# 2024 Mercer Bears football team

The 2024 Mercer Bears football team represented Mercer University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were coached by first-year head coach Mike Jacobs and played at Five Star Stadium in Macon, Georgia.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 7:00 p.m. | Presbyterian* | | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA | ESPN+ | W 63–10 | 7,219 |
| September 7 | 3:00 p.m. | at Bethune–Cookman* | | Daytona StadiumDaytona Beach, FL | SWAC Digital | W 31–2 | 8,484 |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 14 Chattanooga | No. 23 | Finley StadiumChattanooga, TN | ESPN+ | W 10–3 | 7,671 |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | The Citadel | No. 14 | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA | ESPN+ | W 38–21 | 10,489 |
| September 28 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 23 Wofford | No. 12 | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | ESPN+ | W 22–3 | 1,219 |
| October 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Princeton* | No. 8 | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA | ESPN+ | W 34–7 | 8,143 |
| October 19 | 3:00 p.m. | at Samford | No. 7 | Pete Hanna StadiumHomewood, AL | ESPN+ | L 35–55 | 4,216 |
| October 26 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 24 Western Carolina | No. 14 | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA | ESPN+ | W 44–34 | 7,389 |
| November 2 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 23 East Tennessee State | No. 12 | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA | ESPN+ | W 37–31 | 8,692 |
| November 9 | 1:30 p.m. | at VMI | No. 10 | Alumni Memorial FieldLexington, VA | ESPN+ | W 34–0 | 3,580 |
| November 16 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 10 (FBS) Alabama* | No. 7 | Bryant–Denny StadiumTuscaloosa, AL | SECN+/ESPN+ | L 7–52 | 100,077 |
| November 23 | 3:00 p.m. | Furman | No. 8 | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA | ESPN+ | W 49–23 | 8,453 |
| December 7 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 10 Rhode Island* | No. 8 | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA (NCAA Division I Second Round) | ESPN+ | W 17–10 | 8,012 |
| December 14 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 3 North Dakota State* | No. 8 | FargodomeFargo, ND (NCAA Division I Quarterfinal) | ABC | L 7–31 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### vs. Presbyterian

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Hose | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Bears | 14 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 63 |
at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA
* Date: Thursday August 29, 2024
* Game time: 7:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 91 °F (33 °C) • Wind: S at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
* Game attendance: 7,219
* Referee: Michael Farmer
* TV announcers (FloSports): Pete Yanity, Jared Singleton, Dave Friedman
| Statistics | PRES | MER |
| First downs | 8 | 25 |
| Total yards | 137 | 500 |
| Rushing yards | -7 | 139 |
| Passing yards | 144 | 361 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 10–23–2 | 25–30–1 |
| Time of possession | 27:47 | 32:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Presbyterian | Passing | Ty Englehart | 7/19, 84 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Presbyterian | Rushing | Denim Edwards | 6 carries, 15 yards |
| Presbyterian | Receiving | Nathan Levicki | 1 reception, 57 yards |
| Mercer | Passing | DJ Smith | 20/24, 331 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Mercer | Rushing | Dwayne McGee | 16 carries, 57 yards, TD |
| Mercer | Receiving | Brayden Smith | 3 receptions, 83 yards, TD |

### at Bethune–Cookman

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
at Daytona Stadium • Daytona Beach, FL
* Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 87 °F (31 °C)
* Game attendance: 8,484
* Referee: Charles Green
* TV announcers (SWAC Digital): Michael Truilo, Johnny Vickers, Darryl Nattiel
| Statistics | MER | BCU |
| First downs | 26 | 10 |
| Total yards | 483 | 166 |
| Rushing yards | 239 | 29 |
| Passing yards | 244 | 137 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19–25–1 | 14–29–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:46 | 26:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Mercer | Passing | D. J. Smith | 17/22, 237 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Mercer | Rushing | Dwayne McGee | 19 carries, 102 yards, TD |
| Mercer | Receiving | Brayden Smith | 4 receptions, 85 yards, TD |
| Bethune–Cookman | Passing | Cam Ransom | 14/29, 137 yards, INT |
| Bethune–Cookman | Rushing | Courtney Reese | 11 carries, 20 yards |
| Bethune–Cookman | Receiving | Kobe Stewart | 1 reception, 50 yards |

### at No. 14 Chattanooga

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| No. 14 Mocs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Finley Stadium • Chattanooga, TN
* Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Chris Goforth, Chris Barnett, Dave Keylon
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |
| Chattanooga | Passing |
| Chattanooga | Rushing |
| Chattanooga | Receiving |

### vs. The Citadel

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| No. 14 Bears | 14 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA
* Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy, Phil Cox
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| The Citadel | Passing |
| The Citadel | Rushing |
| The Citadel | Receiving |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |

### at No. 23 Wofford

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 12 Bears | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 22 |
| No. 23 Terriers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Gibbs Stadium • Spartanburg, SC
* Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
* Game time: 1:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Jim Noble, Thom Henson, Van Hipp
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |
| Wofford | Passing |
| Wofford | Rushing |
| Wofford | Receiving |

### Princeton

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 8 Bears | 17 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 34 |
at Five Star Stadium, Macon, GA
* Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy, Phil Cox
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Princeton | Passing |
| Princeton | Rushing |
| Princeton | Receiving |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |

### at Samford

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Pete Hanna Stadium, Homewood, AL
* Date: Saturday October 19, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Blake Gardner, Damian Mitchell, Justin Stuckey
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |
| Samford | Passing |
| Samford | Rushing |
| Samford | Receiving |

### No. 24 Western Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Catamounts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 14 Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Five Star Stadium, Macon, GA
* Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
* Game time: 3:30 PM
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy, Phil Cox
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Carolina | Passing |
| Western Carolina | Rushing |
| Western Carolina | Receiving |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |

### No. 23 East Tennessee State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 12 Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA
* Date: Saturday November 2, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy, Phil Cox
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| East Tennessee State | Passing |
| East Tennessee State | Rushing |
| East Tennessee State | Receiving |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |

### at VMI

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keydets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Alumni Memorial Field • Lexington, VA
* Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
* Game time: 1:30 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Wade Branner, Cal Murray
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |
| VMI | Passing |
| VMI | Rushing |
| VMI | Receiving |

### at No. 10 (FBS) Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 10 (FBS) Crimson Tide | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL
* Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (SECN+/ESPN+): Jay Alter (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Ashley Stroehlein (sideline)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |
| Alabama | Passing |
| Alabama | Rushing |
| Alabama | Receiving |

### Furman

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Paladins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 8 Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA
* Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Frank Malloy, Jason Patterson
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Furman | Passing |
| Furman | Rushing |
| Furman | Receiving |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |

### No. 10 Rhode Island (NCAA Division I playoff–second round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Rams | - | - | - | - | 0 |
| No. 8 Bears | - | - | - | - | 0 |
at Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA
* Date: Saturday December 7, 2024
* Game time: 2:00 PM EST
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Michael Reghi, Forrest Conoly
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Rhode Island | Passing |
| Rhode Island | Rushing |
| Rhode Island | Receiving |
| Mercer | Passing |
| Mercer | Rushing |
| Mercer | Receiving |