Steve Irvine’s Five Storylines for Samford vs. MERCER
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - October 19, 2024
MERCER VS. SAMFORD
Site, kickoff time: Pete Hanna Stadium, 2 p.m.
Record: Mercer 6-0 overall, 3-0 SoCon; USF 2-3 overall, 1-1 SoCon
Five storylines
1. Did Samford put last week’s disappointing loss at ETSU in the rearview mirror? The Bulldogs held the lead for nearly the entire game at ETSU. However, it was ETSU leading at the end. Samford did a lot of good things in that game but also walked away with a ton of shoulda, coulda, wouldas. The Bulldogs have to put that to rest though, especially with No. 7 ranked Mercer coming to Homewood. Building off the ETSU game – both bad and good – could be beneficial for Samford moving forward.
2. Can Samford use the homefield advantage to pull off a big win? Mercer has won six of its last seven road games, including the last six in regular season play. Samford is traditionally hard to beat at home. Something has to give in this one.
3. Is the Mercer defense unbeatable? The obvious answer to this one is no. Every defense has the ability to get beat, but the Mercer defense is pretty darn good. The Bears are ranked No. 2 in FCS in total defense after allowing 219.3 yards per game in six games. The Citadel had a season-high 393 yards, including 304 yards the air, in a 35-21 loss to the Bears. No other team has cracked the 300-yard mark in total offense against Mercer. The Bears lead the country in rush defense, allowing 38.8 yards per game on the ground. They also lead the country in passing efficiency defense and scoring defense (7.7 points per game) and are second in third down defense and red zone defense. How does Samford crack that defense?
4. Will turnovers tell that tale on Saturday? Mercer is second in the country in turnover margin (plus-10) but, at least offensively, Samford has been more efficient. The Bulldogs offense turned the ball over just four times – two fumbles, two interceptions – in five games. Mercer, on the other hand, has seven interceptions and two lost fumbles in six games. Defensively, though, the Bears have been opportunistic with 13 interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Cornerback T.J. Moore leads the country with five interceptions, including three in last week’s win over Princeton. Safety Myles Redding has three interceptions and cornerback Dainsus Miller has two picks. Samford quarterback Quincy Crittendon, who has two interceptions on 163 pass attempts this season, needs to be careful with the football.
5. Will someone beside Noah Martin lead Samford in tackles on Saturday? Martin was the team leader in tackles in each of the first four games. This past Saturday, that honor went to fellow linebacker Jaden Mosley, who had 12 tackles, with sophomore safety C.J Douglas tying a career-high with 10 tackles. Martin (48 tackles), Mosley (38 tackles) and Douglas (35 tackles) are the team leaders in tackles.