The Bears will make their second playoffs appearance on Dec. 7 at Five Star Stadium. No. 7 national seed Mercer will face the winner of the opening round matchup between 10th-seeded Rhode Island and Central Connecticut State.
It will mark the second-straight NCAA Football Championship Series playoffs appearance for the Bears, who earned their first Southern Conference championship outright with a 49-23 win over visiting Furman on Nov. 23 in Macon. It was the ninth consecutive home triumph for Mercer, which also matched the 2013 squad for the most wins in school history.
Rhode Island captured the Coastal Athletic Association’s automatic bid on the way to registering a 10-2 record during the regular season, including a 26-9 road win over then-No. 19 New Hampshire. The Rams will ride one of the nation’s best offensive lines into the postseason, one that has allowed just 13 sacks all season, while also paving the way for graduate running back Malik Grant who ran for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns through 12 games.
Central Connecticut State claimed the Northeast Conference title, as well as the NEC’s automatic bid, with a 21-14 win over 19th-ranked Duquesne on Nov. 23 in New Britain, Connecticuit. The Blue Devils are fueled by FCS’s eighth-ranked rushing defense and 20th-ranked total defense, which also ranks second, nationally, in turnovers gained and turnover margin. CCSU will also ride a four-game win streak into the postseason.
Stay tuned to mercerbears.com for kickoff time and ticket information.
