WEEK 9 SCHEDULE
Oct. 26 (Saturday) Series TV/Digital Time
*Samford RV/RV at The Citadel
Samford leads 10-7 ESPN+ 2 p.m.
*ETSURV/23 at Wofford
Wofford leads 16-15 ESPN+ 2 p.m.
*Western CarolinaRV/24 at Mercer17/14
Mercer leads 8-2 ESPN+ 3:30 p.m.
*VMI at Chattanooga25/19
Chattanooga leads 19-9-1 ESPN+ 4 p.m.
* Denotes SoCon game
NOTES
• Eight SoCon teams are in action on Saturday, with all squads playing conference opponents. Furman is on a bye this week. • Four SoCon squads – ETSU, Mercer, Chattanooga and Western Carolina – are ranked in national polls. The Bears and Mocs are ranked in both the AFCA and Stats Perform polls, while the Bucs and Catamounts are in the Stats Perform poll. ETSU and Western Carolina received votes in the AFCA poll. Samford received votes in both polls. • Furman’s Trey Hedden and Wofford’s CJ Coombes were named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List on Wednesday. • Western Carolina at Mercer is the Stats Perform FCS Game of the Week. The Bears have won eight straight games over the Catamounts, with the last Western Carolina win coming in 2015 by a score of 24-21 in Cullowhee. • Western Carolina established two conference record last week at Furman. The Catamounts had 801 total yards on offense, breaking the record that was set by Chattanooga (795) in 1978. Cole Gonzales threw for 620 yards, a program and SoCon record along with being the seventh-best total in FCS history in passing yards. • Samford handed Mercer its first loss of the season last Saturday. Quincy Crittendon tied a SoCon record for touchdown passes in a quarter during the contest, tossing four scores in the first frame. • The Citadel head coach Maurice Drayton got his first SoCon win last week in the 80th installment of 80th installment of the Military Classic of the South. • ETSU and Wofford have split the last four matchups between the two squads. The two teams have the best 4th Down Conversion Percentage Defenses in the SoCon, with Wofford (.250) ranked sixth in the FCS in the category. • During its current four-game winning streak, Chattanooga is averaging 35 points per game and allowing 13.8 points per game. • Mercer wide receiver Brayden Smith is ranked eighth in FCS football in all-purpose yards per game (136.6) and is one of two players in the nation to have multiple punt return touchdowns this season. • The Citadel is ranked second in the FCS in blocked kicks with five this season.
SO CON PLAYERS OF THE WEEKS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Cole Gonzales, Jr., QB, Western Carolina
Gonzales had one of the best days through the air in conference history in Western Carolina’s 52-20 win at Furman. The junior went 35-for-55 through the air, finishing with a program and SoCon-record 620 yards and career-high five touchdown passes. The 620 yards were also the seventh-best single-game pass- ing performance in FCS history. The Ocala, Florida, native’s touchdown passes came from 15, 62, 23, 20 and 48 yards out. Gonzales’ performance also helped the Catamounts log 801 total yards of offense, which set a new conference record, eclipsing the previous mark of 795 set by Chattanooga in 1978. Gonzales was named the Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Fur- man. Western Carolina is now ranked No. 24 in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Noah Martin, Gr., LB, Samford
Martin finished with a game-high 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception returned for a touchdown in Samford’s 55-35 upset-win over then-No. 7 Mercer on Saturday. The graduate student’s fumble recovery came with 8:46 remaining in the game, stalling a Mercer drive at the Samford 28-yard line. The native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, scored his first career touchdown on a 26-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter with 6:41 remaining, sealing the victory for the Bulldogs.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jude Kelley, R-Jr., PK, Chattanooga
Kelley, who won the honor for the second consecutive week, accounted for a career-high 13 points in a 37-5 victory over Wofford. The Acworth, Georgia, product converted on all four of his extra point tries, while going 3-for-3 on field goals for the Mocs. The redshirt junior’s field goals were from 31 yards out in the first quarter, 48 yards in the third quarter and 44 yards in the fourth quarter. Kelley’s 48-yard make was a career best. Chattanooga is now ranked No. 25 in the AFCA poll and No. 19 in the Stats Perform poll.
