WEEK 8 SCHEDULE
Oct. 19 (Saturday) Series TV/Digital Time
* The Citadel at VMI
The Citadel leads 44-33-2
ESPN+ 1:30 p.m.
*Wofford at Chattanooga 19
Series tied 15-15
ESPN+ 1:30 p.m.
*Western Carolina at Furman
Furman leads 36-13-2
ESPN+ 2 p.m.
*Mercer7/7 at Samford
Series tied 14-14-1
ESPN+ 3 p.m.
NOTES
• Eight SoCon teams are in action on Saturday, with all squads playing conference opponents. Mercer and Western Carolina are both unbeaten in SoCon play. ETSU is on a bye this week.
• Three SoCon squads – ETSU, Mercer and Chattanooga – are ranked in national polls. The Bears are ranked No. 7 in both the AFCA and Stats Perform polls, while the Bucs (23) and Mocs (19) are in the Stats Perform poll. ETSU and Chattanooga received votes in the AFCA poll. Western Carolina received votes in both polls.
• Under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Jacobs, Mercer is the league’s only unbeaten team. The Bears lead the FCS in scoring defense (7.7 ppg), along with leading the SoCon in scoring offense (33.0 ppg), sacks (21), tackles for loss (47) and interceptions (13).
• VMI is hosting the 80th installment of the Military Classic of the South against The Citadel. The Keydets won last year’s contest after dropping the previous two games. The contest is the Ingles Game of the Week and can be seen on various Nexstar affiliates around the region.
• Chattanooga is on a four-game winning streak against Wofford. The Terriers’ last win against the Mocs was during the 2019 season.
• Furman is 7-1 in its last eight matchups with Western Carolina. The Catamounts win came in 2021 at home in a 43-42 thriller.
• The quarterback matchup headlines the game between Mercer and Samford. Mercer’s DJ Smith (.768) and Samford’s Quincy Crittendon (.724) are first and fourth, respectively, in the FCS in completion percentage.
• Chattanooga’s Sam Phillips is currently third in the FCS in receiving yards per game (104.8).
• Mercer defensive back TJ Moore became the first player to win SoCon Defensive Player of the Week for a second time this season. The honor came on the heels of Moore catching three interceptions against Princeton, becoming the first SoCon player since 2013 to catch three picks in a game.
• Western Carolina quarterback Cole Gonzales is in the top 15 in four offensive categories in all of FCS football, including passing yards (1,528) and total offense (282.8 ypg).
• VMI’s Kouri Crump and Wofford’s CJ Coombes and Jalen Marshall are all tied for fifth in the country in solo tackles. Each player averages 5.8 per contest.
• ETSU running back Bryson Irby leads the SoCon in rushing yards (515) and touchdowns (5).
SO CON PLAYERS OF THE WEEKS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
AJ Johnson, R-So., WR, ETSU
Johnson had the best outing of his collegiate career in ETSU’s 31-28 win over Samford on Saturday, finishing with seven catches for a career-high 146 yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore’s 146 yards receiving yards were the most by any Bucs receiver since 2015. The product of New Orleans, Louisiana, caught his first touchdown in the second quarter from 15 yards out, making the score 21-14 in favor of Samford. Johnson’s second touchdown catch was a 75-yard score in the third quarter with 6:54 on the clock, which was the longest pass play for ETSU this season. ETSU is now ranked No. 23 in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
TJ Moore, Sr., DB, Mercer
Moore, who also won the honor on Sept. 23, set a school record for interceptions in a game as Mercer defeated Princeton, 34-7, on Saturday. The senior had three interceptions in the contest along with a tackle for the Bears. The first interception came in the second quarter and the second came in the third quarter. The Riverdale, Georgia, native caught the record-breaking pick with 10:44 left in the game, which he returned 21 yards to the Princeton 44-yard line. With his three interceptions, Moore became the first player in the SoCon to catch three picks in a game since Samford’s Josh Kimberlin had three against Florida A&M on Sept. 14, 2013. Mercer is now ranked No. 7 in the AFCA and Stats Perform Top 25 polls.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jude Kelley, R-Jr., PK, Chattanooga
Kelley accounted for a season-high 11 points in Chattanooga’s 41-10 road victory at Furman on Saturday. The redshirt junior kicker converted on all five of his extra point tries, while also making a pair of field goals for the Mocs. The native of Acworth, Georgia, made his two field goals in the second quarter from 42 and 24 yards. On kickoffs, Kelley logged two touchbacks during the contest. Chattanooga is now ranked No. 19 in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll.
