Note: The following was written by Scott Keeler, who worked as a reporter at the Greenville News for more than 25 years and continues to cover the Southern Conference. “Keeler’s Corner” will also appear throughout the season.
Keeler can be found on Twitter @Scott_Keeler
Welcome to the second in-season edition of “Keeler’s Corner.” Month-by-month of the football season, I’ll recap the efforts of each Southern Conference team – in order of the current SoCon standings – and look ahead to what’s on the horizon.
No. 11/9 CHATTANOOGA (4-1 overall, 2-0 SoCon)
Coming off a rather uninspiring, albeit obviously challenging, trip to Big Ten country, Chattanooga still seemed to be in a funk during much of its Rail Rivalry game at ETSU on Saturday. But after snapping its six-quarter scoreless streak with a third-quarter field goal, the Mocs soared in the fourth quarter.
Chattanooga scored three touchdowns in the final period to rally for a 24-16 win over the reigning Southern Conference champion Bucs, who were fighting desperately for their first league win this season. The Mocs have outscored opponents 45-3 in the fourth quarter this season.
After falling at Illinois 31-0 nine days earlier, Chattanooga trailed 13-0 at the half in Johnson City. The Mocs dominated the second half, though, limiting ETSU to just 44 yards of total offense after halftime. Chattanooga’s defense didn’t allow a first down from late in the second quarter to midway through the fourth. After converting its first third down of the game on an opening-drive touchdown, ETSU went 0-for-13 on third-down conversions the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, the Mocs converted 6-of-8 third downs and piled up 271 yards of total offense in the second half after generating just 72 in the first half.
While Illinois ran for 164 yards against Chattanooga, FCS competition hasn't been as fortunate. The Mocs have allowed an average of 94.5 yards rushing against those teams, including a yards-per-carry average of just 2.8.
Standout running back Ailym Ford leads Chattanooga’s offense, as he ranks second in the SoCon in rushing yards (105.6 per game) and all-purpose yards (127.4 per game).
Player of the year (so far): Linebacker Jay Person. While SoCon preseason defensive player of the year Devonnsha Maxwell deservedly gets plenty of attention, others have the chance to step up with all that attention paid to Maxwell on the field. Person has done just that. He leads the SoCon, and ranks in the top five nationally, with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Person also has four quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Upcoming game to watch: vs. Mercer, Oct. 22. If things keep going the way things have been going for the next couple of weeks, the Bears’ trip to Chattanooga could be a midseason SoCon championship game and a battle of top-10 teams nationally. The Mocs will be going for their first home win against Mercer since 2016.
No. 12/12 MERCER (4-1, 2-0)
When looking at the numbers Mercer’s offense has produced since its SoCon opener against The Citadel three weeks ago, it’s pretty stunning that the game was scoreless at the half. After those first two scoreless quarters on Sept. 17, the Bears have scored 104 points over the 10 quarters since.
The offense has gotten rolling under the guidance of quarterback Fred Payton, who is fourth nationally in quarterback efficiency at 180.42. Payton has completed 83-of-125 passes (66.4 percent) for 1,186 yards with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions and Mercer has its highest ranking ever.
That passing attack has helped open things up for sophomore running back Austin Douglas, and he’s responded with a whopping 8.2 yards per carry average and four touchdowns. Douglas ranks fourth in the SoCon in rushing at 73.6 yards per game.
The big numbers on offense should not distract from what the Bears’ defense is doing. Mercer ranks fifth nationally in red-zone defense as opponents have scored on only 61 percent of their trips inside the 20. The Bears are ninth in the FCS in scoring defense (15.2 points allowed per game) and 11th in total defense (294.4 yards per game). Mercer’s pass defense, which is best in the SoCon at 173 passing yards allowed per game, has allowed three touchdown passes and captured eight interceptions.
Special teams have been top-notch, as well, as sophomore Trey Turk ranks fourth nationally with an average of 45.8 yards per punt.
Player of the year (so far): Wide receiver Devron Harper. In Mercer’s 42-7 win over Wofford last Saturday, Harper scored three touchdowns for the second consecutive game. The junior ranks third nationally with 10 touchdowns (seven receiving, two rushing and one on a kickoff return) this season. Harper’s seven receiving scores rank second nationally, while teammate Ty James’ five are tied for eighth-most in the FCS.
Upcoming game to watch: at Chattanooga, Oct. 22. Mercer will be going for its fifth win in the last six games of the series in what could be a battle of top-10 teams. Last season, the Bears were held to just 163 yards of total offense but utilized six turnovers to gut out a 10-6 win over the Mocs.
