It was a exciting week in the Southern Conference. The Conference race became a little clearer, but there is still a lot of football to play and anything can happen still. The Citadel took the drivers seat for the title by knocking off Chattanooga. Samford is still rolling with another big win, this time over VMI. Mercer got another one in the win column in a crazy game in Macon and Furman got its first win of the season in a big way over ETSU.
#7 The Citadel 22 #5 Chattanooga 14
Please see the AGS Game of the Week recap for a review of this game.
#19 Samford 55 VMI 21
Samford scored four times in the first quarter on Saturday and cruised past VMI easily by 34. This game showcased two of the SOCON best passers, Samford’s Devlin Hodges and VMI’s Al Cobb. Hodges had a monster day with 435 yards and 5 TDs.
Samford scored on 5 of its 7 first half possessions and snagged an interception for a pick six as well. VMI was stymied by two first half turnovers including the pick six interception thrown by Cobb. The Bulldog defense was pretty effective holding VMI to three, three and outs in the first half as well. By halftime, Samford had racked up 339 yards, mostly through the air, and a 38-14 lead.
VMI wasn’t about to give up though and they tried to make a game of it in the second half. After trading three punts to open the second half, VMI went on a quick 4 play 80 yard drive to cut the deficit to 38-21. Cobb tossed a 50 yarder on this drive. VMI held the explosive Samford offense again and drove the ball well again. But the Bulldogs stiffened up and held them on a 4th and 1 from the Samford 26. After trading punts again, including a bad one by VMI that gave the Bulldogs great field position, VMI held them and Samford was forced to kick a field goal to go up 41-21 at the start of the fourth.
On VMI’s next play, Cobb threw his second interception and gave Samford the ball at the VMI 45. The Bulldogs scored 5 plays later on another Hodges TD toss. Austin Coulling came in at this point as the Keydet QB, but VMI was done. Samford scored again on their next possession on pass by back up QB Liam Welch.
Samford rolled up 557 yards total for the day, including 95 on the ground, which is actually above their average. Hodges went 35/50 for 435 yards, 5 TDs and one interception. He is very dangerous QB. Samford’s scoring drives average under two minutes usually. They only had the ball 26 minute during the game. Cobb went 23/31 for 247 yards, with no TDs and 2 interceptions. VMI went a disappointing 80 yards on the ground.
VMI is now 3-3 and 1-2 in SOCON play and travels to faces a deflated, and probably pissed off Chattanooga next week. Samford improves to 5-1 and 3-1 and gets Western Carolina next at home.
Furman 52 ETSU 7
The Furman Paladins were looking for a win and they got it. The ETSU Bucs were overwhelmed by a very frustrated Furman team who has suffered through their worst start in half a century. And just as I predicted, they won big. On both sides of the ball, the Paladins played like they were possessed.
It did not start well for the Bucs. Furman went on a 7 play, 73 yard drive to open the game and scored on a 28 yard pass from Paladin QB Reese Hannon to Andrej Suttles. After a now healthy again Furman defense held ETSU to a three and out, Hannon connected again on a 9 yard TD pass after a six play drive to make it 14-0. Furman wanted to make a statement at this point and they opted for an onside kick. They didn’t recover, but they held the Bucs to another three and out. It did not take Furman long to score again as they went on a three play 80 yard drive and scored on yet another Hannon to Suttles pass. This time for 56 yards and it put Furman up 21-0 with about 4 minutes to go in the first quarter.
ETSU got on first down on their next drive, but penalties plagued them and they punted it back to the Paladins for a third time. Furman then went on another systematic drive, this time for 6 plays and 64 yards to score just seconds into the second quarter. By this point, Furman’s Hannon had gone 12 for 12 for 218 yards and 4 TD passes.
ETSU began there next drive and it looked like a revitalized Furman defense would stop them again after a three and out. But on a 4/1 at their own 34 the Bucs went for it and got it, barely. A quick strike pass for 18 yards and a rougher the passer penalty got them 15 more. Furman’s defense stiffened up and held them at the 21 and the Bucs attempted and missed a field goal to leave it at 28-0 with 8:05 to go in the half.
Furman got their running game going a bit on the next drive which included a 15 yard trot by Hannon. After a pass interference call deep in Bucs territory, Furman ran it in from the 2. The drive took 10 plays and went 79 yards. Hannon made his first two incompletions of the game on this drive. ETSU drove well on their next drive, but they ran out of time before the half with the ball on the Furman 38.
Furman dominated the first half behind the arm of Hannon. The Paladins totaled 336 yards to ETSU’s 94. Hannon went 14-16 for 244 yards and 4 TDs. They also rushed for 92. But the stat that Furman coach Bruce Fowler probably liked the best was Furman’s zero turnovers. Turnovers have really been Furman’s bane so far this year.
Already down 35-0, it had to be hard for the ETSU players to face the second half. Furman’s defense held the Bucs to a three and out on their first possession of the second half and the Paladins went on yet another long scoring drive. This time the drive was for 53 yards in 7 plays to make it 42-0. ETSU got a good drive going their next possession, but they were finally held and forced to punt yet again. Furman made an error at this point and rougher the punter to keep the Bucs drive alive. But the Paladin defense was not done yet and they held the Bucs again.
