defense vs mercer
Mercer Athletics
3
VMI VMI 2-3 , 1-1
38
Winner Mercer MER 3-2 , 1-1
VMI VMI
2-3 , 1-1
3
Final
38
Mercer MER
3-2 , 1-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
VMI VMI 0 0 3 0 3
MER Mercer 7 14 14 3 38

Game Recap: Football |

Keydets fall to Mercer in SoCon road opener

Box Score
 
MACON, Ga. – Coming off a big conference win over Wofford at home last week, the VMI football team took to the road to face SoCon foe Mercer but came up on the short end, 38-3, Saturday evening at Five Star Stadium in Macon, Georgia.
 
VMI (2-3, 1-1) got behind early and struggled to maintain pace with the host Bears (3-2, 1-1) as Mercer finished with 401 yards of total offense spurred by 298 yards on the ground. Keydet quarterback Collin Ironside finished with 176 yards through the air but was sacked three times and picked off once while the Bear defense held VMI to 42 net rushing yards.
 
Key Stats
-With his 40-yard reception in the second quarter, receiver Chance Knox now has over 2,000 career all-purpose yards
-Kicker Caden Beck kicks a career-high 46-yard field goal in the third quarter
- Receiver VJ Johnson registers a career-high five catches on the day 
-On the defensive side, senior Evan Eller finishes with 12.0 tackles and Josh Knapp is right behind with 11.0
 
 
Catching up with Coach (Rocco)
 On his thoughts following the game
It was a really disappointing afternoon of football for us. We got outplayed and outcoached. We got off to a bad start, which we talked about all week long the need to get off to a fast start. We were minus-3 in the turnover margin and we gave up a punt return for a touchdown. You're not going to beat anybody playing like that. We played poorly in all three phases.
 
 On the bye week
We have an open date, which is a good thing. It's a good time. We need to take a step back and reassess what we're doing and who we're doing it with then move forward with passion and focus. The Citadel game will be very meaningful for our program, the institution and for our season.
 
What's Next?
VMI has a chance to recuperate and heal with a bye next Saturday. The Keydets return to action the following Saturday, October 14, at rival The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.
 
A Closer Look
Mercer got on the board quickly on the first play from scrimmage when Al Wooten II rushed around the corner for a 76-yard touchdown run for a quick 7-0 lead for the Bears.
 
In the second quarter, Mercer registered two scores, the first coming off a Tyrell Coard eight-yard rush at the 5:21 mark just before Devron Harper had a 33-yard touchdown reception from Carter Peevy to put the Bears up, 21-0, going into the break.
 
Early in the second half, Harper scored again for Mercer when he housed a 73-yard punt return at the 13:18 mark of the third quarter for a 28-0 Bears advantage.
 
VMI kicker Caden Beck put VMI on the board moments later (11:03, 3rd Qtr.) with a career high 46-yard field goal conversion to avoid a shutout. The drive was fueled by kick returner Ivan Thorpe's 45-yard return to the VMI 48 followed by a 33-yard reception from Ironside to Isaiah Lemmond to the Mercer 19.
 
The Bears would add one more touchdown midway through the third quarter and a short field goal early in the fourth for the game's final score.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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