This Week's Schedule:

September 6
Brevard at Western Carolina - 3:30 p.m.
VMI at Bowling Green (ESPN3) - 3:30 p.m.
*Furman at Mercer (ESPN3) - 6:00 p.m.
Jacksonville State at Chattanooga - 6:00 p.m.
The Citadel at Florida State - 7:30 p.m.

• Six Southern Conference teams are in action this weekend, while Samford and Wofford are idle.

• Mercer hosts Furman in the first league game of the season Saturday night.

• Home teams went 21-15 in conference play during 2013.

• Sixteen of the SoCon’s 36 league games were decided by one possession in 2013.

•  With a win last Thursday, Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb moved into a tie for seventh place on the Southern Conference’s all-time wins list (68).  His next victory will move him into a tie for fifth place on the list with Frank Howard (Clemson, 1940-52) and Dick Sheridan (Furman, 1978-85).

• Chattanooga was picked first in both the preseason coaches and media polls. It is the first time since 1982 that the Mocs were named preseason favorites.

•  Two Southern Conference teams are ranked in both major FCS polls this week.
Chattanooga is ranked 15th by the FCS coaches and 13th by the Sports Network. Furman was tabbed 17th by the coaches and 19th in the Sports Network poll.  Samford and Wofford are among the teams receiving votes.

• The Southern Conference had one player named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List, while two were tabbed for the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. The Payton Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player at the FCS level, while the Buchanan honors the nation’s top defensive player in FCS.

• Payton Award Finalist - Jacob Huesman (Chattanooga).

• Buchanan Award Finalists - Jaquiski Tartt (Samford) and Davis Tull (Chattanooga).