The Mercer football team has had a strong season so far, undefeated both within the Southern Conference (2-0) and overall (4-0). They continued their streak in a win against The Citadel this past weekend, beating the Bulldogs 38-21. The Bears are now ranked No. 12, according to the NCAA FCS, and have been off to their best start to a season since 2013. The team, which earned an FCS National Team of the Week nod this last week, is one of two teams in the top-25 that has a perfect record so far.
The standout performance from the Mercer squad has come on the defensive front, as their defense ranks as one of the top in the country, among FCS schools. Currently, they lead the SoCon in total sacks (14.0), tackles for loss (34.0) and defensive touchdowns scored (2). They are tied for first with Western Carolina University, with both schools having picked off five passes each this season. Cornerback TJ Moore '25 and safety Myles Redding '25 have two interceptions a piece, anchoring one of the most intimidating secondaries in the conference.
The Orange and Black front has allowed just .5 rushing yard per attempt, 13.7 rushing yards per game, and allowed 5 total points per game (a statistic that leads the entire nation) prior to their face-off against The Citadel. The Citadel's Head Coach Maurice Drayton detailed his perspective on Mercer's defense before the game, calling the front “the real deal,” and that they wanted to run the ball, but the defense “were just not going to let that happen." As it were, The Citadel gained 57 total yards on the ground against the Bears, averaging 2.2 yards per carry.
The defensive front still faced a tough challenge against the offensive pieces of Citadel, but ultimately put up an excellent performance in the clutch. While the secondary allowed, by far, its most passing yards yet this season, the defense bent but did not break. Mercer was led defensively by Isaac Dowling '25 and Marques Thomas '25, who each totaled eight tackles. Thomas also posted 2.5 tackles for a loss, including one sack that stopped a scrambling Bulldog quarterback and forced a punt. Dowling leads the team in total tackles on the year, and continued his strong senior season after suffering a season-ending injury last year in a game against VMI.
The Bears will look to continue their dominant defensive performance at No. 23 Wofford on Sept. 28, who sits at 2-1 after a 2023 season that saw the Terriers finish 2-9.
