Keeler's Corner: In-Season Update #1

Note: The following was written by Scott Keeler, who worked as a reporter at the Greenville News for more than 25 years and continues to cover the Southern Conference. “Keeler’s Corner” will appear throughout the season.

Keeler can be found on X @Scott_Keeler

Welcome to “Keeler’s Corner!” We’re off to a bit of a different schedule this football season. This first edition will focus on reviewing the season’s first half and looking ahead to key games over the next two weeks. I’ll recap the efforts of each Southern Conference team – in order of the current SoCon standings. Rankings are listed with the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Poll first and then the Stats Perform FCS Poll.

No. 7/7 MERCER (6-0 overall, 3-0 SoCon)

Mercer has matched the school record for consecutive wins (six) and raced up the national FCS polls thanks to a balanced offense and a pretty incredible effort on defense. First-year head coach Mike Jacobs has guided the Bears inside the top 10 in either poll for the first time ever.

They’ve gotten there thanks to a defense that has scored as many touchdowns as it’s allowed (four). Overall, Mercer has scored 25 touchdowns while its opponents have scored five.

Of those five touchdowns for Mercer opponents this year, three came in one game - a 38-21 win over The Citadel. None have come on the road. In three games away from Macon this season, the Bears have allowed just two field goals and a safety.

Mercer’s defense ranks No. 1 in the FCS in nine different statistical categories: scoring (7.7 points per game allowed); rushing (38.8 yards per game); yards per carry (1.5); touchdowns allowed (4); first downs (10.3 per game); interceptions (13); turnovers gained (19); passing efficiency (82.0); and sacks (3.3 per game).

The rushing number is especially impressive considering that second-place Nicholls (72.5) allows nearly twice as much per game. The Bears also rank second in total defense (219.3 yards per game), third-down defense (17.7 percent) and red zone defense (50 percent). On opponents’ 12 trips to the red zone, Mercer has allowed three touchdowns and three field goals.

Those impressive defensive totals should not overshadow other parts of a team that has been strong in all phases.

Quarterback D.J. Smith, a transfer from Jones County (Miss.) Junior College, leads the country in completion percentage (76.8) and ranks third in passing efficiency (180.9). He’s thrown for 981 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions, and has rushed for 167 yards and three scores.

Senior running back Dwayne McGee, a transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne, is second in the SoCon with 504 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

On special teams, sophomore receiver Brayden Smith leads the country averaging 22.6 yards per punt return and has found the end zone on two of them. Punter John McConnell ranks ninth nationally, averaging 45.5 yards per punt.

Mercer’s biggest win this season came in its SoCon opener at preseason favorite Chattanooga. Brayden Smith snapped a scoreless tie on a nine-yard touchdown run with less than six minutes left in the first half. That turned out to be the lone touchdown of the day as the Bears won, 10-3.

Mercer’s defense held the Mocs to a 0-for-12 showing on third down and 19 yards rushing on 20 carries. It was Chattanooga’s lowest rushing output in a game since running for seven yards in a loss to Furman in 2017.

Player of the year (so far): Cornerback T.J. Moore. For the FCS’ most prolific team at forcing turnovers, I’ll go with the most prolific turnover maker. Moore leads the nation with five interceptions, including a school-record three in Mercer’s 34-7 win over Princeton last Saturday. The senior also has a team-high six pass breakups and 19 tackles.

Next two weeks: The Bears travel to Samford this Saturday before wrapping up the month by hosting Western Carolina on Oct. 26. Mercer and the Catamounts are the only two teams that have yet to lose a conference game.

*****

Receiving Votes/RV WESTERN CAROLINA (3-3, 2-0)

It was already a roller coaster of a season at Western Carolina, even before Hurricane Helene caused unimaginable damage in and around communities around Cullowhee. A rugged non-conference schedule seems to be paying off for the Catamounts now though.

Western Carolina opened the season by giving Atlantic Coast Conference member N.C. State all they could handle. The Catamounts led 14-7 after one quarter in Raleigh and 21-17 entering the fourth, but the Wolfpack rallied for a 38-21 victory.

A strong showing against a nationally-ranked FBS team didn’t carry over to the home opener the following week though. The Catamounts’ offense had five turnovers and no touchdowns in a 24-16 loss to Campbell.

