare it a no contest.^[1]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 23	7:00 p.m.	vs. No. 8UC Davis*	No. 11	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL (FCS Kickoff)	ESPN	No Contest
August 30	6:00 p.m.	Presbyterian*	No. 11	Five Star Stadium Macon, GA	ESPN+	L 10–15	8,149
September 13	6:00 p.m.	Wofford		Five Star Stadium Macon, GA	ESPN+	W 22–21	7,404
September 20	2:00 p.m.	atThe Citadel		Johnson Hagood Stadium Charleston, SC	ESPN+	W 38–0	11,339
September 27	5:30 p.m.	atEast Tennessee State		William B. Greene Jr. Stadium Johnson City, TN	ESPN+	W 38–34	10,567
October 4	4:00 p.m.	Samford		Five Star Stadium Macon, GA	ESPN+	W 45–21	9,461
October 11	1:00 p.m.	atPrinceton*	No. 25	Powers Field at Princeton Stadium Princeton, NJ	ESPN+	W 38–14	2,970
October 25	3:00 p.m.	VMI	No. 17	Five Star Stadium Macon, GA	ESPN+	W 62–0	7,009
November 1	2:00 p.m.	atFurman	No. 15	Paladin Stadium Greenville, SC	ESPN+	W 52–28	7,867
November 8	2:30 p.m.	at No. 24Western Carolina	No. 12	Bob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium Cullowhee, NC	ESPN+	W 49–47	14,510
November 15	3:00 p.m.	Chattanooga	No. 8	Five Star Stadium Macon, GA	ESPN+	W 63–17	9,289
November 22	2:00 p.m.	atAuburn*	No. 7	Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	SECN+/ESPN+	L 17–62	88,043
December 6	12:00 p.m.	TBD*	No. 7	Five Star Stadium Macon, GA (NCAA Division I Second Round)	ESPN+
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings fromSTATS Poll released prior to the game All times are inEastern time

^[2]^[3]^[4]

Game summaries

[edit]

vs. No. 8 UC Davis

[edit]

No. 8 UC Davis Aggies (0-0) vs. No. 11 Mercer Bears (0-0) – Game summary – NO CONTEST

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Aggies	-	-	-	-	0
No. 11 Bears	-	-	-	-	0

atCramton Bowl •Montgomery, AL

Date: August 23
Game time: 6:00 PMCDT
TV announcers (ESPN): Jay Alter (play-by-play) andRocky Boiman (analyst)

Statistics	UCD	MER
First downs	–	–
Total yards	–	–
Rushing yards	–	–
Passing yards	–	–
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	–	–
Time of possession	–	–

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UC Davis	Passing	–	–
	Rushing	–	–
	Receiving	–	–
Mercer	Passing	–	–
	Rushing	–	–
	Receiving	–	–

Presbyterian

[edit]

Presbyterian Blue Hose (0-0) vs. No. 11 Mercer Bears (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Hose	0	6	3	6	15
No. 11 Bears	7	0	3	0	10

atFive Star Stadium •Macon, GA

Date: August 30
Game time: 6:00 PMEDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy and Phil Cox

Game information
First Quarter 0:04 – MER – Adonis McDaniel 11 Yd pass from DJ Smith (Reice Griffith Kick).Mercer 0–7.Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:02 Second Quarter 9:37 - PRE – Nathan Levicki 29 Yd pass from Collin Hurst (Jett Jackson PAT failed).Mercer 6–7Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:27 Third Quarter 8:53 – MER – Reice Griffith 22 Yd Field Goal.Mercer 6–10.Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:48 3:54 – PRE – Jett Jackson 29 Yd Field Goal.Mercer 9–10.Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 4:53. Fourth Quarter 0:56 – PRE – Zach Switzer 16 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed).Presbyterian 15–10.Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:39

Game information

First Quarter

0:04 – MER – Adonis McDaniel 11 Yd pass from DJ Smith (Reice Griffith Kick).Mercer 0–7.Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:02

Second Quarter

9:37 - PRE – Nathan Levicki 29 Yd pass from Collin Hurst (Jett Jackson PAT failed).Mercer 6–7Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:27

Third Quarter

8:53 – MER – Reice Griffith 22 Yd Field Goal.Mercer 6–10.Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 2:48
3:54 – PRE – Jett Jackson 29 Yd Field Goal.Mercer 9–10.Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 4:53.

Fourth Quarter

0:56 – PRE – Zach Switzer 16 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed).Presbyterian 15–10.Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:39

Statistics	PRES	MER
First downs	20	16
Total yards	416	241
Rushing yards	113	87
Passing yards	303	154
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	7–55–1	5–41–1
Time of possession	35:50	24:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Presbyterian	Passing	Collin Hurst	25/38, 303 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD
	Rushing	Zach Switzer	9 carries, 33 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dominic Kibby	9 receptions, 114 yards
Mercer	Passing	DJ Smith	22/36, 154 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD
	Rushing	Micah Bell	4 carries, 32 yards
	Receiving	Brayden Smith	4 receptions, 56 yards

Wofford

[edit]

Wofford Terriers (0-2) vs. Mercer Bears (0-1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Terriers	-	-	-	-	0
Bears	-	-	-	-	0

at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA

Date: September 13
Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy (play-by-play) and Phil Cox (analyst)

Statistics	WOF	MER
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Wofford	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Mercer	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at The Citadel

[edit]

Mercer Bears (1-1) vs. The Citadel Bulldogs (1-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	-	-	-	-	0
Bulldogs	-	-	-	-	0

atJohnson Hagood Stadium •Charleston, SC

Date: September 20
Game time: 2:00 PM EDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): Dave Weinstein (play-by-play), Vad Lee (analyst) and Matison Little (sideline)

Statistics	MER	CIT
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mercer	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
The Citadel	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at East Tennessee State

[edit]

Mercer Bears (2-1) vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers (2-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	3	14	7	14	38
Buccaneers	10	17	7	0	34

atWilliam B. Greene Jr. Stadium •Johnson City, TN

Date: September 27
Game time: 5:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy •Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) •Wind: E at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
Game attendance: 10,567
Referee: Jason Graham
TV announcers (ESPN+): Keith Brake (play-by-play), Mark Hutsell (analyst) and Kennedy Story (sideline)

Game information
First Quarter (10:09) MER – Reice Griffith 49-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 0:56;Mercer 3–0) (8:59) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 14-yard pass fromCade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 1:03;East Tennessee State 7–3) (1:41) ETSU – Ewan Johnson 21-yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 5:44;East Tennessee State 10–3) Second Quarter (11:10) MER – Adonis McDaniel 3-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:31;Tied 10–10) (7:52) ETSU – Charlie Browder 20-yard pass from Cade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 3:12;East Tennessee State 17–10) (5:54) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 29-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:58;Tied 17–17) (1:28) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 35-yard pass from Cade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:26;East Tennessee State 24–17) (0:00) ETSU – Ewan Johnson 32-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 0:26;East Tennessee State 27–17) Third Quarter (7:42) MER – CJ Miller 1-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:11;East Tennessee State 27–24) (5:29) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 22-yard pass from Cade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:13;East Tennessee State 34–24) Fourth Quarter (11:29) MER – Brayden Smith 17-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:54;East Tennessee State 34–31) (5:40) MER – CJ Miller 1-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:22;Mercer 38–34)

Game information

First Quarter

(10:09) MER – Reice Griffith 49-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 0:56;Mercer 3–0)
(8:59) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 14-yard pass fromCade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 3 plays, 71 yards, 1:03;East Tennessee State 7–3)
(1:41) ETSU – Ewan Johnson 21-yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 5:44;East Tennessee State 10–3)

Second Quarter

(11:10) MER – Adonis McDaniel 3-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:31;Tied 10–10)
(7:52) ETSU – Charlie Browder 20-yard pass from Cade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 3:12;East Tennessee State 17–10)
(5:54) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 29-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:58;Tied 17–17)
(1:28) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 35-yard pass from Cade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:26;East Tennessee State 24–17)
(0:00) ETSU – Ewan Johnson 32-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 0:26;East Tennessee State 27–17)

Third Quarter

(7:42) MER – CJ Miller 1-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:11;East Tennessee State 27–24)
(5:29) ETSU – Hakeem Meggett 22-yard pass from Cade McNamara, Ewan Johnson kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:13;East Tennessee State 34–24)

Fourth Quarter

(11:29) MER – Brayden Smith 17-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:54;East Tennessee State 34–31)
(5:40) MER – CJ Miller 1-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:22;Mercer 38–34)

