Venue & Game Info
Stadium: Five Star Stadium (capacity ~10,200)
Location: Macon, Georgia
Kickoff Time: 4:00 PM ET
Broadcast: ESPN+ / Mercer Sports Network (100.9 The Creek FM, SportsMic.com)
Special Note: Part of Mercer’s Family Weekend 2025 festivities
Weather Forecast (Macon, GA)
Conditions: Mostly sunny
Temperature: ~82°F at kickoff, cooling into the mid‑70s by evening
Wind: 5–8 mph, light breeze
Impact: Ideal football weather; no precipitation expected
Injury Report
Samford Bulldogs:
QB Quincy Crittendon – Probable (minor shoulder soreness, expected to play)
OL depth thin due to early‑season injuries
Mercer Bears:
RB CJ Miller – Probable (ankle tweak, but cleared after SoCon Offensive Player of the Week honors)
WR Ty James – Questionable (hamstring tightness)
Key Player Matchups
QB Quincy Crittendon (Samford) vs Mercer Secondary
Crittendon leads the SoCon in passing yards (1,245) and completion percentage (64.8%).
RB CJ Miller (Mercer) vs Samford Front Seven
Miller leads the SoCon with 381 rushing yards and 5 TDs.
QB Braden Atkinson (Mercer) vs Samford Pass Rush
Atkinson has thrown for 300+ yards in each of his three starts.
LB Jaden Mosley (Samford) vs Mercer Offensive Line
Mosley leads the SoCon in tackles (24 solo, 26 assisted).
Recent Team Form
Samford Bulldogs (0–5, 0–3 SoCon)
Last 5: L, L, L, L, L
Offense: 22.0 PPG Defense: 41.0 PPG
Outscored by 15+ in every game this season
Mercer Bears (3–1, 3–0 SoCon)
Last 5: W, W, W, L, W
Offense: 31.5 PPG Defense: 21.0 PPG
Riding a 3‑game SoCon win streak
Series History
All‑time: Samford leads the modern series, but Mercer has closed the gap in recent years.
Recent Meetings:
2024: Mercer 28–21 (in Macon)
2023: Samford 55–35 (in Birmingham, spoiled Mercer’s title hopes)
2022: Samford 50–44 (2OT thriller)
Trend: Recent matchups have been high‑scoring and competitive, with Samford historically having the upper hand.
ATS (Against the Spread):
Samford: 1–4 ATS last 5
Mercer: 3–2 ATS last 5
Historical Betting Results:
Mercer covered in 2024 win (28–21)
Samford covered in 2023 upset (55–35)
Projected Score: Mercer 38 – Samford 17
Game Odds
Samford Bulldogs 53
Mercer Bears – 24
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, October 3, 2025