Western went back on the road and rallied from a 14-3 third quarter deficit to knock off then No. 22-ranked Elon, 24-17. The Catamounts left the state for the first time the next week when they traveled to national power Montana. The crowd of 25,720 was stunned when the Catamounts raced out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter. Western took a 27-14 lead on a touchdown with less than two minutes left in the first half, but the Catamounts had just one more score the rest of the way as the Grizzlies came back for a 46-35 win.

In what turned out to be a fortunate bit of scheduling, Western’s bye week was set for the final Saturday of September - the day after Helene hit.

The storm forced the Catamounts to open league play in unusual fashion the following week as they hosted Wofford in front of no fans. That move was made to not interrupt ongoing rescue and cleanup efforts in the area. Fans who were able to tune it at home enjoyed a great game. Playing for the first time since 2022, senior running back Jalynn Williams carried just three times for 10 yards, but scored a pair of touchdowns. The second of those gave Western a 21-17 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter and that was the final points of the day.

Western welcomed fans back to E.J. Whitmire Stadium last Saturday and they witnessed Williams score three touchdowns as the Catamounts defeated The Citadel, 30-16.

Player of the year (so far): Quarterback Cole Gonzales. Gonzales ranks ninth in the country in total offense averaging 282.8 yards per game. He’s thrown for 1,528 yards, including a season-high 340 at Montana. He’s rushed for 169 yards, including a season-high 75 at N.C. State. After throwing for 294 yards and a score last week, Gonzales moved into third place in school history with 44 career passing touchdowns, and moved into fourth place in career passing (5,667 yards) and total offense (6,186).

Next two weeks: Western Carolina wraps up October with road trips to 2023 SoCon champion Furman and current SoCon leader Mercer.

*****

RV/No. 19 CHATTANOOGA (3-3, 2-1)

Perhaps no SoCon team has been as battle tested as Chattanooga. According to the Massey Strength of Schedule, the Mocs have faced the fourth toughest schedule in the country.

After opening the season with a lopsided loss to FBS power Tennessee, Chattanooga just missed an FBS victory the next week in Atlanta. After Georgia State opened the scoring with a field goal, there were seven lead changes as the teams traded three touchdowns apiece. The Mocs couldn’t answer Georgia State’s final score midway through the fourth quarter though as they lost, 24-21.

Chattanooga got in the win column for the first time on Sept. 28, when it piled up 567 yards of total offense in a 45-30 win over Portland State. Chase Artopoeus passed for 396 yards and four touchdowns as a Mocs team that has struggled mightily on third down at times this season went 11-for-13 in third down conversions and never punted.

The Mocs have allowed just 10 points apiece in each of their three SoCon games - with very different results in each one. The week before that offensive explosion against Portland State, Chattanooga could get nothing going offensively in a 10-3 home loss to Mercer.

In what could be considered the game of the year in the league, Chattanooga picked up its first SoCon win on Oct. 5 with a gritty 17-10 victory at ETSU. After the Buccaneers tied the game at 10-10 on a touchdown with 6:33 left to play, Chattanooga answered with an 11-play, 75-yard drive. It was capped by Reggie Davis’ one-yard touchdown run for the game-winning score with 43 seconds left. Freshman defensive back Beni Mwamba sealed the Rail Rivalry win on an interception with five seconds left.

Chattanooga kept up the road momentum last week when it rolled over reigning SoCon champion Furman, 41-10. Of the Mocs’ 41 points, 24 came off turnovers as they forced four interceptions and a fumble recovery. The 31-point margin matched Chattanooga’s largest ever in the series. The Mocs recorded a 45-14 win in Greenville in 1979. It was Chattanooga’s ninth win ever at Paladin Stadium, the most for any Furman opponent.

Player of the year (so far): Wide receiver Sam Phillips. Phillips ranks third in the country in receiving, averaging 104.8 yards per game. He’s caught 33 passes for 629 yards and three scores. Fellow receiver Javin Whatley, who had 10 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown in the win at Furman, is second in the SoCon in receiving as he’s averaging 75.2 yards per game.

Next two weeks: Chattanooga, which has 73 first downs over its current three-game winning streak, will try to keep up the momentum at home as it hosts Wofford and VMI to close out October.

*****

RV/No. 23 ETSU (4-3, 2-1)

Here in the middle of October, ETSU has already played seven games and in some ways Tre Lamb’s first season as head coach has to have felt even longer. The Buccaneers have suffered two heartbreaking losses at home and witnessed real-life heartbreaking scenes on an unbelievable road trip.