Statistics	MER	ETSU
First downs	22	33
Total yards	421	467
Rushing yards	234	69
Passing yards	187	398
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	18–26–1	29–47–2
Time of possession	33:15	26:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mercer	Passing	Braden Atkinson	18/26, 187 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	CJ Miller	29 carries, 172 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Adjatay Dabbs	3 receptions, 76 yards, TD
East Tennessee State	Passing	Cade McNamara	29/46, 398 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jason Albritton	14 carries, 39 yards
	Receiving	Hakeem Meggett	5 receptions, 119 yards, 3 TD

Samford

[edit]

Samford Bulldogs (0-5) vs. Mercer Bears (3-1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	14	7	21
Bears	14	14	14	3	45

at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA

Date: October 4
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy •Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) •Wind: NE at 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
Game attendance: 9,461
Referee: Jeff Page
TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy (play-by-play) and Phil Cox (analyst)

Game information
First Quarter (12:18) MER – Samuel Albee 64-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 1 play, 64 yards, 0:09;Mercer 7–0) (2:36) MER – Antonio Butts Jr. 1-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:37;Mercer 14–0) Second Quarter (11:09) MER – Javarius George 3-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 13 plays, 97 yards, 5:36;Mercer 21–0) (6:00) MER – Brayden Smith 7-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:01;Mercer 28–0) Third Quarter (12:50) SAM – Preston Bird 63-yard pass from Brady Stober, Jake Garner kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:10;Mercer 28–7) (10:57) MER – Brayden Smith 38-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 1:47;Mercer 35–7) (5:30) MER – Ty Doughty 66-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 1 play, 66 yards, 0:10;Mercer 42–7) (2:44) SAM – Cameron Bland 13-yard run, Jake Garner kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:46;Mercer 42–14) Fourth Quarter (11:29) SAM – Samuel Pickett III 77-yard pass from Brady Stober, Jake Garner kick (Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 0:27;Mercer 42–21) (5:36) MER – Reice Griffith 34-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:26;Mercer 45–21)

Game information

First Quarter

(12:18) MER – Samuel Albee 64-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 1 play, 64 yards, 0:09;Mercer 7–0)
(2:36) MER – Antonio Butts Jr. 1-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:37;Mercer 14–0)

Second Quarter

(11:09) MER – Javarius George 3-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 13 plays, 97 yards, 5:36;Mercer 21–0)
(6:00) MER – Brayden Smith 7-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:01;Mercer 28–0)

Third Quarter

(12:50) SAM – Preston Bird 63-yard pass from Brady Stober, Jake Garner kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:10;Mercer 28–7)
(10:57) MER – Brayden Smith 38-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 1:47;Mercer 35–7)
(5:30) MER – Ty Doughty 66-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 1 play, 66 yards, 0:10;Mercer 42–7)
(2:44) SAM – Cameron Bland 13-yard run, Jake Garner kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:46;Mercer 42–14)

Fourth Quarter

(11:29) SAM – Samuel Pickett III 77-yard pass from Brady Stober, Jake Garner kick (Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 0:27;Mercer 42–21)
(5:36) MER – Reice Griffith 34-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:26;Mercer 45–21)

Statistics	SAM	MER
First downs	14	24
Total yards	342	557
Rushing yards	61	192
Passing yards	281	365
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	22–33–1	22–37–1
Time of possession	28:19	31:41

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Samford	Passing	Brady Stober	14/22, 234 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Cameron Bland	11 carries, 52 yards, TD
	Receiving	Samuel Pickett III	3 receptions, 112 yards, TD
Mercer	Passing	Braden Atkinson	22/35, 365 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Ty Doughty	19 carries, 105 yards
	Receiving	Ty Doughty	2 receptions, 77 yards, TD

at Princeton

[edit]

No. 25 Mercer Bears (4-1) vs. Princeton Tigers (2-1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 25 Bears	14	7	14	3	38
Tigers	0	7	0	7	14

atPrinceton Stadium •Princeton, NJ

Date: October 11
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny •Wind: SW at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
Game attendance: 2,970
Referee: Henry Wimberg
TV announcers (ESPN+): Cody Chrusciel (play-by-play), Dave Giancola (analyst) and Steven Cusumano (sideline)

