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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 21, 2018 20:06:34 GMT -5
HUGE GAME this week for your Mercer Bears as the Team travels to Spartanburg to face the defending SoCon Champion & Conference leading Wofford Terriers. Wofford is 4-1 in the conference with wins over The Citadel, VMI, Chattanooga, and ETSU. Their SoCon loss was by 3 scores to Furman, just 2 weeks ago. Mercer is just a half game behind Wofford at 3-1 in the SoCon
No claims of a guaranteed win (such as we saw from WCU fans last week) coming from the Wofford faithful...yet, but they are getting their minds right for an important win. Here's a quote from one RatDog supporter today demonstrating their laser-focus on beating Mercer this week...
"Sammy has two weeks to prepare for us... Will be a tough task down there... Ball control and limiting their possessions will be our best defense vs the pass vs Hodges... We will prolly have to score 28 to win in BHAM."
Yep...laser-focused!
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ursus
Spires Bear
Posts: 222
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Post by ursus on Oct 21, 2018 20:55:55 GMT -5
I believe Wofford is the last team we have not beaten since restarting. Been very close a few times and to win this week would be huge. We're going to have to play mistake-free football to win this one. Giving up big plays and turning the ball over will get us killed. Probably going to need to score 35+.
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 21, 2018 21:05:37 GMT -5
Highlights from Wofford's win over ETSU along with pre- and post-game locker room talks, post-game comments from Wofford's Head Coach, DLman Miles Brown, and Running Back Lennox McAfee.
My favorite quote, "Our Defense can shut anybody down whenever they want to." Apparently the Terriers Defense did not WANT to shut Furman down a week ago or, perhaps, the Wofford Defense did not attend that game. Not sure.
Wofford's Head Coach - Media Lunch - Post-Furman Loss / Pre-ETSU Win - mentions 'controlling their own destiny'...which they didn't before the win over ETSU, but, like Mercer (and only Mercer), they do now. Also, LB DT Wilson is interviewed along with their Kicker/Punter Luke Carter, who, apparently, was injured in the ETSU game. Not sure of his status vs. Mercer.
Highlights from Wofford's loss to Furman along with the pre-game locker room talk, post-game comments from Wofford's Head Coach. He talks a lot in the pre-game locker room talk about "dominating" and "celebrating." He didn't mention either of those words in his post-game interview. No Players were interviewed after this game and there was no video of the post-game locker room talk.
Highlights from Wofford's win over Chattanooga
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 21, 2018 21:56:56 GMT -5
I believe Wofford is the last team we have not beaten since restarting. Been very close a few times and to win this week would be huge. We're going to have to play mistake-free football to win this one. Giving up big plays and turning the ball over will get us killed. Probably going to need to score 35+. You are correct ursus. With the victory over Samford earlier this season, Mercer has now beaten every SoCon Team at least once...except Wofford...yet. Let's look at the (modern) history... MERCER (6-6 , 1-6) -VS- WOFFORD (6-5 , 4-3)| Team | 1st | 2nd | Half | 3rd | 4th | Final | | Mercer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | | Wofford | 13 | 14 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 34 |
SITE: Spartanburg, SC STADIUM: Gibbs Stadium Wofford dominated Mercer from wire-to-wire in this 1st meeting as the Bears, for the 1st time ever, seemed completely unprepared to play Football.
WOFFORD (3-2 , 1-0) -VS- MERCER (2-2 , 0-1)| Team | 1st | 2nd | Half | 3rd | 4th | OT | Final | | Wofford | 7 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 34 | | Mercer | 0 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 33 |
SITE: Macon, Ga. STADIUM: Five Star Stadium Mercer kept this one close and rallied from 10 points down in the 4th quarter to send the game to OT. Mercer scored a TD on the 1st play of OT, but missed the XP. Wofford also scored a TD on their 4th play in OT and made the XP to steal a 1 point win in Macon.MERCER (4-4 , 2-3) -VS- WOFFORD (5-3 , 3-2)| Team | 1st | 2nd | Half | 3rd | 4th | Final | | Mercer | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | | Wofford | 0 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
SITE: Spartanburg, SC STADIUM: Gibbs Stadium Wofford broke open a tight game in the 3rd quarter with a TD via blocking a Mercer punt. After pushing their lead to 17 with a FG also in the 3rd quarter, Mercer battled back with a pair of TD passes to Marquise Irvin, but the Terriers scored another TD between those 2 TD passes with a drive of 13 plays only covering 32 yards (is that really possible?) that ate up almost half of the 4th quarter, leaving the Bears short on time to complete their comeback.
