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 appear throughout the season.
Keeler can be found on Twitter @Scott_Keeler
Welcome to “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. 20/24 CHATTANOOGA (4-1 overall, 3-0 SoCon)
For the second consecutive season, Chattanooga enters October at 4-1 and unbeaten in SoCon play. After a surprising 41-27 season-opening loss at North Alabama that dropped the Mocs out of the FCS polls, they bounced back with a 27-20 win over FBS-transitioning Kennesaw State.
When conference action began, Chattanooga kicked things up a notch on both sides of the ball. The Mocs played about as perfect a game as could be played in a 48-3 win over The Citadel on Sept. 16. UTC had a 440-158 edge in total offense and committed no penalties.
The Mocs followed that up with another stellar performance in a 47-24 win at then No. 17 Samford. Chattanooga got the ball to start the game and capped off the opening drive with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Chase Artopoeus to Tyler Smith. On Samford’s first offensive play, the Mocs found the end zone again thanks to Alex Mitchell’s 38-yard interception return for a touchdown. The 11 seconds between touchdowns is the shortest span between scores in school history. Kam Brown added a 78-yard pick-six midway through the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The 95 points Chattanooga put up in its first two league games is the most it’s scored over back-to-back games in 95 years.
Things were not as glamorous last Saturday at winless Wofford. The Mocs trailed 13-6 after the Terriers scored on the opening drive of the second half. A Jordan Walker interception gave Chattanooga the ball at the Wofford 36 midway through the third quarter and the Mocs scored on their ensuing drive to tie the game. Chattanooga outscored Wofford 10-0 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Chattanooga’s defense had a season-high six sacks, while an unexpected special teams player also led the team to victory. Filling in for injured starting kicker Jude Kelley, Clayton Crile was 3-for-3 on field goals. Crile also averaged 47.0 yards per punt and put three of those four punts inside the 20-yard line.
Artopoeus, a transfer from UCLA, is second in the SoCon and seventh nationally with 1,307 yards passing. He’s thrown nine touchdowns and four interceptions.
Defensive end Ben Brewton leads the SoCon in sacks with 3.5 this season.
Player of the year (so far): Wide receiver Jamoi Mayes. While All-American running back Ailym Ford continues to do his thing, ranking second in the SoCon with 358 yards rushing, Mayes has been Chattanooga’s biggest star thus far. Mayes is first in the SoCon and fourth in the country with 460 yards receiving on 25 catches. While he’s only scored once this season, Mayes leads the league with an average of 18.4 yards per catch.
October game to watch: vs. Western Carolina Oct. 7. October begins with what may prove to be one of the biggest matchups in the SoCon this season. Chattanooga will be out to avenge a loss in the 2022 season finale that helped seal its fate of not making the FCS playoffs. The Mocs had an incredible 92 offensive snaps and produced 28 first downs that day, but were on the wrong end of a 32-29 final after Western Carolina scored a touchdown in the final minute.
*****
No. 17/11 WESTERN CAROLINA (4-1, 2-0)
No FCS team’s stock has risen higher this season than Western Carolina’s. The Catamounts have vaulted near the middle of both FCS Top 25 polls at the same kind of warp speed that their explosive offense scores at.
Western Carolina ranks No. 1 in total offense nationally with an average of 528 yards per game. The only other school in the country averaging more than 500 yards per game is second-ranked Montana State at 503.4.
After opening the season with a loss at Arkansas, the Catamounts sent shockwaves through the FCS when it handed then seventh-ranked Samford its first SoCon loss since 2021. Samford had a 97-yard scoring drive midway through the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead before Western Carolina blanked the Bulldogs 30-0 the rest of the way. That 30-0 run was interrupted by a five-and-a-half-hour weather delay in the second quarter.
Besides the weather, defense was the story that day. The Catamounts had six sacks in holding Samford to its lowest point total in FCS play since a 10-3 loss to Wofford in 2010.
WCU was part of one of the most thrilling games of the season the following week at Eastern Kentucky. The lead changed hands three times in the fourth quarter. The last of those came with 25 seconds left when Cole Gonzales threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Branson Adams, giving the Catamounts a 27-24 victory.
The high-water mark for the offense took place the next week when Western Carolina piled up 683 yards of total offense in a 77-21 win over Charleston Southern. Gonzales threw five touchdown passes - in the first half - while backup quarterbacks Brody Palhegyi and Taron Dickens threw for scores in the second half. Dickens’ 17-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left helped get the Catamounts to 77 points in a single-game for the second consecutive season.
