Five things to know about the Mercer Bears
The start of Auburn’s 2022 college football season is nearly upon us. The Tigers will open the season with the Mercer Bears, an FCS opponent.
While they are an FCS opponent the Bears can not be taken lightly, especially on offense. They played against Morehead State last week and cruised to a 63-13 win. This was in large part to their explosive offense which thrives on creating chunk plays and quick strikes.
This should provide a solid test for Auburn’s defense, giving them a chance to start the season with an opponent they are more talented than but is still dangerous.
Here are five things you should know about Mercer ahead of Saturday’s game in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
They know how to score
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Mercer opened their season last week against Moorehead State and their offense took care of business. The Bears scored 63 points and averaged a whopping 10.3 yards per play. They are an explosive offense that had four touchdowns of 40 or more yards.
Yes, Auburn’s defense is significantly better than Morehead State but do not be shocked if they move the ball more than a normal FCS opponent.
WR Ty James is a star
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James had a breakout season last year as a redshirt freshman, catching 26 passes for 611 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound James excelled at creating chunk plays last season, averaging 23.5 yards per reception.
It’s a small sample size, but he was even more explosive last week for the Bears, catching five passes for 192 yards (38.4 ypc) and three touchdowns. He will be a nice test for Auburn’s secondary to start the year.
Fred Payton looks more comfortable at quarterback
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Payton is entering his second season as the Bear’s starting quarterback after transferring from Coastal Carolina. Last season he threw for 1,661 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Like most quarterbacks he is looking much better in his second year with the offense. He completed 11 of his 17 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns.
The offensive line will have to watch DL Solomon Zubairu
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The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Zubairu led Mercer with 5.0 sacks last season and he already has 1.0 this season. He will not be intimidated by playing an SEC opponent, he made a sack last year when they played Alabama. Zubairu attended Archer High School with Colby Wooden.
They are coming off a solid season
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Mercer’s record of 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the Southern Conference in 2021 was the best record they have had since joining the league in 2014. With several key players returning they are one of the top teams in the Southern Conference.
