Game 1: Mercer (3-1, 0-1) at VMI (1-3, 0-1) Sept. 27, 2014, Lexington, VA Week 5 Previews (10,000) 1:30 p.m 2014 Week 5 Introduction: First Meeting In The Series The final Saturday in the month of Saturday will mark the first real weekend of GAME OVERVIEW: It will be a battle of 0-1 teams in the Southern Conference on Southern Conference football, with three key Saturday when Mercer travels to VMI for a key league showdown. For the Bears, it games on tap as teams begin to get into the will ark their first Southern Conference road game, while it will mark the first Southern meat of their respective schedules. Conference home game since 2003. The Bears opened Southern Conference play back on Sept. 6, with a 25-20 loss to Furman, while the Keydets opened their Southern The game most folks around the league Conference slate last weekend with a 63-21 loss at Samford. Saturday’s contest between will have their collective eyes trained upon the two Southern Conference newcomers will mark the first-ever meeting between the Saturday will be the one in the Scenic City two schools. Saturday’s matchup between the Bears and Keydets matches the league’s between Chattanooga and Samford, who along two top offenses against each other to this point in the campaign, with the Bears leading with Furman, tied for the 2013 SoCon football the league in total offense, averaging 449.8 YPG, while VMI ranks second in the league crown, and last year’s clash in Birmingham in total offense, averaging 425.0 YPG. went right down to the wire. THE COACHES: Mercer’s Bobby Lamb and VMI’s Sparky Woods are two league Samford got league play underway last Satur- coaches in their second respective stints at Southern Conference programs, with Lamb day with a 63-21 demolition of VMI in a game having served as the head coach at Furman for nine seasons (2002-2010), winning a covered by ESPN3 last Saturday. Southern Conference title in 2004 and claimed the Southern Conference Coach of the Year honor in that very same campaign. The Bulldogs showed they will once again be an offensive juggernaut in the league, and led Lamb also presided over four Paladin teams that made FCS playoff runs while at Fur- Samford Celebrates Win Over UTC in ‘13 by running back Denzel Williams, who paced man. Lamb is now in his second season as the head coach at Mercer, having compiled a the Bulldogs on the ground with 178 rushing record of 80-43 record in his 11th season as a head coach, including a 13-3 mark as the yards and a pair of scores on just 16 carries, garnering Southern Conferene Offensive head man in Macon. Player of the Week honors in last week’s win. Back in the mid-1980s, Sparky Woods was responsible for getting the ball rolling for a Chattanooga (1-2, 0-0) and Samford (2-2, 1-0 SoCon) engaged each other in one of the sleeping giant in FCS football as the head coach of Appalachian State. In 1986, Woods Southern Conference games of the year last season, with the Bulldogs posting a 17-14 led the Mountaineers to the first of what would become 12 Southern Conference crowns. win over the Mocs. The game would be decided on a missed field goal by the Mocs, which clanged against the right upright, and would eventually prove to keep the Mocs out of the In 1987, he led the Apps to an undefeated season in league play and all the way to the postseason, extending the school’s FCS playoff drought to 29 years. FCS semifinals before Marshall came to Boone and handed the Mountaineers a 24-10 loss. It would stand as the Mountaineers’ best run in the FCS postseason until matching The loss rendered UTC’s first league title since 1984 somewhat hollow, as the Mocs did that feat 13 years later, and the program which Woods helped spark, would eventually not get to enjoy the spoils of the FCS postseason, with the lone at-large team chosen for break through and win a then unprecedented three-straight national titles from 2005-07. the FCS playoffs being Samford, while Furman took the automatic bid. During his time at the helm of the Black and Gold, Woods compiled a record of 38-19-2 That could serve as a bit of extra motivation when the Mocs host the Bulldogs in what will before moving onto to become the head coach in 1989, where he spent be the 40th meeting in what is known as the “Railway Rivalry” when the teams kick it off at five seasons, posting a 25-27-3 mark at the helm of the Gamecocks. oodsW took over 7 p.m. Saturday night at . as the head coach at VMI in 2008 and has compiled a record of 16-55 at the helm in Lexington. All told, Woods is 78-98-5 at the helm of the Keydets. The Mocs are now the only team ranked in the Southern Conferene, entering the clash ranking No. 15 in the Sports Network’s poll, while Samford is not ranked. The win by the Lamb and Woods have never faced off as head coaches on the gridiron, however, Lamb Bulldogs last season snapped what was a four-game winning streak in the rivalry by the was the signal-caller against Woods’ Appalachian State teams in both 1984 and ‘85, as Mocs. the Commerce, GA native was 1-1 against Woods during