2017 Football Preseason Preview: Mercer

Throughout this preseason, Purple & Gold will preview all of Western's 2017 football opponents.

In the Cat's eleventh game of the season, the Mercer Bears travel to Cullowhee for the Cats fifth & final home game of the regular season.

Western faces the Bears for just the fourth time since Mercer joined the Southern Conference.




Mercer

When: Saturday, November 11 at 2:00 pm

Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

Radio: Catamount Sports Network

TV / video: ESPN3 The Series

The Series:  In only the 4th meeting between the two teams, the Cats own a 2-1 record over the visiting Bears, having lost last season in Macon, GA.

Last Season's Game vs. Mercer (Oct. 15, 2016) Camount Football Falls to Mercer, 38-24 Macon, GA - Alex Lakes rushed for 112 yards with two touchdowns and Mercer pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Western Carolina 38-24 on Saturday in Southern Conference action at Five Star Stadium. Western Carolina made it a seven-point game with 5:48 to go on Logan Howard's 30-yard field goal. The ensuing kickoff was returned 31 yards by Chandler Curtis and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty set up Mercer on the WCU 40. Seven plays later, Lakes' 2-yard plunge sealed it with 1:53 left.

Last season's Record (Mercer): 6-5 overall, 4-1 home, 2-4 away, 4-4 SoCon

Head Coach: Bobby Lamb enters his fifth season as head coach of Mercer football. In his first season, the Bears set a NCAA Division I record for wins by a first-year program with a 10-2 campaign. The 2013 win total also set a school record for victories, surpassing the previous mark of seven wins by Lake Russell’s 1931 and 1932 squads. Lamb led the Bears into their first season of Southern Conference play in 2014.


Offensive Formation: Spread  (Pistol)

Defensive Formation:  3-4

Starters Returning/Lost:  14 / 11

Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  7 / 4

Defensive starters - Returning/Lost:  5 / 6

Specialist - Returning/Lost:  2 / 1

The Bears were picked fifth in the SoCon preseason polls and returns 14 starters from last season's 6-5 team. The fifth-place vote is Mercer's second highest in four years as a SoCon football member. Offensive lineman Thomas Marchman, tight end Sam Walker and place kicker Cole Fisher were named to the Preseason All-SoCon First Team. Wide receiver Marquise Irvin, offensive lineman Caleb Yates, defensive lineman Isaiah Buehler and return specialist Chandler Curtis earned Preseason All-SoCon Second Team honors.

Key Losses:  QB John Russ, OL Bret Niederreither, OL Kirby Southard, OL Avery White, Punter Tyler Zielenske

2016 Mercer Statistics:
Rushing Offense: 2145 yards
Yards per game: 176
Yards per rush: 4.3 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 119
TDs rushing: 15
Passing Offense: 2345 yards or 213 yards per game
Avg. per pass: 6.5 yards
Passing 1st downs: 29
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 360-211-8
TDs Passing: 20
Total Offense: 4282 yards or 389 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 14 - 7
3d Down Conversions: 76 of 169 (45%)
4th Down Conversions: 9 of 16 (56%)
Field goal attempts: 16 - 23
PAT-Attempts: 36 of 38 (95%)
On-side kicks: 0-0
Red Zone Scores: 35 of 42
Red Zone Touchdowns: 26 of 42
Punts - Yards: 47 - 1825



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