The Jackal wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 8:58 am
My way too generalized take:
1. Offensively, Furman is going to need to run the ball.
Mercer has the SoCon's third ranked run defense. Notably, the Bears have not played the SoCon's clear leader in rushing offense (Furman).
Furman should be the best FCS rushing offense Mercer has faced. I personally think Furman has the top offensive line in the conference. The Paladins' run game has shown up every week and, with a healthy Huff under center, can throw a lot at a defense.
When Furman is able to move the ball in chunks on the ground, the offense becomes tough to stop.
2. Defensively, keep the ball in front of us.
Mercer has the highest per catch average in the league. They are going to throw the ball down the field.
We all know that Furman has been susceptible this season to deep passes. You can bet the farm Mercer is going to try to exploit that. They've got a QB that can spin it and a couple receivers that can pick it.
Honestly, the abysmal defensive game against WCU might have been the best thing for us. Since that game, we've looked a lot stronger in pass defense. Teams will get their yards (they're trying too), but I don't think I've seen any wide open receivers the last few weeks or complete breakdowns in coverages. I think a lot of lessons were learned against the Catamounts.
While there has been some yardage surrendered, Furman has still been strong in pass defense this season. Lots of batted passes. Lots of interceptions. Good on third down. Good on completion percentage. So, throwing a bunch against us has been somewhat risky. You'll complete some passes, but an offense has to navigate a lot of rangy defenders with active hands that reduce some of the space on the field.