his time as a signal-caller. In 1984, the sixth-ranked Paladins were upset by Woods’ Mountaineers, 21-14, in Boone on Samford hasn’t won in the Scenic City since the Bulldogs’ first year in the league in 2008, a day that the goalposts came down at Conrad Stadium and is still what many regard as as the Bulldogs took a 30-7 win over the Mocs. Chattanooga holds a resounding lead in a program definining win and one that started the dominoes falling in the right direction the overall series, holding a 26-10-3 all-time series edge. for Appalachian State. The battle of purple will take place Saturday when Western Carolina invades Furman’s In 1985, Lamb returned the favor, downing Woods’ Mountaineers, 21-7, in Greenville. Paladin Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. kick. The game, which will be broadcasts by the American Lamb returned as an offensive assistant at Furman in 1986 and would face off against Sports Network, could be another enthralling contest, as both teams come in headed in Woods and the Apps three more times, with a 1-1-1 mark. opposite directions. The Paladins and Apps would tie, 17-17, in Boone in ‘86, while the Paladins dropped a Furman has lost two-straight coming into the clash, while Western Carolina has claimed a 16-8 decision to Woods’ eventual SoCon champion Mountaineers in 1987. In 1988--a pair of straight wins over Brevard and Catawba after opening the campaign with a narrow year which saw Furman claim its lone national title--the Paladins went to Boone and four-point loss at FBS South Florida. came away with a 24-9 win in a matchup between a pair of ranked FCS programs. The win ended a 20-game Southern Conference winning streak for the Black and Gold. In Mark Speir, who is now in his third season as the head coach in Cullowhee, is now finally total as a player and assistant coach, Lamb is 2-1-1 against Woods. starting to see things come together in harmony for his Catamounts, and the two wins has nearly matched the three wins in his first two seasons as the head coach at estern.W THE OFFENSES: Mercer enters Saturday’s contest continuing to utilize the pistol offense with some effectiveness. The Bears, who averaged over 270 rushing yards Meanwhile, Furman continues to struggle to find itself offensively this season, combining to per game last season to lead the Southern Conference, enter Saturday’s road clash in score just 14 points the past two weeks, and the Paladins have recorded just five offensive Lexington. The Bears come into Saturday’s league clash once again running the football TDs this season. The unit has struggled since losing starter Reese Hannon for the season well out of the Pistol offense, averaging 228.8 YPG on the ground this season to rank to a broken ankle in the opener against Gardner-Webb. 20th nationally.

It should be an exciting matchup for the 3:30 p.m. matchup in Greenville on Saturday Leading the Mercer offense this season has been John Russ, who has quickly estab- afternoon, as the game will televised by the American Sports Network as a part of a lished himself as a force to be reckoned with among the SoCon’s signal-callers. This sea- double-header on Saturday. son, Russ ranks third in the SoCon in total offense behind only Western’s Troy Mitchell and VMI’s Al Cobb, as he has amassed 894 yards (761 pass yds, 133 rush yds) of total The Catamounts will be looking to snap a 22-game road losing skid, while taking their first offense through the first four weeks of the season. win in Paladin Stadium since a 35-24 in Greenville back in 1994 under the direction of the very successful Steve Hodgin. All told, Russ has 10 TD responsibilities (9 passing, 1 rushing) so far this season. He comes in ranking as the the SoCon’s third-leading passer, having connected on 49-of-80 The first Southern Conference game of the day will take place in Lexington, A,V between passes for 761 yards and nine scores so far this season. VMI and Mercer, in what will be the first meeting between Mercer and VMI in series history. It’s also the two newest members of the Southern Conference, but a matchup that features The Bears also bring the league’s rushing leader into Saturday’s contest, in redshirt some old ties. freshman Alex Lakes, who has amassed 446 yards and seven scores through the first four games of the season, averaging a whopping 7.7 YPC. Bobby Lamb and Sparky Woods have both won league championships before at different schools, but the last time Lamb faced the Woods was as a quarterback at Furman, when Mercer’s top receiving threat entering Saturday’s league road opener has been J.T. Woods was busy awakening the FCS sleeping giant at Appalachian State. Stay tuned to Palmer, who ranks sixth in the SoCon in receptions, having hauled in 18 catches for 239 Saturday Blitz for more previews coming up later today. Enjoy the VMI-Mercer preview. yards and three scores in through the first four weeks. sack. Tight end Robert Brown is also a valuable option in the passing game for the Bears, having caught eight passes for 120 yards and a pair of