After opening the season with a loss at former SoCon rival and now FBS program App State and a win over Virginia-Wise, ETSU welcomed No. 2-ranked North Dakota State to Johnson City.

Facing the most ballyhooed program in the FCS, the Bucs had a 12-point lead and possession of the ball with less than three minutes to play before it all slipped away. NDSU scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes and then picked off an ETSU pass with 17 seconds left to escape with a 38-35 win.

The Bucs bounced back with an impressive 34-14 victory at Elon. After that fairly simple road trip, no one had any idea how unsimple the next one would be. ETSU was set to depart for their Sept. 28 game at The Citadel on the Friday before. After the projected path of Hurricane Helene went further right than expected overnight Thursday into Friday morning, the Bucs hustled to make it down Interstate 26 before it closed after being washed out behind them. After learning that I-40 was closed, the ETSU buses tried to continue on I-26 before it also closed. That left the team stranded in a parking lot off the side of the interstate. With restaurants around them closed, ETSU coaches walked to an Ingles. It was also closed, but the manager gave the team 100 pre-made sandwiches.

The team was stranded for hours with no cell service. Players began to sleep on the bus late that night before being informed around 1:30 a.m. that I-26 had reopened. ETSU got back on the road and pulled into Charleston about 4:30 a.m. After eating meals that were delivered to their hotel from Waffle House, the team got a few hours of sleep before heading to The Citadel for a 5 p.m. kickoff.

After an understandably slow start, ETSU scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to complete a 34-17 win.

The Bucs returned home the following Saturday for the Rail Rivalry against Chattanooga. ETSU trailed 10-3 midway through the fourth quarter before Gino English hit A.J. Johnson with a 25-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Chattanooga answered with a go-ahead touchdown with 43 seconds left and then got an interception with five seconds left to seal the Bucs’ 17-10 loss.

ETSU trailed Samford 28-14 midway through the third quarter last week before rallying to score the game’s final 17 points for a 31-28 victory. With 1:46 left, English’s one-yard quarterback sneak was the game-winning score.

Player of the year (so far): Running back Bryson Irby. Irby leads the SoCon in rushing, averaging 85.8 yards per game. For the season, he’s rushed 71 times for 515 yards and five touchdowns. Irby’s 7.25 yards per carry average ranks seventh nationally. In the loss to NDSU, he had a career-high 147 yards and matched his career-high with three touchdowns.

Next two weeks: ETSU gets a well-deserved bye this week before traveling to Wofford on Oct. 26.

SAMFORD (2-3, 1-1)

The road has been unkind to Samford this season in more ways than one. The Bulldogs are 2-0 at home and 0-3 on the road. They actually are a pair of blown fourth quarter leads away from being 4-1 and unbeaten in FCS play.

Samford opened the season by traveling just across the border to face new FCS member West Georgia. The Bulldogs scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 29-26 lead into the fourth quarter, but saw that lead disappear in a 38-29 loss.

After a 45-7 loss at Florida, Samford had an unusually low output in its home opener on Sept. 14 but did what was needed to record a 12-7 win over Alabama State. It was the fewest points for the Bulldogs in a win since a 12-10 victory over Austin Peay in 1996.

Samford had a bye week to prepare for its SoCon opener at Furman, but that turned into a two-week break thanks to Hurricane Helene. The Bulldogs made it to Greenville on the Friday the storm hit, only to discover that their hotel had no power. Furman, which also didn’t have power, looked at possibly moving the game to Sunday. After never being able to find the Bulldogs a hotel that had power and enough vacant rooms for a football team, the game was canceled.

Samford got its offense on track the following week against VMI. In a 27-3 win, quarterback Quincy Crittendon completed 26-of-30 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

Last week, Crittendon’s fourth touchdown pass of the day gave the Bulldogs a 28-14 lead at ETSU midway through the third quarter. The Bucs proceeded to score the final 17 points to hand Samford a tough 31-28 loss.

Player of the year (so far): Quarterback Quincy Crittendon. Crittendon is second in the conference in passing efficiency rating (148.8) and fourth in the FCS in completion percentage (72.4). Crittendon has completed 118-of-163 passes for 1,138 yards with a league-high 10 touchdowns and a league-low two interceptions.