No. 13/15 SAMFORD (4-1, 2-0)
Having your defense on the field for at least 90 plays per game might not be the most conventional route to 2-0 in the SoCon, but here the Samford Bulldogs are. Western Carolina put up 32 first downs and had 90 offensive plays two weeks ago at Samford, but none of those 90 saw the football pass the goal line. The Bulldogs limited the Catamounts to four field goals in a 35-12 win.
Last Saturday, Furman piled up 457 yards of total offense on 97 plays, but Samford took advantage of three fumble recoveries to pull out a 34-27 road win. That moved the Bulldogs to 4-1 for the first time since starting 6-1 in 2016.
Samford linebacker Nathan East was named FedEx Ground National Defensive Player of the Week by Stats Perform for his effort Saturday at Furman. East had 10 tackles, including a sack, two forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
The week before league play began for Samford, Chandler Smith hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left to lift Samford to a thrilling 33-28 win at Tennessee Tech. Smith is tied for third nationally with six touchdown receptions this season.
Player of the year (so far): Quarterback Michael Hiers. The names may change, but Samford coach Chris Hatcher having a talented quarterback running the show is a constant. While Hiers hasn’t been as prolific numbers-wise as his predecessors, he’s having a solid first season. He’s second in the SoCon and 11th nationally in passing efficiency at 159.9. Hiers has completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 1,198 yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Upcoming game to watch: at ETSU, Oct. 22. ETSU is off to a slow start in SoCon play this season, but the reigning league champion has still been a formidable foe, especially at home. It will be a rematch of arguably the most thrilling game in the SoCon last season, which saw the teams combine for 46 points in the fourth quarter. Despite Liam Welch setting the SoCon single-game record for passing yards (582) and total offense (655), Samford fell 55-48 in overtime.
FURMAN (3-2, 1-1)
The Paladins’ first loss this season wasn’t a particularly hard pill to swallow. While Furman did miss out on some golden scoring opportunities in a 35-12 loss at Clemson on Sept. 10, the Paladins outgained the Tigers in total offense. Their 125 yards rushing are the most Clemson has allowed any opponent this season.
But Furman’s second loss last Saturday against Samford was tougher. The Paladins saw a 10-0 second-quarter lead turn into a 20-10 halftime deficit in a matter of six-and-a-half minutes and ended up losing 34-27, despite having 457 yards on an astounding 97 offensive plays.
Backup quarterback Jace Wilson, who started in place of injured starter Tyler Huff, shattered the school record for completions as he connected on 38-of-59 passes for 329 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. That isn’t the most popular record in the book, though. Of the 13 times a Furman quarterback has completed at least 26 passes in a game, the Paladins are now 0-13 in said games.
While Furman still leads the SoCon in turnover margin thanks to an FCS’ second-best total of nine interceptions on defense, it lost that battle Saturday 3-1. The three fumbles lost – one week after Furman lost four turnovers in a win at Charleston Southern – proved costly for the Paladins.
Furman’s fourth-quarter defense helped seal comeback wins at ETSU and Charleston Southern. The Paladins have outscored opponents 31-0 in the final quarter this season.
Kickoff specialist Ian Williams, an NC State transfer, ranks third nationally with 24 touchbacks.
Player of the year (so far): All-American tight end Ryan Miller. Despite being well known by opponents, Miller is still finding ways to make big plays for the Paladins. He tied the school’s single-game reception record with 13 at Clemson and has caught a touchdown pass in every game this season. That runs his school-record streak for touchdown catches to eight consecutive games dating back to last season.
Upcoming game to watch: vs. Chattanooga, Oct. 29. If Furman can clean up some of its mistakes starting this week at rival The Citadel, the last Saturday in October could have major implications in the SoCon championship race. In the Mocs’ last trip to Greenville last spring, the Paladins suffered a blocked extra point and later a missed two-point conversion in a 20-18 loss.
WESTERN CAROLINA (3-2, 1-1)
Western Carolina is averaging 89 offensive plays per game in SoCon play, but with two very different results. Two weeks ago, the Catamounts piled up 456 yards of total offense and 32 first downs on 90 plays at Samford, but left with a 35-12 loss. Six trips to the red zone netted Western just four field goals.
In last Saturday’s SoCon home opener, the Catamounts had 88 offensive plays and made those count a lot more. Western had 521 yards of total offense in a 38-17 win over VMI. Western ranks second in the country in total offense, averaging 549.8 yards per game, and ninth in scoring offense at 39.2 points per game.