scores, ranking second on the All told, Williams has 15 tackles, three TFLs and a sack in 2014. Lockett has also been team in receiving. key on the perimeter for the Bears with his speed and ability to close on the edge, and he enters Saturday’s clash with Keydets set to make his third start of the season after On the offensive line, the Bears have endured some injuries, but expect to get back left missing the past couple of weeks due to injury. He comes in having made four stops in guard Wilson Heres this week, who is MU’s best player along the offensive front. The those two outings. offensive line for the Bears has helped Mercer rank 20th nationally with a league-lead- ing 449.8 YPG this season. The Bears also rank second in the league in scoring Rounding out the Mercer defense is a talented secondary, which has seen improvement offense, averaging 39.0 PPG. with each passing week this season and currently ranks fourth in the SoCon against the pass (173.0 YPG) this season. The Keydets will obviously present one of the greatest In Bobby Lamb’s 16 games as head coach at Mercer, the Bears are 13-0 when scoring challenges to that unit this season, entering the clash with league’s top passing attack, 30 or more points in a game, and 0-3 when being held below 30 points, including a averaging 292.0 YPG. 25-20 loss to Furman to open Southern Conference play back on Sept. 6. Leading the secondary this season for the Bears has been free safety Lendell Arnold, VMI enters with a top-flight offense of its own, and one that comes in ranking eighth who has gotten off to a strong start in 2014, posting 16 tackles and a PBU through the nationally in passing offense, as the Keydets have averaged 292.0 YPG through the air first four weeks of the season. this season, led by freshman quarterback Al Cobb. Joining him at safety for the Orange and Black at strong safety will be Mike Gray (11 Cobb has been outstanding for the Red ad Gold this fall, having connected on 66.9% tackles, 1 PBU), while All-SoCon candidate Alex Avant (14 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 5 PBUs, (89-of-133) of his throws this season for 987 yards with five TD passes to go along with 1 INT) and Jeremy James (12 tackles, 4 PBUs, 1 FR) are slated to hold down the three picks. cornerback positions. Cobb has had several solid targets to pick from in the passing game this season, Avant’s five PBUs lead the league this season, and as a team, the Bears lead the league but leading the way this season has been the conferene’s receiving yardage leader, with five picks so far this season. in Aaron Sanders, who has caught 23 passes for 378 yards and a TD this season, averaging 16.4 YPR. Mercer’s defense is surrendering 22.0 PPG so far this season, which ranks the Bears 37th nationally entering the clash with the Keydets. In fact, the league’s top two receivers in terms of receiving yards, wear the VMI Red and Gold, with Doug Burton ranking second in the league in receiving yards, hauling VMI has struggled on the defensive side of the football this season, ranking 110th in FCS in 16 passes for 293 yards and a pair of scores this season. Burton is averaging an in total defense (511.8 YPG) so far in 2014, and the Keydets have really struggled to impressive 18.3 YPR in 2014. stop the run this season, ranking 112th against the run (283.2 YPG). VMI’s attack has been balanced as well, with the Keydets entering Saturday’s SoCon The Keydets come into the matchup employing the 3-4 defensive alignment, which will home opener ranked sixth-best rush offense, averaging 133.0 YPG. Leading that attack obviously be familiar to the Mercer offense. Defensive end John Washington (9 tackles, this season has been Deon Watts, who comes in ranking sixth in league in rushing 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack) will anchor the defensive front, teaming with both nose tackle Joe Nel- to this point in the 2014 season, having rushed for 280 yards and a pair of scores, son (6 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 PBU) and Amon-Ra Clay (7 tackles, 1.0 TFL), which rounds averaging 4.7 YPC. out the starting three along the defensive front for the Red and Gold. Through the first four games, VMI has struggled to keep pressure off of Cobb, which is The top player on the VMI defense entering Saturday afternoon’s clash in Lexington will the nature of a spread option, passing-oriented offense. The Keydets have surrendered be Logan Staib, who will patrol the perimeter of the Keydet defense, is an all-conference six sacks through the first four weeks. caliber linebacker. All told, VMI comes into Saturday’s home clash with the Bears averaging 425.0 YPG, Staib comes into Saturday’s contest having posted 15 stops, with a pair of tackles-for- which ranks 33rd nationally and second to only Mercer in the SoCon. The Keydets also loss and a sack, while having also broke up a pass this season. rank fifth in the SoCon in scoring offense, averaging 29.5 PPG. Inside linebaker Darnell Ashton comes in leading the Keydets’ defense coming into