Next two weeks: Samford’s unbeaten home mark will be put to the test this week as the Bulldogs host seventh-ranked Mercer. The Bulldogs travel to The Citadel to wrap up October.

*****

FURMAN (2-4, 1-1)

This season has shown that even programs like Furman - one of only three FCS teams to win at least 10 games each of the previous two seasons - are not immune to growing pains. The reigning SoCon champion Paladins returned just seven starters off last year’s team and this year’s roster is loaded with freshmen and sophomores. The 2023 team went 10-3 and had its season end in a heartbreaking overtime loss at Montana in the FCS playoff quarterfinals.

This year began on a somber note when defensive lineman Bryce Stanfield tragically passed away. His passing came two days after he suffered a medical emergency as he looked on during a workout days before spring practice had been scheduled to begin. There’s now a monument honoring Stanfield in one corner of Paladin Stadium. A different pair of teammates have the honor of holding up his jersey during the pregame coin toss every week.

Coach Clay Hendrix thought his offense could be more explosive this season and, in a way, it has. In Furman’s 48-7 win over Stetson, freshman quarterback Trey Hedden completed three passes of at least 50 yards in his first collegiate start. The Paladins had just two 50-yard pass plays all of last season. Two projected starters on defense went down with season-ending injuries in the preseason and two more starters have during the season.

The problem has been a lack of consistency on offense and that is a result of not being able to run the ball effectively. That lack of a running game has also led to serious issues in converting on third down. The Paladins rank 113th nationally in third down conversion percentage at 28 percent (21-of-75) and 115th in rushing (89.7 yards per game).

A week after having their scheduled SoCon opener at home against Samford get canceled due to the effects of Hurricane Helene, the Paladins opened SoCon play at rival The Citadel. After an extremely sluggish offensive performance for three quarters, Furman came to life late in the fourth quarter. Hedden threw a pair of touchdowns in the final six minutes to rally Furman from a 16-3 deficit to a 17-16 victory.

That momentum didn’t carry over to last week however as Chattanooga downed the Paladins, 41-10. It was the most lopsided SoCon loss in Hendrix’s eight-year tenure and also marked the first time Furman had a minus-five turnover margin in a single game under Hendrix. Furman’s offense suffered four interceptions and a lost fumble.

Player of the year (so far): Linebacker Evan DiMaggio. The great nephew of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, Evan DiMaggio has also been a big hitter. He’s also been a consistent tackler this season, averaging a SoCon-best 9.7 per game.

Next two weeks: Furman hosts Western Carolina on Saturday before it’s regularly scheduled bye next Saturday. The last time the Paladins hosted the Catamounts, Furman won a 47-40 shootout in 2022. The Paladins held on for the win despite a Furman opponent’s single-game record 691 yards of total offense by Western Carolina.

*****

WOFFORD (3-3, 1-2)

With three wins at the midpoint of the season, Wofford is poised for its winnigest season in five years. The Terriers haven’t won more than three games in a season since going 8-4 in 2019.

A number of Terriers have played a role in the solid start as the team has had five different SoCon Players of the Week thus far. That’s the most Wofford has had in a season since having eight in 2017.

Pass defense has been a difference maker for Wofford this season. The Terriers lead the SoCon allowing just 175.3 yards per game. After just five interceptions on defense in 2022 and nine last season, Wofford has 10 already this season - the fourth highest total in the FCS.

Wofford opened the season by outscoring Gardner-Webb 10-0 in the fourth quarter to rally for a 21-20 road victory. Those scores came on a seven-yard touchdown run by Ryan Ingram and a 45-yard field goal by Bridger Jones.

The Terriers traveled to Richmond the next week. Once again, they had a 10-point fourth quarter thanks to a touchdown by Ingram and a 41-yard field goal by Jones to knock off the Spiders, 26-19. Dating back to last season’s stunning upset win over Furman, the Richmond win gave Wofford a three-game winning streak all against teams that made the 2023 FCS playoffs.

In the home opener the following week, Wofford and William and Mary traded touchdowns throughout the game. However, the Tribe had the first one and the final one to deal the Terriers a 28-21 loss.

In an early SoCon showdown the day after Helene hit, Wofford was still able to host Mercer. The Terriers trailed just 6-3 at the half, but four second-half interceptions doomed them in a 22-3 loss.

After a tough 21-17 loss at Western Carolina on Oct. 5, Wofford picked up its first league win last Saturday against VMI. The Terriers trailed 16-15 early in the fourth quarter before scoring the game’s final 16 points to post a 31-16 win.