Those totals got a big boost in the Catamounts’ final nonconference game of the season, a 77-21 win over Presbyterian on Sept. 17. That game was somehow tied 7-7 with less than nine minutes left in the second quarter before Western scored 10 touchdowns the rest of the way. Five different freshman quarterbacks accounted for touchdowns in the win, led by backup Cole Gonzales’ three passing touchdowns and one rushing score.
The 77 points matched the school single-game scoring record set against West Virginia State in 2004, while the Catamounts’ 766 yards of offense smashed the 53-year-old record of 711 against Lenoir-Rhyne in 1969. That total against Presbyterian was incredibly balanced as Western ran for 384 yards and passed for 382.
Despite only making one start this season, freshman tailback Desmond Reid leads Western in rushing with 445 yards and three touchdowns. He’s averaging 7.3 yards per carry.
Twelve different Catamounts have contributed to an FCS-best 24 sacks this season, led by K.J. Milner and Chris Morgan with four apiece.
Two areas of concern for the Catamounts are turnovers and penalties. Only one FCS team has more turnovers lost than Western Carolina’s 14 and only one averages more penalty yardage than WCU’s 99.2 per game.
Player of the year (so far): Quarterback Carlos Davis. Davis missed a chance to pump up his numbers when he sat out the Presbyterian game with an injury, but the junior still ranks fifth in the country with 325.8 yards passing per game. He’s completed 105-of-151 passes (69.8 percent) with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Upcoming game to watch: at Mercer, Oct. 8. Something’s got to give this Saturday in Macon. While Western leads the SoCon in total offense and scoring offense, Mercer leads the league in total defense (294.4 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (15.2 points allowed per game). The Catamounts have lost six consecutive games in the series.
THE CITADEL (1-3, 1-1)
After a tough loss at Campbell to open the season, The Citadel responded in a big way when SoCon play began the following week in Charleston. After seeing a 17-7 second-half lead disappear, the Bulldogs drove from their own 3-yard line to ETSU’s 22. From there, Colby Kintner drilled a 39-yard field goal as time expired and The Citadel knocked off the reigning SoCon champs, 20-17.
The Bulldogs haven’t been able to build off that thrilling win, though. While The Citadel held Mercer scoreless in the first half the following week in Macon, it ultimately lost 17-0. After a bye week, the Bulldogs were blanked at former SoCon rival App State last Saturday, 49-0.
In that opening loss at Campbell’s, The Citadel’s first two possessions of the season each lasted more than eight minutes but only resulted in one field goal. Last Saturday in Boone, the Bulldogs took the opening drive of the second half 67 yards on 17 plays and shaved 11:22 off the clock before an interception ended it.
That seems to be the theme this season. The Citadel has the dubious distinction of ranking third in the FCS in average time of possession (37:05), yet next-to-last in scoring average at 7.5 points per game.
The Citadel, which has averaged at least 268 yards rushing per game every full season since 2011, is averaging 172.3 yards per game on the ground this season and just 3.3 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ defense is allowing 193.8 rushing yards per game and 6.2 yards per carry. It has only two sacks and one interception this season.
Player of the year (so far): Linebacker Hasan Black. Black, who started the final four games of his 2019 freshman season, is back in the starting lineup this year. He leads The Citadel in tackles (28), tackles for loss (2.5), sacks (1) and pass breakups (1).
Upcoming game to watch: vs. Furman, Oct. 8. The Citadel will try to get on track and recapture the winning formula it found in its other home game this season when the 102nd meeting in the SoCon’s oldest series commences Saturday. The Bulldogs have won four of the last five in the series in Charleston.
VMI (1-3, 0-1)
Last spring, VMI traveled to Western Carolina and snapped a 17-game losing streak in the series with a 30-7 win. Last Saturday, the Keydets returned to Cullowhee for the SoCon opener but things went differently this trip. VMI trailed 14-10 midway through the second quarter before the Catamounts pulled away for a 38-17 win.
Prior to that, VMI wrapped up nonconference play with a pair of visits from private schools from the Northeast. The Keydets jumped out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter against Bucknell on Sept. 10 and went on to a 24-14 win. It was the complete opposite the next week against Cornell. VMI trailed 28-2 with less than six minutes left in the game before erupting for three touchdowns. The Keydets could not recover any of the three ensuing onside kicks, though, and Cornell held on for a 28-22 win.
After junior Seth Morgan started the first three games at quarterback this season, sophomore Collin Ironside started against Western Carolina after completing 16-of-18 passes for 275 yards against Cornell. They have split time all season, but an issue has been protecting either one. VMI has allowed a SoCon-worst 18 sacks this season.
Defensively, the Keydets have five interceptions this season but are one of 11 FCS teams that have yet to recover a fumble. VMI is last in the SoCon in turnover margin (minus 1.25).