Game information
First Quarter (9:31) MER – Malik Simmons 2-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 5:29;Mercer 7–0) (1:11) MER – CJ Miller 5-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:20;Mercer 14–0) Second Quarter (7:49) MER – Samuel Albee 23-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, 0:58;Mercer 21–0) (0:33) PRIN – Aidan Besselman 2-yard pass from Kai Colón, Esteban Nunez Perez kick (Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:56;Mercer 21–7) Third Quarter (10:33) MER – Brayden Smith 10-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:56;Mercer 28–7) (4:39) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 10-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:48;Mercer 35–7) Fourth Quarter (14:04) MER – Reice Griffith 30-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:23;Mercer 38–7) (8:54) PRIN – Jackson Green 11-yard pass from Kai Colón, Esteban Nunez Perez kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:10;Mercer 38–14)

Game information

First Quarter

(9:31) MER – Malik Simmons 2-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 5:29;Mercer 7–0)
(1:11) MER – CJ Miller 5-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:20;Mercer 14–0)

Second Quarter

(7:49) MER – Samuel Albee 23-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 3 plays, 84 yards, 0:58;Mercer 21–0)
(0:33) PRIN – Aidan Besselman 2-yard pass from Kai Colón, Esteban Nunez Perez kick (Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:56;Mercer 21–7)

Third Quarter

(10:33) MER – Brayden Smith 10-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:56;Mercer 28–7)
(4:39) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 10-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:48;Mercer 35–7)

Fourth Quarter

(14:04) MER – Reice Griffith 30-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:23;Mercer 38–7)
(8:54) PRIN – Jackson Green 11-yard pass from Kai Colón, Esteban Nunez Perez kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:10;Mercer 38–14)

Statistics	MER	PRIN
First downs	28	18
Total yards	503	257
Rushing yards	156	66
Passing yards	347	191
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	27–42–1	18–34–0
Time of possession	31:43	28:17

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mercer	Passing	Braden Atkinson	27/42, 347 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Tyrell Coard	7 carries, 54 yards
	Receiving	Adjatay Dabbs	3 receptions, 78 yards
Princeton	Passing	Kai Colón	13/21, 124 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kai Honda	8 carries, 39 yards
	Receiving	Josh Robinson	6 receptions, 60 yards

VMI

[edit]

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Keydets	0	0	0	0	0
No. 17 Bears	31	10	7	14	62

Game information
First Quarter (14:50) MER – Brayden Smith 2-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:10;Mercer 7–0) (10:28) MER – Brayden Smith 32-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:57;Mercer 14–0) (7:46) MER – CJ Miller 59-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:54;Mercer 21–0) (2:56) MER – Reice Griffith 25-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:39;Mercer 24–0) (1:39) MER – CJ Miller 75-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:13;Mercer 31–0) Second Quarter (4:22) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 84-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, 0:43;Mercer 38–0) (0:00) MER – Reice Griffith 50-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 0:54;Mercer 41–0) Third Quarter (0:53) MER – Adonis McDaniel 51-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 4 plays, 76 yards, 1:45;Mercer 48–0) Fourth Quarter (8:16) MER – Ty Doughty 15-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 5:50;Mercer 55–0) (3:52) MER – Carlos Benjamin 58-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 3:01;Mercer 62–0)

Statistics	VMI	MER
First downs	7	30
Total yards	155	829
Rushing yards	50	248
Passing yards	105	581
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	11–29–0	33–39–0
Time of possession	25:47	34:13

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
VMI	Passing	Collin Shannon	10/25, 104 yards
Rushing	Aslin Shipe	8 carries, 57 yards
Receiving	Owen Sweeney	3 receptions, 56 yards
Mercer	Passing	Braden Atkinson	29/35, 533 yards, 5 TD
Rushing	CJ Miller	9 carries, 102 yards, TD
Receiving	Brayden Smith	9 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD

at Furman

[edit]

No. 15 Mercer Bears (6-1) vs. Furman Paladins (5-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 15 Bears	-	-	-	-	0
Paladins	-	-	-	-	0

atPaladin Stadium •Greenville, SC

Date: November 1
Game time: 2:00 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): Dan Scott (play-by-play), David Cobb (analyst) and Tom Van Hoy (sideline)

Statistics	MER	FUR
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mercer	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Furman	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at No. 24 Western Carolina

[edit]

No. 12 Mercer Bears (7-1) vs. No. 24 Western Carolina Catamounts (6-3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Bears	7	11	21	10	49
No. 24 Catamounts	7	14	6	20	47

atBob Waters Field at E. J. Whitmire Stadium •Cullowhee, NC

Date: November 8
Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: Cloudy •Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) •Wind: NW at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
Game attendance: 14,510
Referee: Jake Grombach
TV announcers (ESPN+): Daniel Hooker (play-by-play) and John Brannon III (analyst)

