On Saturday afternoon, the Alabama Crimson Tide will officially return home for the first time since their impressive road victory over the LSU Tigers in Week 11, as the program gets set to take on the Mercer Bears in non-conference action.
An opponent from the FCS level, the Bears are currently in the midst of a strong 2024 season, and will come to Tuscaloosa riding a three-game winning streak. The Bears are also ranked among the top FCS teams in the country, sporting only one loss so far this season.
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup in Tuscaloosa, here is everything you need to know about the 2024 Mercer Bears before of their trip to Alabama to face the Crimson Tide:
Team Overview
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Team Name: Mercer Bears
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Conference: Southern
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Stadium: Five Star Stadium, Macon, Georgia
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2024 Record: 9-1 overall (6-1 in Southern)
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Ranking: No. 9 in FCS Coaches Poll
As mentioned previously, the Mercer Bears are an opponent from the FCS level where they play in the Southern Conference. So far this season, Mercer sits with a 9-1 overall record where their lone loss came on the road at Samford, 55-35, and are currently ranked No. 9 nationally according to the latest FCS Coaches Poll.
Coaching Staff
The head coach at Mercer is Mike Jacobs, who is currently in his first season with the Bears after four seasons in Division II at Lenior-Rhyne. Mercer also has a pair of coordinators in Anthony Soto and Jahmal Brown who are in their first season with the Bears program, with each also previously serving in the same role under Jacobs at Lenoir-Rhyne.
Offensive Stats
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PPG: 34.8 (No. 16 in FCS)
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Total Yards Per Game: 411.5
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Passing Yards Per Game: 234.3
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Rushing Yards Per Game: 177.2
The Mercer Bears will come to Tuscaloosa with the No. 16 scoring offense in the FCS averaging a total of 34.8 PPG. Mercer is also averaging 411.5 total yards per game, and rank among the Top 30 in FCS in both passing and rushing.
Defensive Stats
![Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) runs away from Mercer cornerback TJ Moore (25) after catching a pass Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The gain was negated by a penalty. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
Alabama Vs Mercer](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/r6MZtuU6bPvkqa1wVo57VQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzMQ--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/roll_tide_wire_usa_today_articles_214/64c0a396c5c600f59da68efb120b1eb8)
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PPG: 16.6 (No. 8 in FCS)
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Total Yards Per Game: 291.5
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Passing Yards Per Game: 236.8
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Rushing Yards Per Game: 54.7
Defensively, Mercer is one of the top teams in the FCS, as the Bears rank No. 8 nationally with only 16.6 PPG allowed to opponents. The Bears also have the FCS’ top rushing defense allowing only 54.7 yards per game to opponents, as well as a Top 10 defense in the FCS when it comes to total yards allowed per game with 291.5.
Offensive Names to Know
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Dwayne McGee, Running Back – Senior
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DJ Smith, Quarterback – Junior
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Kelin Parsons, Wide Receiver – Senior
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Brayden Smith, Wide Receiver – Sophomore
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Whitt Newbauer, Quarterback – Freshman
The top name to know on Mercer’s offense is likely Dwayne McGee, who is an experienced running back who has 983 yards and seven touchdowns on 173 rushing attempts so far this season. Three different quarterbacks have also played noteworthy snaps so far this season, but the two to know might just be DJ Smith and Whitt Newbauer.
Defensive Names to Know
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Myles Redding, Safety – Senior
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TJ Moore, Cornerback – Senior
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Brayden Manley, Defensive Line – Sophomore
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Ken Standley, Linebacker – Redshirt Senior
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Issac Dowling, Linebacker – Senior
Mercer’s defense has a pair of defensive backs in Myles Redding and TJ Moore who rank among the FCS leaders with six interceptions so far this season. The Bears also have a few prominent pass rushers on their defense, a group led by defensive lineman Brayden Manley with a team-high seven sacks.
This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama 2024 Opponent Preview: Mercer Bears