# 10 WOFFORD (2-0 , 2-0) -VS- MERCER (1-1 , 0-1)
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Half | 3rd | 4th | Final | | Wofford | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 | | Mercer | 14 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
SITE: Macon, Ga. STADIUM: Five Star Stadium Wofford, fresh off a 1 point escape at home due to a failed 2 point conversion by Furman, came into Macon riding high with their #10 ranking. Mercer opened the game with guns blazing and built a 2-score lead in the 1st quarter before Wofford popped a long run to close the gap. Undaunted, Mercer logged another TD to close the half and Bears Fans were excited. This time, though, it was Wofford's turn to mount a furious comeback. Mercer was able to make a couple of FG's to keep a 2 score lead until very late in the 4th quarter when Wofford, somehow, put together 2 quick TD drives and, once again broke the hearts of Mercer's Fans and stole another 1 point win in Macon.I've heard people say "The 5th time is the charm," though. They say that, right? Worked at Samford. Maybe it will prove true once again this Saturday in SparkleCity. |
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 21, 2018 22:52:30 GMT -5
Let's check in with Mr. Massey and see what he has to say about this week's match-up... | Projection/Team | Mercer | Wofford | | Most Likely Score | 24 | 31 | | Win Probability | 30% | 70% |
Let's see what other info, about the SoCon and Mercer's 2018 OOC opponents, Mr. Massey has for us this week...  |
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 21, 2018 23:51:54 GMT -5
Mercer has released their games notes for the Wofford game: 2018 MERCER FOOTBALL - #7 WOFFORD TERRIERS (5-2, 4-1 SoCon) - October 27, 2018 l 1:30 p.m. ET l Spartanburg, S.C.l Gibbs Stadium (13,000) - a few lineup changes - “Tale of the Tape” is updated - DE Buehler listed as a Starter; thought he would be out. Starting DB Fleming, who did not play vs. WCU, is not listed on 2-Deep at all. LB Otiwu, a Starter in Mercer’s 1st 4 games, returned & played some vs. WCU, but is not listed on the 2-Deep. Other changes are backups, primarily in the OL. Wofford has released their game notes for the Mercer game: 2018 WOFFORD COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES - 2018 - #7/9 WOFFORD (5-2, 4-1) vs. MERCER (4-3, 3-1) - Date Saturday, October 27, 2018 - Site Gibbs Stadium (13,000)Interesting that they are showing no changes to their Starting Lineup, but I understand their Starting Placekicker/Punter suffered a high ankle sprain vs. ETSU. Those don't heal up in a week and a Placekicker/Punter with a 'bad wheel' is a risky bet. I also understand their 4th leading rusher & leading receiver, Running Back, Blake Morgan sustained a knee injury vs. ETSU. Entirely possible for a RB to play on a gimpy leg and for a knee injury to not be as bad as initially suspected, but the reports I heard did not sound like this was a mild injury. (more on this below) We'll see. Last week, for Mercer, Eric Jackson, who did not play @ VMI or @ Yale due to injury, was not listed on the 2-deep, but he started at Safety. On the other hand, another Mercer Safety Starter, Malique Fleming, was listed as the Starter, but did not play. I have no idea about his absence or his status for this week. Also, DE Isiah Buehler was not listed on the 2-deep after being injuried @ VMI and not playing @ Yale, but he started. Unfortunately, he was also injured vs. WCU and I did not like the looks of what happened when he went out. I would GUESS that he will be out for Wofford and maybe longer. Further, Starting LB Sidney Otiwu has been out since the game vs. The Citadel and was not listed on the 2-deep, but he did play, though not start vs. WCU. Otiwu’s return is a welcome addition for the Bears D, but his replacement, Michael Freeman, has been playing very well. And, Starting Center, David May, has been out since the VMI game, and was not listed on the 2-deep, but he did play, though, like Otiwu, he did not start. For Wofford, I believe their Starting RB, who is their #4 Rusher & #1 Receiver, Blake Morgan, left the ETSU game with what some are saying appeared to be a serious injury in the 4th quarter; so he may not be available for the Mercer game. I also heard their starting Place Kicker/Punter, Luke Carter, was injured vs. ETSU, but it’s unclear how serious his injury may be. Their Kickoff Specialist handled the XP’s in the 2nd half and was 1 for 2. He also punted once for 32 yards (inside the 20) & their Starting QB punted once for 20 yards, which I believe may have been a ‘quick kick.’ Before he exited, Carter punted twice for a 49.0 yard average and both punts were inside the 20. He also made a 20 yard FG & both of his XP’s before sustaining his injury. | Category | Mercer | Wofford | Avg. Size OL Starters