Now with about 4 minutes to go in the third, Furman started to rotate players in en masse. This included replacing Hannon with the Paladin’s former starting QB P.J.Blazejowski who had not seen action since Furman played Chattanooga. But Furman, now with a new sense of confidence, scored quickly as the third quarter was closing. After Furman tacked on a FG later, ETSU went on its best drive of the day and scored on a 12 play, 76 yard drive with just over two minutes to play to make it 52-7
Furman definitely got the monkey off its back with this win. Hannon had great numbers on the day going 16/18 for 267 yards and 4 TDs. The Paladins also got 198 on the ground. Bucs QB Austin Herink only went 8/21 for 65 yards. The Bucs did get 131 yards on the ground, but most of those were in the late 4th quarter.
Furman gets next week off before traveling to VMI the following week. ETSU gets Div II West Virginia Wesleyan on Thursday.
Mercer 38 WCU 24
Both the Mercer Bears and Western Carolina Catamounts were looking to bounce back after losses last week. Mercer has been looking for a break out game after a string of losses and close wins. Western Carolina was hoping to find it defense, absent for most of the year. It was a wild game, especially in the second half. But you wouldn’t have known it the way the game started.
It took both teams a while to get going in this game. On WCU’s first possession they fumbled after driving into Mercer territory. Mercer drove it right back in 7 plays to the WCU 28, but missed a field goal. The Cats went three and out though and Mercer again drove it well on a 14 play drive to the WCU 22. They again missed a field goal after the Cats held them. Not to be outdone, Western took the ball on a 9 play drive to the Mercer 8 for a field goal try of their own. They missed it as well.
After teams traded punts, the Bears again drove deep into Cat territory, but were once again held and forced to attempt yet another field goal. They got this time to go up on the Cats 3-0 with 2:39 to go in the half.
After the teams traded punts again, the Cats got a good drive going between some passes by Cats QB Tyrie Adams and a couple good runs by Detrez Newsome. Western executed a good two minute drill on this drive. But in a great razzle dazzle play call, the Cats pulled out an obviously planned hook and ladder to score easily from 28 yards out. Western had to be feeling good going in to the half up 7-3.
As boring as the first half was, minus the last score, the second half was bit crazy. Mercer took the kickoff and made a little headway before the Cats held them at the Mercer 45 on a 4th and 3. But Mercer decided to go for a fake punt. They didn’t get it and they fumbled in any event, but the ball got shot forward and the Cats could not jump on it until it was at their own 39. It almost looked liked Mercer intentionally tossed it forward because it shot out of his hands without being forced. In any event, the Cats made the Bears pay for it. Western went on a 6 play 61 yard drive highlighted by a 40 yard pass by Adams to the Bears 5. They scored two plays later to go up 14-3.
Mercer finally got going as well on their next possession with a 10 play, 79 yard TD drive. Bear QB John Russ connected on a 30 yarder on this drive to Marvin Tillman who ran for most of those 30.
Sometimes, there are plays that just change the complexion of games. The next play did that. Mercer kicked off from the 50 due to a roughing the passer on the previous Mercer TD play. Detrez Newsome took the kickoff at the 5 and immediately fumbled it. Mercer recovered and scored on the next play to go up 17-14.
It went slowly downhill from here for the Cats. On their next drive, Adams tossed his first interception at the WCU 33 on a tipped ball. Mercer struck back fast and scored in two plays on a jump ball deflection to Marquise Irvin on a 21 yard TD pass to go up 24-14.
Western answered back on an 8 play 82 yard TD drive capped off by a 43 yard TD pass to close it to 24-21. But Mercer answered back again in just 4 plays including a 55 yard pass to the WCU 6. A 5 yard TD pass two plays later was the third on the day for Russ.
Just a few seconds into the fourth quarter, and down by 10, Western started a nice drive to find themselves with a first and ten on the Mercer 11. Newsome suffered yet another fumble, this time forced by the Mercer defense. After Mercer had to punt, the Cats had an 11 play, 70 yard drive but got held at the Mercer 13 and had to settle for a field goal to close the deficit to a TD at 31-24.
Mercer got it back with 5:48 but the Cats did themselves no favors by committing an unsportsmanlike foul on the kickoff return to give Mercer free yards. The Bears put it out of reach after a 7 play drive to go up 38-24. With only 1:53 to go Western needed a miracle. What they got was another turn over as Adams tossed his second interception of the day.
There is no doubt that Tyrie Adams will be a very good QB. He went 24/40 for 384 yards with 2 TDs, but also 2 interceptions. His line seemed to give him enough time and he looked poised most of the time. Newsome is a very talented player, but he just had a bad day and it may have cost the Cats a win as a result. He finished with 85 yards rushing on the day, but had two costly fumbles. Overall, Western finished with 483 yards.
Mercer finished with 499 yards including 224 by Russ who went 18/32 with 3 TDs and no interceptions. Mercer also gained 275 on the ground with Alex Lakes leading the way with 112 and 2 TDs. The thing that has always impressed me about Mercer is that they do not get rattled, even when they are down. They certainly were not rattled in this game.
Mercer goes on the road next week at Austin Peay. Western Carolina faces Samford on the road.
Power Rankings
- The Citadel
- Chattanooga
- Samford
- Wofford
- Mercer
- Furman
- VMI
- Western Carolina
- ETSU
