Mercer Bears at Samford Bulldogs
· NCAA - Football
Samford hands Mercer first loss of season 55-35
Crittendon was 23-of-37 passing for 378 yards and survived three interceptions for the Bulldogs (3-3, 2-1 Southern). Damonta Witherspoon added a pair of short touchdown runs in the final minutes of the first half for a 42-7 lead.
Mercer (6-1, 3-1) scored 21 straight points in the third quarter, two on short runs by Dwayne McGee to make it 42-21 but Gavin Morris' 55-yard fumble return and Noah Martin's 26-yard pick-6 in the fourth quarter fended off the Bears.
There were eight turnovers in the game, five by Mercer.
D.J. Rias had a pair of TD catches for the Bulldogs.
D.J. Smith threw for 263 yards with a TD and an interception and Whitt Newbauer threw for another 89 yards with a TD and pick for Mercer, which had won seven straight games dating to last season and is ranked No. 7 in the FCS coaches' poll. Kelin Parsons had 106 yards receiving.
How To Watch
How can I watch Mercer Bears vs. Samford Bulldogs?
- TV Channel: Bears at Bulldogs 2021 College Football, week 8, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
TD | 1st Period 12:15 | D.J. Rias 15 Yd pass from Quincy Crittendon (Wilson Beaverstock Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 11:32 | D.J. Rias 15 Yd pass from Quincy Crittendon (Wilson Beaverstock Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 10:59 | E. Jai Mason 24 Yd pass from Quincy Crittendon (Wilson Beaverstock Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 8:25 | Iaan Cousin 77 Yd pass from Quincy Crittendon (Wilson Beaverstock Kick) |
 |
TD | 1st Period 0:18 | D.J. Smith 1 Yd Run (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 4:22 | Damonta Witherspoon 2 Yd Run (Wilson Beaverstock Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 0:22 | Damonta Witherspoon 4 Yd Run (Wilson Beaverstock Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 11:38 | Dwayne Mcgee 1 Yd Run (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 5:38 | Dwayne Mcgee 2 Yd Run (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 2:25 | Samuel Albee 5 Yd pass from D.J. Smith (Reice Griffith Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 11:43 | Gavin Morris 55 Yd Fumble Return (Wilson Beaverstock PAT failed) |
|
TD | 4th Period 6:33 | Noah Martin 26 Yd Interception Return (Wilson Beaverstock Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 1:42 | Brayden Smith 5 Yd pass from Whitt Newbauer (Reice Griffith Kick) |
Statistics
 MER |
 SAM |
|
|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1st Downs | 19 |
| 7-16 | 3rd down efficiency | 2-13 |
| 1-1 | 4th down efficiency | 2-2 |
| 391 | Total Yards | 446 |
| 352 | Passing | 378 |
| 24/39 | Comp/Att | 23/37 |
| 9.0 | Yards per pass | 10.2 |
| 39 | Rushing | 68 |
| 34 | Rushing Attempts | 33 |
| 1.1 | Yards per rush | 2.1 |
| 5-50 | Penalties | 3-24 |
| 5 | Turnovers | 3 |
| 3 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 2 | Interceptions thrown | 3 |
| 31:13 | Possession | 28:47 |
Game Information
Location: Birmingham, AL
Attendance: 4,216 · Capacity:
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