Player of the year (so far): All-American linebacker Stone Snyder. After leading the SoCon in tackles each of the last two seasons, Snyder is once again atop the league tackle list averaging 11.8 per game. He also has 2.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Upcoming game to watch: vs. ETSU, Oct. 8. The rest of October appears to be the toughest portion of VMI’s schedule this season, but the Keydets do play three of those four games at home sandwiched around a road trip to Chattanooga. VMI fell behind 21-0 at ETSU last fall before falling 27-20. Each of the last four games in the series have been decided by no more than seven points.
WOFFORD (0-5, 0-2)
After a rough pair of seasons in 2021, things haven’t gotten any easier for Wofford in 2022. The Terriers have been held to seven points or fewer in four of their five games and have now lost 19 of their last 21 games since their SoCon championship season of 2019.
Wofford was shut out for the first 11 quarters this season before Nathan Walker rushed for a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter at Virginia Tech on Sept. 17.
The Terriers had their best game the following week at Kennesaw State. Wofford took a 6-0 lead on a four-play, 76-yard touchdown drive after a 47-yard pass on the first play of the game. Wofford scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to cut Kennesaw’s lead to 24-22, but its two-point pass after the last one was intercepted and the Owls held on for the win.
The Terriers could not build on that momentum last Saturday, though, as Mercer rolled to a 42-7 win in Spartanburg.
Wofford ranks last nationally in scoring offense (7.2 points per game), has the third-lowest rushing average in the country (61.2 yards per game) and is one of three FCS teams without an interception on defense.
Player of the year (so far): Wide receiver/punter Landon Parker. After leading the SoCon in punting in the spring of 2021 at 45.0 yards per attempt, Parker has been a bright spot offensively this season at receiver. He’s caught 18 passes for 345 yards for an average of 19.2 yards per catch.
Upcoming game to watch: vs. The Citadel, Oct. 15. This will be a rematch of one of the most exciting games in the SoCon last season. After Wofford forced overtime on a field goal with 56 seconds left in regulation, the teams traded touchdowns in overtime. Peyton Derrick’s two-point pass fell incomplete and the Bulldogs won, 45-44. Derrick, who threw four touchdown passes for the Terriers that day, is now the starting quarterback for The Citadel.
*Editor’s note: This column was submitted before Wofford announced head coach Josh Conklin’s resignation Thursday.
ETSU (2-3, 0-3)
While ETSU has enjoyed blowout victories in its two nonconference games this season, the SoCon portion has been another story. Last Saturday, the reigning conference champions were desperately trying to avoid an 0-3 start to league play and they played like it out of the gate. The Buccaneers jumped on this season’s favorite to win the league title, Chattanooga, 13-0 in the first half.
ETSU still led by that score late in the third quarter before the Mocs got on the board with a field goal. In the fourth quarter, Chattanooga erupted for three touchdowns to pull out a 24-16 win in the Rail Rivalry. The Bucs were held to just 44 yards in the second half as they dropped to the bottom of the league standings.
ETSU opened the SoCon schedule by rallying from a 17-7 deficit at The Citadel before the Bulldogs kicked a field goal on the final play of the game for a 20-17 win. The Bucs trailed Furman 20-14 late in the fourth quarter before an interception led to a Paladin touchdown in the final seconds in a 27-14 loss.
Particularly concerning for ETSU this season has been its offensive efficiency. The Bucs are 107th in the FCS in third-down conversion percentage at just 27.9 percent (17-of-61). ETSU is 1-of-4 on fourth down. On the flip side, the Bucs’ third-down defense is the best in the SoCon as their opponents have converted just 33.3 percent (24-of-72).
Sophomore Alijah Huzzie leads the defense with an FCS-best 13 passes defended. He’s posted 10 pass breakups and three interceptions and also leads the team in solo tackles with 26.
Player of the year (so far): Running back Jacob Saylors. Saylors leads the SoCon and ranks fourth in the country in rushing with 560 yards. He’s averaging 5.9 yards per carry and has six touchdowns. He became the third rusher in school history with more than 3,000 career yards earlier this season. With 115 all-purpose yards against Chattanooga Saturday, he eclipsed the 5,000-yard mark in that category with 5,030 in his career.
Upcoming game to watch: at Mercer, Oct. 15. This will be a rematch of a classic last season. ETSU jumped out to a 21-10 halftime lead before Mercer rallied to take a 35-28 lead with less than 10 minutes to play. After Tyler Riddell’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Malik Murray gave the Bucs a 38-35 lead with 1:47 left, ETSU held on for the win as Mercer’s 42-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left as time expired.