Mercer

[Flagman]

One of Grayson’s extra points hit the cameraman on the scissor lift in the end zone. He muffed it.

[The Jackal]

Our all conference kicker needs to kick it in the end zone on KO's. He may be the difference Saturday afternoon. This young bunch seems to get better each week. I saw where we started 5 soph. on the OL. The VMI game worried me in that they had played several teams very close during the season. We just need to take care of our business Saturday, all we can control is us and GO FU!

I was going to note this as well.

UTC is the SoCon's worst team at forcing touchbacks. They've forced only 6 (12% of the time). That is, you have a much higher likelihood of returning a kick against the Mocs.

Furman is the complete opposite. They are the league's best team at forcing touchbacks (52% of the time). Furman has forced more touchbacks than any other SoCon team despite playing in fewer games. I would wager that when Atkins doesn't force a touchback, he probably does it on purpose.

Long story short, if Mercer has a good kick returner, I would suspect that Atkins will be called upon to kick it deep. Not guaranteed to happen, of course, but guys with his kind of leg can put it deep in the endzone 9 times out of 10.

Mercer has TWO outstanding Kick Returners (#7 & #12 in FCS) and it hasn’t been only against UTC.

That said, I think you are right & barring a serious opposing wind, I don’t think either of them gets a ‘touch’ on Saturday.

As an aside, the HS Team I used to Coach had a Kicker/Punter 1 year that put EVERY ONE of his Kickoffs (except a few onsides ones) out of the back of the endzone. Many of them went through the uprights, which was his goal. Played at UAB & now Kicking/Punting for the BC Lions in the CFL. His Team has nominated him for the LEAGUE MVP award. Kickers, as much FUBeAR dislikes them (‘professionally,’ as a general rule), can be powerful weapons. To tie this into the thread topic...Mercer’s 1st-ever (modern era) Pro, LB Lee Bennett, is a Rookie Teammate of this K/P dude.

Spending a number of years (and several camps) as a long snapper, I learned well the fickleness of kickers. I especially learned not to put my hands on the football to snap until a kicker was ready elsewise my arms would start to cramp.

Our kicker went on to GT. As a high school kid, he routinely put every kickoff through the endzone on the fly.

One of my favorite memories in high school football was warming up for a playoff game in Atkinson County in deep South Georgia. Opposing fans were trying to get our kicker's signature. They'd never seen anyone that could kick it that far. He hit a 52 yarder in that game.

The downside of having a really good kicker is that he didn't play any other position. As a 6'5 kid that could run, he would have been useful to a small Class A school where most of the team played both ways.

[gofurman]

Kickers are a huge weapon. We at Furman should appreciate our guy!!!

[The Jackal]

I hope we have a good crowd in Macon.

Furman has really showed a strong ability to travel and support this team. Last season, a big contingent of the faithful made the trip to Samford, Elon, and Wofford.

It wouldn't surprise me to draw a lot of local interest as well. Furman has recruited the this part of Georgia hard the past few years, and would probably be the closest game for many of our players friends and family

I also imagine we'll have a number of folks from the surrounding area to come in and watch their friends/family play. We've recruited areas in Middle and East Georgia hard the past few years, and it wouldn't surprise me to see a healthy contingent of neophyte Furman fans drive in from those areas to see the Paladins play locally.

[DeepPurple]

Weather is sunny and 60 there Saturday, nice Fall day.

[Flagman]

Weather is sunny and 60 there Saturday, nice Fall day.

A good day to skin some bear.

[gofurman]

anyone too overconfident - last three scores between these teams:

2015.... L. 20-27 (ot).......GREENVILLE ( Mercer w)
2016.... L.....24-27.................. Macon (Mercer w)
2017... W....28-21..........GREENVILLE (Furman w) - we finally won as we converted 4 key fourth downs. n' that was a very good Furman team last year. and now we are at Mercer !

[FUBeAR]

anyone too overconfident - last three scores between these teams:

2014....W...25-20.....Macon (Furman w)
2015.... L. 20-27 (ot).......GREENVILLE ( Mercer w)
2016.... L.....24-27.................. Macon (Mercer w)
2017... W....28-21..........GREENVILLE (Furman w) - we finally won as we converted 4 key fourth downs. n' that was a very good Furman team last year. and now we are at Mercer !

Added 2014 to your post...no sense in not having the full (modern era) picture.

Probably should be an asterisk on that 2014 game though as Mercer’s BEST PLAYER (using FUBeAR’s highly-biased-heavily-DNA-influenced “Player Evalu-ometer”) went out in the 1st half with a dislocated elbow. Probably would have been 99-0 Mercer without that injury. Somehow, in 2015, Mercer was able to overcome the absence of that same player (broken foot). Perhaps, the Bears’ Team was inspired to “win one for the Cripper.”

Anyway...
Series Record (modern era) = 2-2
Series Home Record = 1-1 (both Teams)

Average Margin = 5.5
Largest Margin = 7 (2x, both in GVL, 1 win each)

Average Margin in Macon = 4
Largest Margin in Macon = 5

Historically speaking, this game should be a 1-score Toss-up.

