FINAL SCORE
Western Carolina Catamounts at Mercer Bears game details
Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET
Five Star Stadium · Attendance 3,139
Put the final score in perspective.
Mercer finished 3 points ahead. The teams combined for 31 points. This is an unadjusted scoring comparison, with no allowance for possessions, opponent strength or overtime.
The reported halftime score was Western Carolina 7, Mercer 0. Across the 4 regulation quarters with line-score data for both teams, Mercer outscored its opponent in 2 and Western Carolina in 1. A quarter advantage counts scoring in that quarter only.
How these comparisons are calculated ↗QUARTER BY QUARTER
Line score
 Western Carolina | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
 Mercer | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
THE MATCHUP IN NUMBERS
Team statistics
| 1st Downs | 17 | 23 |
| 3rd down efficiency | 6-17 | 4-13 |
| 4th down efficiency | 1-2 | 0-1 |
| Total Yards | 293 | 373 |
| Passing | 220 | 142 |
| Comp/Att | 20/36 | 15/21 |
| Yards per pass | 6.1 | 6.8 |
| Rushing | 73 | 231 |
| Rushing Attempts | 33 | 50 |
| Yards per rush | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| Penalties | 5-55 | 11-80 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 2 |
| Possession | 27:08 | 32:52 |
PLAYER BOX SCORE
Western Carolina Catamounts
passing
| Lex Thomas | 19/35 | 215 | 6.1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jai Boyd | 1/1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 |
rushing
| Josh Perry | 12 | 50 | 4.2 | 0 | 13 |
| Lex Thomas | 15 | 18 | 1.2 | 0 | 9 |
| AJ Colombo | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Anthony Benjamin | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Marlin Cochran | 3 | 1 | 0.3 | 0 | 3 |
| Jordan Martin-Durham | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
receiving
| Jai Boyd | 6 | 76 | 12.7 | 0 | 36 |
| AJ Colombo | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 0 | 19 |
| Josh Perry | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 0 | 19 |
| Marcus Striggles | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 0 | 26 |
| Jake Young | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Marlin Cochran | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 1 | 9 |
| Bode Burns | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Jayden Cornelius | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Lex Thomas | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 5 |
defensive
| Nassor Ashenafi | 10 | 7 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marco Patierno | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trystan Anderson | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blue Monroe | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Da'Shawn Davis | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Collins | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Kerns | 5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andre Jackson Jr. | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan McKinnis | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braylon Jones | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Quintero | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayden Cornelius | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Torian Mack | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Na'koma Simpson-Nealy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adrian Stone | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jabari McWilliams | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fernando Jeanty | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marlin Cochran | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy Johnson II | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Martin-Durham | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaac McLellan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marseille Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vanier Baptiste III | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakoby Diamond | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jermiyah Douglas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
interceptions
kickReturns
| Richard Hollis | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 |
puntReturns
| AJ Colombo | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 |
kicking
| Bryan McCollum | 0/0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2/2 | 2 |
punting
| Mark Fitzgerald | 8 | 314 | 39.3 | 0 | 2 | 53 |
PLAYER BOX SCORE
Mercer Bears
passing
| JP Pickles | 12/15 | 132 | 8.8 | 2 | 1 |
| Jaylen King | 3/6 | 10 | 1.7 | 0 | 1 |
rushing
| Devon Caldwell | 12 | 71 | 5.9 | 0 | 17 |
| JP Pickles | 19 | 71 | 3.7 | 0 | 26 |
| Zahmari Palode-Gary | 12 | 66 | 5.5 | 0 | 18 |
| Jaylen King | 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 0 | 14 |
| Brayden Smith | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Team | 1 | -13 | -13.0 | 0 | 0 |
receiving
| Zahmari Palode-Gary | 1 | 63 | 63.0 | 1 | 63 |
| Brayden Smith | 5 | 43 | 8.6 | 1 | 18 |
| Travion Solomon | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 0 | 10 |
| Samuel Albee | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 |
| Eric Rasheed | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Asa Gregg | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Devon Caldwell | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
fumbles
| Team | 1 | 0 | 0 |
defensive
| Jyarius Carter | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ronin Dangler | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nigel Gay | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| CJ Favors | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Brantley Jr. | 5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kobe McInnis | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cameron Goggins | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy Richardson | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Polke | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Martin Jr. | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ean Johnson-Kelley | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Moore | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ke'Vion Wellington | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shareef Jackson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Evin McDowell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kel Calixte | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marquis Williams | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Javious Bond | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Barrett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gerald Walker Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kehinde Akintunde | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
interceptions
kickReturns
| Sam Martin Jr. | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 23 | 0 |
puntReturns
| Brayden Smith | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 15 | 0 |
kicking
| Simon Zeidan | 1/1 | 100.0 | 42 | 2/2 | 5 |
punting
| Senin Seymour | 6 | 229 | 38.2 | 0 | 3 | 48 |
HOW IT HAPPENED
Scoring summary
| 2 | 0:39 | Marlin Cochran 9 Yd pass from Lex Thomas (Bryan McCollum Kick) | 7 – 0 |
| 3 | 0:38 | Brayden Smith 18 Yd pass from JP Pickles (Simon Zeidan Kick) | 7 – 7 |
| 4 | 6:28 | Zahmari Palode-Gary 63 Yd pass from JP Pickles (Simon Zeidan Kick) | 7 – 14 |
| 4 | 1:29 | Lex Thomas 5 Yd pass from Jai Boyd (Bryan McCollum Kick) | 14 – 14 |
| 4 | 0:00 | Simon Zeidan 42 Yd Field Goal | 14 – 17 |
ESPN · Updated Oct 11, 11:25 PM UTCData methodology