Big defensive play, special teams help Mercer beat East Tennessee State 37-31

MACON, Ga. — Braden Manley returned a fumble in the end zone, Marques Thomas had a 25-yard pick-6 and Mick Wasson returned a blocked punt 20 yards for a touchdown as Mercer held on for a 37-31 win over East Tennessee Status on Saturday.

Those scores, the first of three field goals by Rhys Griffith and a 34-yard pass from Witt Neubauer to Kaelin Parsons put the Bears (8-1, 5-1 Southern Conference) on top 31-14 with less than five minutes remaining . play in the third quarter.

Gino English threw touchdown passes of 18 and 9 yards to AJ Johnson and the Buccaneers (5-4, 3-2) closed to within 34-28 with 5:55 to play.

Mercer then chewed up 4:18 before Griffiths’ third 31-yard field goal made it 37-28.

ETSU used two passes to gain 47 yards and picked up a rushing 44-yard field goal by Ewan Johnson with 45 seconds left. The Buccaneers then recovered an onside kick, the first ruled out for offside and the second because the kicker touched the ball before it traveled 10 yards. A second foul gave Mercer the ball and the Bears ran out the clock to win the homecoming game.

Dwayne McGee rushed for 124 yards for Mercer.

Jalen King and English combined to complete 25 of 44 passes for 459 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. The Buccaneers had 13 rushing yards, but Johnson (162), Ephraim Floyd (112) and Hakeem Maggett (108) had career-highs.

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