East Tennessee State Buccaneers at Mercer Bears
· NCAA - Football
Big plays on defense, special teams help Mercer edge East Tennessee State 37-31
Those scores, the first of three field goals by Reice Griffith and a 34-yard touchdown pass from Whitt Newbauer to Kelin Parsons had the Bears (8-1, 5-1 Southern Conference) on top 31-14 with less than five minutes to play in the third quarter.
Mercer then chewed up 4:18 before Griffiths' third field goal, a 31-yarder, made it 37-28.
ETSU used two passes to gain 47 yards and opted for a quick 44-yard field goal from Ewan Johnson with 45 seconds remaining. Then the Buccaneers recovered to onside kick, the first nullified by an offside call and the second because the kicker touched the ball before it went 10 yards. The second infraction gave Mercer the ball and the Bears ran out the clock to win the homecoming game.
Dwayne Mcgee rushed for 124 yards for Mercer.
Jaylen King and English combined to go 25 of 44 for 459 yards passing with three touchdowns and three interceptions. The Buccaneers had 13 yards rushing but Johnson (162), Ephraim Floyd (112) and Hakeem Meggett (108) all had career days receiving.
----
How To Watch
How can I watch East Tennessee State Buccaneers vs. Mercer Bears?
- TV Channel: Buccaneers at Bears 2021 College Football, week 10, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
FG | 1st Period 10:49 | Reice Griffith 36 Yd Field Goal |
 |
TD | 1st Period 10:34 | Hakeem Meggett 68 Yd pass from Jaylen King (Ewan Johnson Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 2:02 | Gino English 1 Yd Run (Ewan Johnson Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 13:29 | Brayden Manley 0 Yd Fumble Return (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 12:16 | Marques Thomas 25 Yd Interception Return (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 9:22 | Kelin Parsons 34 Yd pass from Whitt Newbauer (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 4:38 | Mic Wasson 20 Yd blocked Punt Return (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 2:40 | AJ Johnson 18 Yd pass from Gino English (Ewan Johnson Kick) |
|
FG | 4th Period 12:44 | Reice Griffith 36 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 4th Period 5:55 | AJ Johnson 9 Yd pass from Gino English (Ewan Johnson Kick) |
|
FG | 4th Period 1:37 | Reice Griffith 31 Yd Field Goal |
|
FG | 4th Period 0:45 | Ewan Johnson 44 Yd Field Goal |
Statistics
 ETSU |
 MER |
|
|---|---|---|
| 19 | 1st Downs | 15 |
| 4-15 | 3rd down efficiency | 1-16 |
| 1-2 | 4th down efficiency | 0-0 |
| 472 | Total Yards | 292 |
| 459 | Passing | 162 |
| 25/44 | Comp/Att | 18/29 |
| 10.4 | Yards per pass | 5.6 |
| 13 | Rushing | 130 |
| 30 | Rushing Attempts | 42 |
| 0.4 | Yards per rush | 3.1 |
| 10-73 | Penalties | 11-89 |
| 4 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 1 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 3 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 27:01 | Possession | 32:59 |
Game Information
Location: Macon, GA
Attendance: 8,692 · Capacity:
College Football News
Judge weighs $2.8B NCAA settlement amid objection filings
Over a dozen objections were filed against the nearly $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement ahead of Friday's deadline. A hearing for the the settlement has been scheduled for April 7.
Top 5 Heisman favorites in 2025
Check out the top five Heisman Trophy favorites for 2025 according to ESPN BET.
Betting buzz: Breaking down the early Heisman favorites
Does Arch Manning deserve to be a Heisman contender in his first year starting, or will Jeremiah Smith steal the spotlight in his second year? Pamela Maldonado breaks down the early Heisman favorites.
Texas QB Arch Manning betting favorite to win Heisman Trophy
Texas' Arch Manning opens as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at ESPN BET. He's followed by fellow QBs Garrett Nussmeier, Nico Iamaleava, Cade Klubnik and Drew Allar.
Sports gambling scandal timeline: From Jontay Porter to Terry Rozier
Federal prosecutors are investigating unusual betting patterns surrounding the play of former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier.