WEEK 12 SCHEDULE
Nov. 16 (Saturday) Series TV/Digital Time
*Furman at ETSU
21 Furman leads 29-9
ESPN+ Noon
*Samford at Chattanooga
25/19 Chattanooga leads 34-11-3
ESPN+ 12:30 p.m.
*VMI at Western Carolina
Western Carolina leads 25-5
ESPN+ 1 p.m.
*The Citadel at Wofford
The Citadel leads 44-31-1
ESPN+ 1:30 p.m.
Mercer9/7 at Alabama
9/9 Alabama leads 4-0
ESPN+/SECN 2 p.m.
* Denotes SoCon game
NOTES
• All nine SoCon teams are in action on Saturday for the first time in three weeks. League-leading Mercer is the lone team that will not play a conference game this week as the Bears face perennial national power Alabama this weekend.
• Three SoCon squads – Mercer, Chattanooga and ETSU – are ranked in national polls. The Bears are ranked in the top 10 in both the AFCA and Stats Perform polls. The Mocs are ranked in both polls, while the Buccaneers are in the Stats Perform poll. ETSU received votes in the AFCA poll. Western Carolina received votes in the Stats Perform poll.
• Mercer clinched a share of the regular season conference title last week, making this season the Bears’ first SoCon title.
• ETSU got back into the top 25 this week with a win over Western Carolina a week ago. A win over Furman this week will end a two-game skid versus the Paladins for the Buccaneers.
• Chattanooga is 8-1 in the last nine matchups with Samford. The Bulldogs’ only win during that time was in 2022.
• The Citadel and Wofford have had the best turnanrounds during the 2024 season in the SoCon. The two teams combined for two wins in 2023 and have already won nine games combined this season.
• Mercer leads all of FCS football in 3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense (.214), interceptions (21) and defensive TDs (6). Western Carolina leads the FCS in first downs (248) and passing offense (330.3 ypg).
• Mercer’s Brayden Smith (733) and Furman’s Colton Hinton (683) are ranked second and third, respectively, in combined kick return yards. Smith is also one of two players in the nation with multiple punt return touchdowns.
• The Citadel punter James Platte is first in the country in punting average (48.1).
• ETSU’s Cam Sims is second in the FCS in passes defended (1.8).
• Furman’s Trey Hedden and Wofford’s CJ Coombes were named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List. Chattanooga’s Reuben Lowery III was named a finalist for the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award.
SO CON PLAYERS OF THE WEEKS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Parker Wroble, Sr., WR, Mercer
Wroble caught three passes for a career-high 102 yards and had a rush for 15 yards as Mercer shutout VMI, 34-0, on Saturday. The senior scored in the third quarter from 69 yards out and in the fourth quarter from 28 yards out. The native of Hoschton, Georgia, has four receiving touchdowns this season, which is tied for second on the Bears. Mercer is now ranked No. 9 in the AFCA poll and No. 7 in the Stats Perform poll.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Zach West, R-Sr., LB, ETSU
West recorded eight tackles, including a career-high 3.5 sacks, in ETSU’s win over then-22nd ranked Western Carolina on Saturday. The redshirt senior also forced a fumble and recovered another during the contest. The Boone, North Carolina, native’s 3.5 sacks were tied for the third-most ever by a Buc and the most by an ETSU player over the past three seasons. West currently leads the SoCon in sacks (8.5). ETSU is now ranked No. 21 in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Ewan Johnson, R-So., K, ETSU
Johnson, who also won the honor on Sept. 23, went a perfect 4-for-4 on his kick attempts against Western Carolina. The redshirt sophomore converted all three of his extra point tries and hit a 40-yard field goal in the first quarter to score the game’s first points. The product of Knoxville, Tennessee, also handled kickoff duties for the Buccaneers, logging two touchbacks on his five attempts.
