Mercer Wins on a Field Goal at the Gun
Zero seconds on the clock, a 42-yard field goal from Simon Zeidan, and Mercer had a 17-14 win over Western Carolina. That is the whole ending, and it came after a game that spent most of its length refusing to produce points.
The first half had exactly one score: Lex Thomas found Marlin Cochran from 9 yards out with 39 seconds left in the second quarter, and Western Carolina went to the break up 7-0. Mercer answered with 38 seconds left in the third, JP Pickles hitting Brayden Smith from 18 yards to tie it. Then Pickles went deep to Zahmari Palode-Gary for 63 yards with 6:28 to play, and Mercer led 14-7.
Western Carolina did not go away. Jai Boyd, a wide receiver who also threw one pass all night (1 for 1, 5 yards, a touchdown), connected with Thomas from 5 yards with 1:29 left, and it was 14-14. A quarterback catching a touchdown from a receiver is the kind of thing you only get to enjoy when you lose. Mercer got the ball back and Zeidan did the rest.
The numbers say Mercer should have won by more. The Bears ran 49 times for 244 yards against 33 carries for 73 from the Catamounts, and out-gained them 386 to 293. They also threw two interceptions, and Western Carolina threw one. The visitors had the better passing day (220 yards to 142) and still scored 14.
Mercer moves to 5-1. Western Carolina falls to 3-3. For fantasy, Pickles and Thomas finished within half a point of each other (24.4 and 23.9), and Palode-Gary posted a season high on a single 63-yard catch.