Mercer’s injury situation may or may not weigh heavily on the validity of that projection.

[fufanatic]

anyone too overconfident - last three scores between these teams:

2014....W...25-20.....Macon (Furman w)
2015.... L. 20-27 (ot).......GREENVILLE ( Mercer w)
2016.... L.....24-27.................. Macon (Mercer w)
2017... W....28-21..........GREENVILLE (Furman w) - we finally won as we converted 4 key fourth downs. n' that was a very good Furman team last year. and now we are at Mercer !

Added 2014 to your post...no sense in not having the full (modern era) picture.

Probably should be an asterisk on that 2014 game though as Mercer’s BEST PLAYER (using FUBeAR’s highly-biased-heavily-DNA-influenced “Player Evalu-ometer”) went out in the 1st half with a dislocated elbow. Probably would have been 99-0 Mercer without that injury. Somehow, in 2015, Mercer was able to overcome the absence of that same player (broken foot). Perhaps, the Bears’ Team was inspired to “win one for the Cripper.”

Anyway...
Series Record (modern era) = 2-2
Series Home Record = 1-1 (both Teams)

Average Margin = 5.5
Largest Margin = 7 (2x, both in GVL, 1 win each)

Average Margin in Macon = 4
Largest Margin in Macon = 5

Historically speaking, this game should be a 1-score Toss-up.

Mercer’s injury situation may or may not weigh heavily on the validity of that projection.

If there was ever a time for the Paladins to buck the trend ... this would be it. Of course, I'm perfectly fine with a 16-15 win.

[FUBeAR]

anyone too overconfident - last three scores between these teams:

2014....W...25-20.....Macon (Furman w)
2015.... L. 20-27 (ot).......GREENVILLE ( Mercer w)
2016.... L.....24-27.................. Macon (Mercer w)
2017... W....28-21..........GREENVILLE (Furman w) - we finally won as we converted 4 key fourth downs. n' that was a very good Furman team last year. and now we are at Mercer !

Added 2014 to your post...no sense in not having the full (modern era) picture.

Probably should be an asterisk on that 2014 game though as Mercer’s BEST PLAYER (using FUBeAR’s highly-biased-heavily-DNA-influenced “Player Evalu-ometer”) went out in the 1st half with a dislocated elbow. Probably would have been 99-0 Mercer without that injury. Somehow, in 2015, Mercer was able to overcome the absence of that same player (broken foot). Perhaps, the Bears’ Team was inspired to “win one for the Cripper.”

Anyway...
Series Record (modern era) = 2-2
Series Home Record = 1-1 (both Teams)

Average Margin = 5.5
Largest Margin = 7 (2x, both in GVL, 1 win each)

Average Margin in Macon = 4
Largest Margin in Macon = 5

Historically speaking, this game should be a 1-score Toss-up.

Mercer’s injury situation may or may not weigh heavily on the validity of that projection.

If there was ever a time for the Paladins to buck the trend ... this would be it. Of course, I'm perfectly fine with a 16-15 win.

‘Rounded’ history projects a 24-24 tie (24.25 for FU & 23.75 for MU)

[The Jackal]

Mercer Press Conference

[FUBeAR]

Mercer Press Conference

I didn’t know we could post videos here.

That changes EVERYTHING!

[The Jackal]

Mercer listed their depth chart. RB Tee Mitchell not listed. True freshman walkon Harrison Frost listed as starting QB.

https://mercerbears.com/documents/2018/ ... df?id=9285

Again, I never read too much into depth charts, but one would think that if Mercer's starting QB and RB were going to play, they'd at least be listed. Mercer won the game last weekend, but their offense struggled mightily against UTC without those guys.

[FUBeAR]

Mercer listed their depth chart. RB Tee Mitchell not listed. True freshman walkon Harrison Frost listed as starting QB.

https://mercerbears.com/documents/2018/ ... df?id=9285

Again, I never read too much into depth charts, but one would think that if Mercer's starting QB and RB were going to play, they'd at least be listed. Mercer won the game last weekend, but their offense struggled mightily against UTC without those guys.

Mitchell wasn’t listed on the 2 deep last week & he started the game @ UTC.

2 carries in the 1st series for 6 yards.
1 carry in the 2nd series for 3 yards.

No further action.

* Also, REDSHIRT freshman walk-on QB who didn’t even start for his high school team

[The Jackal]

Mercer listed their depth chart. RB Tee Mitchell not listed. True freshman walkon Harrison Frost listed as starting QB.

https://mercerbears.com/documents/2018/ ... df?id=9285

Again, I never read too much into depth charts, but one would think that if Mercer's starting QB and RB were going to play, they'd at least be listed. Mercer won the game last weekend, but their offense struggled mightily against UTC without those guys.

Mitchell wasn’t listed on the 2 deep last week & he started the game @ UTC.

2 carries in the 1st series for 6 yards.
1 carry in the 2nd series for 3 yards.

No further action.

Sounds like he gave it a go.

That interview was pretty good, aslso. I think it was Buehler who commented that Mercer seemed to watch Furman film a bunch as they prepared for other teams and were wowed at Jaylan Reid and Adrian Hope.