| 6' 3" 283 | 6' 3" 292 | | Exp. "Rating" OL Starters | 2.00 | 2.10 | Avg Size OL 2-Deep
| 6' 3" 296 | 6' 4" 292 | Exp. "Rating" OL 2-Deep
| 1.50 | 1.50
| Avg. Size DL Starters
| 6' 3" 281 | 6' 1" 297 | Exp. Rating DL Starters
| 2.83 | 2.83 | Avg Size DL 2-Deep
| 6' 3" 277 | 6' 1" 283 | Exp. "Rating" DL 2-Deep
| 2.67 | 1.92 | Avg. Size D-Front 7 Starters
| 6' 1" 245 | 6' 1" 254 | Exp. "Rating" D-Front 7 Starters
| 2.71 | 2.36 | | Avg. Size D-Front 7 2-Deep | 6' 1" 243 | 6' 1" 249 | Exp. "Rating" D-Front 7 2-Deep
| 2.50 | 1.86 | Avg. Size Offense Starters
| 6' 2" 245 | 6' 1" 242 | Exp. "Rating" Offense Starters
| 2.05 | 2.32 | Avg. Size Offense 2-Deep
| 6' 2" 249 | 6' 2" 243 | Exp. "Rating" Offense 2-Deep
| 1.55 | 1.66 | Avg. Size Defense Starters
| 6' 0" 225 | 6' 1" 234 | Exp. "Rating" Defense Starters
| 2.23 | 2.50 | Avg. Size Defense 2-Deep
| 6' 0" 224 | 6' 0" 229 | Exp. "Rating" Defense 2-Deep
| 2.07 | 2.11 | Avg. Size ALL O&D Starters
| 6' 1" 235 | 6' 1" 238 | Exp. "Rating" ALL O&D Starters
| 2.14 | 2.41 | Avg. Size ALL O&D 2-Deep
| 6' 1" 236 | 6' 1" 236 | Exp. "Rating" ALL O&D 2-Deep
| 1.81 | 1.89 | | Avg. Size Entire Roster | 6' 1" 227 | 6' 1" 225 | | Exp. "Rating" Entire Roster | 1.20 | 1.27 |
Wofford is certainly more experienced on D than WCU and also stouter. Overall, fairly evenly matched with Mercer - the Terriers are, perhaps, a skosh heavier and a little bit more experienced in some areas. |
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 22, 2018 8:58:16 GMT -5
If you want to listen to a couple of Wofford Fans talk about their Terriers for over an hour, you can do that here: The Short-Haired Dog Podcast - Episode 17They cover Wofford’s loss to Furman extensively & then spend some time talking about Wofford’s win over ETSU. At about 48:30, they begin to talk about the upcoming matchup with Mercer for about 7 minutes. It almost seems that they really would prefer to talk about the game @ Samford the following week, but they do stay on topic and discuss the Bears. I was impressed that they acknowledged that Mercer “should have” beaten Wofford last year, but it does become a bit comical when they quote Mercer’s SoCon record as “2 and 2,” and then touch on Mercer’s wins over Samford, VMI, and Western Carolina, as well as the rest of the Bears wins & losses. Maybe they think Memphis or Yale is in the SoCon & VMI has dropped out...again. Even funnier, though, is when they confuse Kaelan “Allen”...er Riley, with Michael Eubank, who was Samford’s QB in 2014 & part of 2015, as they talk about Kaelan being a big guy who is an FBS Transfer from Arizona or Arizona State, which clearly describes Eubank. I guess the folks in SparkleCity just have Samford on their minds this week. The interesting fact that I picked up from listening is that Wofford is going to honor Former Head Coach, Mike Ayers, at the Mercer game. Coach Ayers was the Head Coach at Wofford for 30 years and shepherded their program, which had just transitioned from NAIA to NCAA D2, through a transition to D1-AA (now FCS) in 1995, joining the SoCon in 1997, and winning 5 SoCon Championships and 8 Playoff runs. Coach Ayers recruited almost all of the Wofford Players who will be on the field Saturday, so it should be quite an emotional event for them and all of the former Wofford Players that attend and all of their fans. I would expect some ‘waterworks.’ Could be very motivational for the Terriers Team or it could be quite a distraction. We’ll see. |
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Post by MUfan on Oct 22, 2018 10:15:46 GMT -5
Best those Woefull Terriers!
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 22, 2018 22:52:28 GMT -5
From Wofford's Game Notes... MIKE AYERS FIELD AT GIBBS STADIUMPrior to the Mercer game, Wofford will unveil a new gateway field entrance and officially names the field at Gibbs Stadium in honor of Coach Mike Ayers. For the past 30 years, Ayers expected Terrier toughness on the field and Terrier determination in the classroom. He retired at the end of the 2017 season with a 207-137-1 overall record at Wofford. Great way to honor Coach Ayers. Should be quite a celebration! Wofford To Name Gibbs Stadium Field in Honor of Mike Ayers“On Saturday, October 27, 2018, Wofford College will unveil a new gateway field entrance and officially name the field at Gibbs Stadium in honor of Coach Mike Ayers. The ceremony will take place at halftime of the football game against Mercer.” Distraction...maybe? |
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 22, 2018 22:57:06 GMT -5
I don't expect either to play based upon this. We'll see.
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 23, 2018 11:26:53 GMT -5
If you would like to listen Wofford’s Head Football Coach’s 1 hour radio show, you can do that here: Coach Josh Conklin Radio Show - Oct. 22 - 6:00 PMThey do discuss the upcoming game with Mercer for about 5 minutes of the hour - from about 24:30 to 29:30. My 2 favorite quotes from Coach Conklin’s comments about Mercer are... ”The thing that concerns me the most is the boys down at Samford...” AND ‘Mercer has a lot of “possession receivers” and a “functional quarterback”’ In the Conference-only stats, Mercer has 3 Receivers ranked in the Top 10 in the yards/catch category (which is pretty much the opposite of where “possession receivers” are usually found, as the term “possession receiver” typically refers to a somewhat slow receiver with good hands, that runs mostly short & intermediate routes, and will catch balls in traffic/over the middle) #1 - Stephen Houzah 24.7 #5 - David Durden 17.5 #7 - Marquise Irvin 16.1 Only VMI & WCU have even 2 Receivers ranked in the Top 10 & all of those are #6 or below. Mercer’s QB, Kaelan Riley, is ranked #1 in the SoCon in Pass Efficiency, Passing Yards/Completion, and Passing Yards/Attempt. I guess that’s what Coach Conklin means by “functional.” |
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 23, 2018 18:00:44 GMT -5
Let's look in at what the Professional Pickers have to say about Mercer's game this week, along with other games of interest...
Mercer at Wofford - Saturday, October 27, 2018 1:30 PM
Mercer +9 | Over 58
So...projected score of about 34-25 Terriers (This line opened at 10.5 - I guess somebody's bettin' on the Bears, dropped to 8.5, now back up.
Other SoCon Games
Furman at The Citadel - Saturday, October 27, 2018 2:00 PM
Furman -7 | Over 54½ (dropped from 58.5...must have heard about FU's QB)
So...projected score of about 31-24 Paladins
VMI at Chattanooga - Saturday, October 27, 2018 3:00 PM
VMI +17½ | Over 54
So...projected score of about 36-18 Mocs
Western Carolina at East Tennessee St - Saturday, October 27, 2018 3:30 PM
Western Carolina +6½ | Over 61
So...projected score of about 34-27 Bucs
Other Mercer 2018 Opponents
Yale at Columbia - Saturday, October 27, 2018 1:00 PM
Yale -6 | Over 48
So...projected score of 27-21 Bulldogs (wonder if the wise-guys know that Yale's EXCELLENT QB is out for the season? - Line dropped from -7)
Jacksonville at San Diego - Saturday, October 27, 2018 4:00 PM
Jacksonville +34½ | Over 64½ (up from 31.5)
So...projected score of about 49-15 Toreros
Memphis - off
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Post by Lawdog on Oct 24, 2018 14:55:13 GMT -5
Be assured Wofford has a lot of respect for Mercer and knows it will need to play well to have a chance to win.
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 24, 2018 15:20:54 GMT -5
Be assured Wofford has a lot of respect for Mercer and knows it will need to play well to have a chance to win. How many times did you have to backspace over “Samford” before you were able to force yourself to type “Mercer” in there?  |
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Post by FUBeAR on Oct 24, 2018 21:26:59 GMT -5
Wofford kicker Luke Carter likely out for Saturday“It’s never a great sign when college football coaches ask the players if anybody ever kicked in high school.”
”Carter...has been one of the most valuable members of the Wofford team.”
“Last season,...Carter was 11-for-12 on field goal [sic]...He has made a school-record 69 consecutive extra points. And he currently leads the Southern Conference in punting with a 44.6 average.”
”Henis...is Plan B for field goals, extra points and punts...”
”Henis...one punting attempt last week was 32 yards. He also attempted his first two extra points and missed one.”
”“He may not have the consistent leg that Luke does” Conklin said...He...needs to get dialed-in on field goals and PATs and be more consistent.”
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