Game information
First Quarter (11:40) WCU – Michael Rossin 27-yard pass fromTaron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:20;Western Carolina 7–0) (3:31) MER – CJ Miller 7-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:24;Tied 7–7) Second Quarter (14:55) WCU – Patrick Boyd Jr. 21-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:36;Western Carolina 14–7) (13:06) MER – Jordan Swain safety (Western Carolina 14–9) (10:18) MER – Kendall Harris 6-yard pass from Braden Atkinson (Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 2:42;Mercer 15–14) (5:25) WCU – Michael Rossin 25-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:48;Western Carolina 21–15) (1:43) MER – Reice Griffith 24-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 3:42;Western Carolina 21–18) Third Quarter (12:09) MER – CJ Miller 5-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:51;Mercer 25–21) (5:12) MER – Kendall Harris 24-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:31;Mercer 32–21) (2:56) WCU – Malik Knight 32-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:16;Mercer 32–27) (0:24) MER – CJ Miller 26-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:32;Mercer 39–27) Fourth Quarter (14:28) WCU – Malik Knight 54-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:49;Mercer 39–34) (13:24) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 81-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 0:58;Mercer 46–34) (6:13) WCU – Jai Boyd 10-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 2:43;Mercer 46–41) (3:13) WCU – James Tyre 42-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:23;Western Carolina 47–46) (1:30) MER – Reice Griffith 37-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 1:43;Mercer 49–47)

Game information

First Quarter

(11:40) WCU – Michael Rossin 27-yard pass fromTaron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:20;Western Carolina 7–0)
(3:31) MER – CJ Miller 7-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:24;Tied 7–7)

Second Quarter

(14:55) WCU – Patrick Boyd Jr. 21-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 1:36;Western Carolina 14–7)
(13:06) MER – Jordan Swain safety (Western Carolina 14–9)
(10:18) MER – Kendall Harris 6-yard pass from Braden Atkinson (Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 2:42;Mercer 15–14)
(5:25) WCU – Michael Rossin 25-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:48;Western Carolina 21–15)
(1:43) MER – Reice Griffith 24-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 3:42;Western Carolina 21–18)

Third Quarter

(12:09) MER – CJ Miller 5-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:51;Mercer 25–21)
(5:12) MER – Kendall Harris 24-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:31;Mercer 32–21)
(2:56) WCU – Malik Knight 32-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:16;Mercer 32–27)
(0:24) MER – CJ Miller 26-yard run, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:32;Mercer 39–27)

Fourth Quarter

(14:28) WCU – Malik Knight 54-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:49;Mercer 39–34)
(13:24) MER – Adjatay Dabbs 81-yard pass from Braden Atkinson, Reice Griffith kick (Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 0:58;Mercer 46–34)
(6:13) WCU – Jai Boyd 10-yard pass from Taron Dickens, Marcus Trout kick (Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 2:43;Mercer 46–41)
(3:13) WCU – James Tyre 42-yard pass from Taron Dickens (Drive: 3 plays, 82 yards, 1:23;Western Carolina 47–46)
(1:30) MER – Reice Griffith 37-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 1:43;Mercer 49–47)

Statistics	MER	WCU
First downs	23	33
Total yards	568	599
Rushing yards	125	48
Passing yards	443	551
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	23–39–0	33–49–1
Time of possession	30:32	29:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mercer	Passing	Braden Atkinson	23/39, 443 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	CJ Miller	21 carries, 91 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Adjatay Dabbs	4 receptions, 147 yards, TD
Western Carolina	Passing	Taron Dickens	33/49, 551 yards, 7 TD, INT
	Rushing	Patrick Boyd Jr.	12 carries, 17 yards
	Receiving	Malik Knight	5 receptions, 141 yards, 2 TD

Chattanooga

[edit]

Chattanooga Mocs (5-5) vs. No. 8 Mercer Bears (8-1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Mocs	-	-	-	-	0
No. 8 Bears	-	-	-	-	0

at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA

Date: November 15
Game time: 3:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN+

Statistics	UTC	MER
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Chattanooga	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Mercer	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Auburn (FBS)

[edit]