The go-ahead score against the Keydets came with 6:23 remaining on a 95-yard touchdown pass from Pauly Seeley to Rickie Shaw. That’s the longest pass play in Wofford history.

Player of the year (so far): Linebacker Jalen Marshall. Marshall has made plays all over the field this season. The junior leads the team in tackles (52), solo tackles (35), tackles-for-loss (8) and pass breakups (5). Marshall also has an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Next two weeks: Wofford has a chance to make some noise in the standings as they play at Chattanooga on Saturday and then host ETSU next Saturday. The Terriers had a 13-6 lead in the second half against the Mocs last season, but Chattanooga scored the game’s final 17 points to hand Wofford a 23-13 loss.

*****

VMI (0-6, 0-2)

After going 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the SoCon in Rocco Miller’s first season as head coach last year, VMI has returned to the kind of struggles it experienced in a 1-10 season in 2022.

The only loss the Keydets have had that wasn’t by double digits occurred in the home opener against Bucknell. VMI trailed that day 35-14 in the fourth quarter before Hunter Rice scored on a two-yard touchdown run and Chandler Wilson hit Ryan von Brandt on a 17-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 35-28.

With only 29 seconds left after von Brandt’s score, the Keydets had to try an onside kick. It only went seven yards before ending up out of bounds and Bucknell took one knee to wrap it up.

The only other game in which VMI posted more than 10 points came last week in Spartanburg. After falling behind 15-0 after one quarter, special teams and defense got VMI going. A 38-yard field goal by Caden Beck put the Keydets on the board in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Shamus Jones’ 41-yard interception return for a touchdown cut Wofford’s lead to 15-9. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Nathan Lhotsky recovered a blocked punt in the end zone as VMI took a 16-15 lead. It was the Keydets’ third lead all season and first one not to occur in the first quarter. Wofford rallied though and went on to a 31-16 win.

For the season, VMI had scored just six offensive touchdowns while its defense has allowed 28. 

Player of the year (so far): Defensive back Kouri Crump. Crump leads the Keydets in tackles (49), solo tackles (35) and tackles-for-loss (5). He also has two pass breakups, a forced fumble and the blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown at Wofford.

Next two weeks: VMI hosts The Citadel Saturday before wrapping up October at Chattanooga next Saturday. The Keydets will try to hang on to the Silver Shako trophy acquired in a victory in Charleston last season. This year’s game will be the 80th edition of the Military Classic of the South.

*****

THE CITADEL (2-5, 0-4)

After a thrilling start to the 2024 season, The Citadel has experienced tough losses in SoCon play.

The Bulldogs opened the season by making the 17-mile road trip to North Charleston to take on Charleston Southern in the inaugural Lowcountry Boil Bowl. The Citadel trailed 21-3 midway through the third quarter before making a furious comeback that resulted in one-yard touchdown runs by Johnathan Bennett, Johnny Crawford and Garrison Johnson.

Johnson’s game-winning score came with 1:55 left. It was set up by a DaVonyae Pettis sack that resulted in a fumble recovered by Chris Benton at the Charleston Southern 13-yard line. The Bulldogs held on for the win thanks to a blocked field goal by Bradlee Jones with three seconds remaining.

In the home opener the next week, The Citadel and South Carolina State traded four scores apiece. S.C. State’s three touchdowns and one field goal bested The Citadel’s two touchdowns and two field goals in a 23-20 decision.

The Citadel wrapped up the early portion of its non-league schedule with a 54-0 win over North Greenville.

While the Bulldogs have been competitive in each SoCon matchup, they’ve come out on the losing end each time. The only one in which The Citadel didn’t either have a lead or was tied in was a 30-16 loss at Western Carolina last Saturday.

The most heartbreaking loss came against longtime rival Furman on Oct. 5. The Bulldogs had a 16-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter before the Paladins scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes to hand The Citadel a 17-16 loss.

Player of the year (so far): Linebacker Thomas Wyatt. Wyatt leads the Bulldogs in tackles (58), solo tackles (35), tackles-for-loss (8.5) and sacks (2.5). 

Next two weeks: The Citadel will try to put everything together when it battles for the coveted Silver Shanko trophy at VMI Saturday. The Bulldogs wrap up October at home when they return home to host Samford.