WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
Sept. 28 (Saturday)
Series
TV/Digital Time
*Mercer13/12 at WoffordRV/23
Mercer leads 9-7
ESPN+ 1:30 p.m.
*ETSURV/RV at The Citadel
ETSU leads 19-13
ESPN+ 2 p.m.
*Samford at Furman
Furman leads 14-12
ESPN+ 2 p.m.
Portland State at Chattanooga
First meeting
ESPN+ 7 p.m.
* Denotes SoCon game
Notes
• Seven teams are in action on Saturday this week, highlighted by Mercer’s visit to Wofford. This week in the first weekend that multiple SoCon games will take place.
• Two SoCon squads – Mercer and Wofford – are ranked in national polls. The Bears are ranked in both the AFCA and Stats Perform polls, while the Terriers are in the Stats Perform poll. Wofford received votes in the AFCA poll. ETSU, Chattanooga and Western Carolina received votes in both polls.
• Mercer is the league’s only unbeaten team. The Bears are second in the FCS in scoring defense (9.0 ppg), along with leading the league in sacks (14), tackles for loss (34) and passes defended (20).
• Wofford is ranked for the first time in four years. The Terriers are one of 14 teams in the FCS who have not allowed a 4th down conversion on defense this season.
• ETSU is looking for its third win of the season on Saturday. A victory for the Bucs will tie its 2023 win total after just five games this season.
• Furman and Samford’s matchup is a meeting between the last two SoCon champions. The two teams have gone a combined 26-4 in conference play over the last two seasons.
• After a bye, Chattanooga is looking for its first win of the season against Portland State. The game will be broadcast on select Nexstar affiliates across the southeast.
• Mercer quarterback DJ Smith won SoCon Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday. Smith is in the top 10 in the FCS in passing TDs (8), completion percentage (.784) and passing efficiency (187.5).
• The Citadel’s Bradlee Jones is one of three players in FCS football that has blocked multiple kicks this season.
SoCon Players of the Week (Sept. 23)
OFFENSIVE
DJ Smith, Jr., QB, Mercer
Smith, who also received the honor on Sept. 2, threw for two touchdowns and ran for another pair as Mercer defeated The Citadel, 38-21, on Saturday. The junior went 19-for-25 through the air, completing 76 percent of his passes for 253 yards, along with rushing for 76 yards on 10 attempts. The native of Greenwood, Mississippi, tossed his first touchdown from 22 yards out in the first quarter and his second touchdown pass was a 15-yard score in the second quarter. Smith’s touchdown runs were in the first and third quarters from 1 and 20 yards, respectively. Smith is currently third in the FCS in completion percentage (.784).
DEFENSIVE
TJ Moore, Sr., DB, Mercer
Moore logged six total tackles, including one for a loss, two pass breakups and an interception returned for a touchdown in Mercer’s victory over The Citadel. The senior’s pick-6 came in the second quarter with 51 seconds on the clock, making the score 28-14 in favor of the Bears. The product of Riverdale, Georgia, has two interceptions this season as part of a defense that is ranked fourth in the FCS in total defense (243.5).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ewan Johnson, R-So., K, ETSU
Johnson accounted for 10 points in ETSU’s 34-14 road win at Elon on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore kicker converted on all four of his extra point tries, while also making a pair of field goals to help the Blue & Gold knock off the Phoenix. Johnson, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, made field goals from 30 and 25 yards in the first and fourth quarters, respectively