No. 7 Mercer Bears (9-1) vs. Auburn Tigers (FBS) (4-6) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Bears	14	3	0	0	17
Tigers(FBS)	14	21	14	13	62

atJordan–Hare Stadium •Auburn, AL

Date: November 22
Game time: 1:00 PMCST
TV announcers (SECN+/ESPN+): Richard Cross (play-by-play) andCharles Arbuckle (analyst)

Statistics	MER	AUB
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mercer	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Auburn	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Ranking movements

[edit]

Ranking movements
**Legend:**██ Increase in ranking██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Final
STATS FCS	11	23	RV	RV	RV	RV	25	24	17	15	12	8	7	7
Coaches	11	21	22	25	23	22	19	16	16	13	10т	8	6	8

References

[edit]

^"UC Davis-Mercer deemed no contest after delay".ESPN.com. August 24, 2025. RetrievedAugust 24, 2025.
^Kelley, Kevin (January 10, 2025)."Mercer announces 2025 football schedule".FBSchedules. RetrievedMay 5, 2025.
^Wilson, Nevaeh (January 25, 2025)."2025 Mercer football schedule announced".The Mercer Cluster. RetrievedMay 5, 2025.
^"Mercer and UC-Davis set to play in the 2025 FCS Kickoff Game".WAKA (TV). February 26, 2025. RetrievedMay 5, 2025.

v t e Mercer Bears football
Venues	Central City Park (1892–1920) Alumni Field (1921–1924) Centennial Stadium (1925–1941) Moye Complex (2013–present)
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898–1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

v t e Southern Conference football champions
Pre-SEC	Vanderbilt,Georgia Tech &North Carolina (1922) Vanderbilt &Washington and Lee (1923) Alabama (1924) Alabama &Tulane (1925) Alabama (1926) Georgia Tech,Tennessee, &NC State (1927) Georgia Tech (1928) Tulane (1929) Alabama &Tulane (1930) Tulane (1931) Tennessee &Auburn &LSU (1932)
Pre-ACC	Duke (1933) Washington and Lee (1934) Duke (1935) Duke (1936) Maryland (1937) Duke (1938) Duke (1939) Clemson (1940) Duke (1941) William & Mary (1942) Duke (1943) Duke (1944) Duke (1945) North Carolina (1946) William & Mary (1947) Clemson (1948) North Carolina (1949) Washington and Lee (1950) Maryland &VMI (1951) Duke (1952)
Post-ACC	West Virginia (1953) West Virginia (1954) West Virginia (1955) West Virginia (1956) VMI (1957) West Virginia (1958) VMI (1959) VMI (1960) The Citadel (1961) VMI (1962) Virginia Tech (1963) West Virginia (1964) West Virginia (1965) East Carolina &William & Mary (1966) West Virginia (1967) Richmond (1968) Davidson &Richmond (1969) William & Mary (1970) Richmond (1971) East Carolina (1972) East Carolina (1973) VMI (1974) Richmond (1975) East Carolina (1976) Chattanooga &VMI (1977) Chattanooga &Furman (1978) Chattanooga (1979) Furman (1980) Furman (1981)
I-AA/FCS	Furman (1982) Furman (1983) Chattanooga (1984) Furman (1985) Appalachian State (1986) Appalachian State (1987) Furman &Marshall (1988) Furman (1989) Furman (1990) Appalachian State (1991) The Citadel (1992) Georgia Southern (1993) Marshall (1994) Appalachian State (1995) Marshall (1996) Georgia Southern (1997) Georgia Southern (1998) Appalachian State,Furman, &Georgia Southern (1999) Georgia Southern (2000) Furman &Georgia Southern (2001) Georgia Southern (2002) Wofford (2003) Furman &Georgia Southern (2004) Appalachian State (2005) Appalachian State (2006) Appalachian State &Wofford (2007) Appalachian State (2008) Appalachian State (2009) Appalachian State &Wofford (2010) Georgia Southern (2011) Appalachian State,Georgia Southern, &Wofford (2012) Chattanooga,Furman, &Samford (2013) Chattanooga (2014) Chattanooga &The Citadel (2015) The Citadel (2016) Wofford (2017) East Tennessee State,Furman, &Wofford (2018) Wofford (2019) VMI (2020) East Tennessee State (2021) Samford (2022) Furman (2023) Mercer (2024) Mercer (2025)
National championships in bold

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