THE DEFENSES: Mercer enters Saturday’s contest utilizing an odd front defense, as Saturday, having posted 27 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and has forced a fumble this the Bears utilize a 3-4 alignment on the defensive side of the football. The Bears come season. in allowing 359.0 YPG this season, ranking fourth in the Southern Conference as well as 37th in FCS in total defense. The Keydets have been a little better at stopping the pass this season, with VMI coming into their home league opener, ranking 77th in in pass defense this One thing the Bears have utilized on the defensive side of the football under the season, surrendering 228.5 YPG through the air. direction of Bobby Lamb the past couple of seasons has been defensive speed. It all starts up front with Mercer’s defensive line, which is led by Tunde Ayinla at one of the The VMI secondary is being paced cornerback James Fruehan, who comes into the defensive end positions. contest ranking second on VMI’s statistical ledger in tackles this season, with 24 stops. In addition to his tackles total, Fruehan has also racked up 1.5 TFL and has an INT this So far this season, Ayinla has racked up 17 tackles, 3.5 TFL and a sack. Ayinla, who season. is the Bears’ most-talented and athletic player along the defensive front, will team with Cody Jones (11 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FR) along the front, while set to start at FINAL PREDICTION: Coming into the season, I felt like this is one game that was nose tackle on Saturday afternoon will be Bret Niederreither (9 tackles, 0.5 sack), who important for both clubs, but it now looks clearly like Bobby Lamb’s Bears will be able has been one of the unsung heroes of the Mercer defense to this point in the 2014 to not only compete in the Southern Conference in the Bears’ inaugural season in the season. league, but might actually be able to even compete for a league title. It’s really hard to tell so far since the Bears have only had the one Southern Conference game, which was The Bears bring one of the more talented linebacking units in the SoCon to Lexington a 25-20 loss at home to Furman at MU Stadium a couple of weeks ago. That being said, for Saturday’s clash with Keydets, led in the middle by Tyler Ward, who is once again it will also be a different test on Saturday against the Keydets, with it being the pressure leading the Mercer defense in tackles, having amassed 41 tackles so far this season, of a Southern Conference road game for the first time in league history for Lamb’s team. which is 22 more tackles than the next highest Bear in total tackles, which is fellow I think the home surroundings will be enough to keep the Keydets in the game, but I look inside linebacker Devin Davison, who has totaled 19 stops so far this season. for Mercer’s pistol offense to be too much for the Keydets to handle, as Sparky Woods’ Keydets drop to 0-2 in league play with a close home loss. Mercer 42, VMI 31 Additionally, Ward has added an interception, which came in Mercer’s first-ever game as a Southern Conference member against Furman, and the hometown Macon product has also produced 1.5 TFL this season. Davison has added a forced fumble and a Game 2: W. Carolina (2-1, 0-0) at Furman (2-2, 1-0) pass breakup to his 19 stops this fall. Ward’s 41 tackles ranks him tied for fourth in the Sept. 27, 2014, Greenville, S.C. league in total stops this season. Paladin Stadium (16,000) 3:30 p.m. Outside linebacker was hit by a significant injury before the season ever got underway Furman leads series 29-10-2 for the Bears, when All-SoCon candidate and maybe the Bears’ top player on the defensive side of the football went down with a season-ending injury which required surgery during the final week of fall camp, in Tosin Aguebor. Game Overview: The battle of purple is set to commence Saturday in Greenville in a game, which finds both teams heading in opposite directions coming into the Though Aguebor could have certainly been used, the Bears have fared pretty well at matchup, with the Paladins having lost a pair of games to PC (10-7) and SC State (17-7) the position all things considered. the past two weeks, as the offense continues to struggle for the Paladins since losing starter Reese Hannon for the season to a broken ankle in the season-opening win over Corey Lockett and Kyle Williams have done an excellent job of manning the bandit and Gardner-Webb. SAM linebacker positions so far this season. Williams has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears, who replaced the injured Aguebor, and he really showed how much he The matchup between the two is one rich in history, with the Catamounts and Paladins could disrupt the offensive flow of an opponent in Mercer’s SoCon opener a couple having engaged in some real classics over the years. However, over the past couple of of weeks ago against the Paladins, producing four tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a decades, the Paladins have had their way with the Catamounts, having won 18 of the