Mercer Scores 21 in the Third Quarter to Beat The Citadel 28-19
Mercer had zero points at halftime. It won 28-19. The Citadel led 10-0 at the break, and then the third quarter happened.
Sebastien Boyle ran 40 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and Evan Kiely kicked a 37-yard field goal to open the second for the visitors' 10-0 lead, and that was all the scoring in the first half. In the third quarter JP Pickles threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Devon Caldwell at 11:15, an 80-yard one to Brayden Smith at 7:59, and ran in from 2 yards at 1:33. That is 21 points in 9:42, and Mercer led 21-10 going into the fourth.
Kiely kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it 21-13. Pickles then found Travion Solomon for 24 yards and a 28-13 lead with 7:24 left. Nick Billoups ran 18 yards for a score with 2:24 to go, but the extra point was blocked, so it stayed 28-19 and The Citadel got no closer than nine.
The yardage is the odd part. The Citadel ran 46 times for 144 yards and Mercer ran 26 times for 73, but Mercer threw for 252 yards to 143. The Citadel lost a fumble and Mercer lost none. All of The Citadel's touchdowns were runs, the 40-yarder by Boyle and the 18-yarder by Billoups. Mercer is 7-1 and The Citadel is 1-6.
Pickles was the fantasy answer: 17 of 20, three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown for 38 points. Smith's 80-yard catch was the swing play, and it came with Mercer still down 10-7.