Mercer football got back into the win column with a 44-34 win this past Saturday against No. 24 Western Carolina University in Macon. The win improves the team to 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in Southern Conference play.
Quarterback Whitt Newbauer ‘28 led the team with 234 passing yards and made it into the end zone to snag a rushing touchdown for himself. Dwayne McGee ‘25 rushed for a career-high 223 yards on 18 carries for two touchdowns during the game. Kelin Parsons ‘25 had four receptions totaling 102 yards, including a 42-yard catch, that helped push the Bears down the field and into scoring positions throughout the game.
In a press conference after the game, Head Coach Mike Jacobs said that WCU’s 14-point first quarter was less a reflection of poor defense on Mercer’s part and more the Catamounts’ offense being sharp from the beginning of the game.
“I don’t think it was a readiness thing, they made a couple of great plays,” Jacobs said. “I think that wide receiving corps is arguably one of the fastest in the country just from a straight speed standpoint, and their quarterback is just a tremendous football player.”
WCU scored first on a 2-yard touchdown run from Jalynn Williams to cap off a 10-play, 68-yard drive. The Catamounts made their way into the end zone once more during the first quarter after a 17-yard pass from quarterback Cole Gonzales to receiver AJ Colombo increased the deficit to 14-0. Three of the first four drives of the game lasted 10 or more plays, including Mercer’s second drive of the game that took 5:58 off of the clock.
The second quarter started off with a 6-yard pass from Newbauer to receiver Brayden Smith ‘26, to make this a one score game as the score was now 7-14. After that, however, the Catamounts reeled off two touchdowns before the Bears got the ball back with a little less than five minutes left in the half.
Mercer would finish out the first half with a 64-yard touchdown run by McGee and a 2-yard run from Newbauer to make it a one score game going into halftime. After last week’s loss in which the Bears managed 101 rushing yards all game, the offensive line and running back room was able to take over for Newbauer’s first career collegiate start.
McGee, who is the team’s leading rusher after transferring into the school this year, ran his way into the record books for the Bears. His performance was the second-best in program history since 2013
“I went to the O-line and said, ‘Unhook the trailers, let’s go,’ and big things started to happen,” McGee said in a press conference after the game.
In the third quarter, Mecer continued with the momentum it had going into halftime. The Bears held WCU scoreless as they racked up 13 points to go ahead, 34-24. On the fourth play from scrimmage of the third quarter, McGee picked up where he left off, scampering into the end zone for 59 yards.
After the game, McGee told reporters that, before the play happened, he called the result of his ensuing run.
“It was kind of crazy because right before the ball was hiked, I told [Newbauer], ‘I’ll see you in the end zone’ and he started laughing,” McGee said. “Next thing you know, when I scored, I stopped and said, ‘I told him you I’d see you in the end zone,’ so it was crazy.”
Kicker Reice Griffith ‘27 hit a field goal from 30 yards out and another from 23 to add to the Bears’ lead before the fourth quarter.
During the last quarter, the Catamounts scored a touchdown on an 80-yard drive and a 44-yard field goal, but Mercer had an answer for each of their rallies. First, Griffith knocked in a season-long, 40-yard field goal to go 3-for-3 on the day, and to ice the game, CJ Miller ‘27 ran for a 31-yard touchdown.
Mercer’s next game will take place inside Five Star Stadium for their homecoming, they will be taking on East Tennessee State University who are 5-3 on the season and 3-1 in conference play. The Bears are looking to finish out the season strong with only 4 games left. Mercer, who has the best rush defense in the conference, will go toe-to-toe with SoCon’s best rushing attack. The Bears have allowed just 59.5 yards on the ground per game while the Bucs are averaging 218.5 per contest.