Western Carolina’s assault on the Holy City continued last Saturday at The Citadel. Desmond Reid rushed for a single-game school record five touchdowns - in the first half - in the Catamounts’ 49-14 win.
Player of the year (so far): Running back Desmond Reid. Talk about a tough decision. With apologies to Gonzales - the national leader in passing efficiency (182.4), I’m going with Reid - the national leader in rushing touchdowns (10). Reid also ranks fourth in the FCS in rushing yards with 636. Reid’s five-touchdown performance against the Bulldogs tied a SoCon record for touchdowns in a half previously shared by Georgia Southern legend Adrian Peterson and Furman legend Jerome Felton.
October game to watch: vs. Furman, Oct. 21. While this week’s trip to Chattanooga is definitely a big chance for Western Carolina to validate its new national FCS standing, the Catamounts have already surpassed Chattanooga in the polls. If both teams can take care of business the next two weeks, the Western Carolina-Furman game could be a battle of top 10 teams.
*****
No. 4/5 FURMAN (3-1, 1-0)
A ton of preseason expectations haven’t seemed to faze Furman. While there’s nothing really eye-popping about the Paladins’ stats, they’re exactly where they were projected to be thanks to solid play in all phases of the games.
That solid play is the result of a lot of experienced depth on both sides of the ball. That depth has paid off in its two games against true FCS opponents. In the combined fourth quarters of those games, the Paladins outscored Tennessee Tech and Mercer 35-0.
After opening the season with a 45-10 win over Tennessee Tech, Furman stood toe-to-toe with the SEC’s South Carolina the next week. The game was tied 14-14 late in the first half before disaster struck the Paladins. The Gamecocks scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 43 seconds of the half to take a 27-14 lead into halftime and pulled away in the second half for a 47-21 win.
Furman rebounded with a 31-28 win at FBS-transitioning Kennesaw State the next week. Backed by four rushing touchdowns by quarterback Tyler Huff, the Paladins had control for much of the game before Kennesaw State scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Unrattled by the rally, Huff guided the Paladins on a 63-yard drive that culminated on Ian Williams’ game-winning 19-yard field goal with 21 seconds left.
Before last Saturday’s bye week, Furman opened SoCon play with a 38-14 win over then 21st-ranked Mercer. All-American offensive lineman Jacob Johanning made his season debut that day after recovering from an offseason neck injury and Furman had its most complete performance.
After Mercer cut what was a 17-0 lead to 17-14 with touchdowns to end the first half and begin the second half, the Bears were held to just 16 yards of total offense and no points the rest of the way.
With the graduation of All-American tight end Ryan Miller, Huff doesn’t have one “go to” guy this season. Instead he’s spreading the wealth. While he’s completed 64 passes (16 per game), 17 different Paladins have a reception this season.
After leading the country in turnovers forced and interceptions made last season, Furman’s has a league-high five picks this season. Two of those have been returned for touchdowns.
Player of the year (so far): Quarterback Tyler Huff. Huff ranks fourth in the SoCon in total offense averaging 231 yards per game. He’s thrown for 706 yards and ran for 218. His ability to turn a seemingly negative play into a positive one thanks to his feet has been a big key to Furman’s success the past two seasons.
October game to watch: at Samford, Oct. 14. While other Furman games this month may prove to be bigger by the end of the season, this one could also have significant ramifications. The biggest thing from Furman’s perspective is it will be facing a Samford team in dire need of a “big time” win. After starting 0-2 in league play, the Bulldogs may be treating every game from here on out like a playoff game. It will also be a chance for the Paladins to avenge their lone league loss from last season.
*****
MERCER (3-2, 1-1)
While Mercer’s season has gone like a lot of prognosticators would have predicted thus far, it’s nonetheless been one of ups and downs and every game decided by double figures. The Bears got a head start on most teams this season with a 17-7 victory over North Alabama on Aug. 26.
The following week, Ole Miss jumped out to a 7-0 lead 51 seconds into its game against Mercer. The Bears answered 12 seconds later on quarterback Carter Peevy’s school record-long 75-yard touchdown run. That was the end of the back-and-forth though as the FBS-nationally ranked Rebels went on to a 73-7 win.
Mercer returned home the next week and Peevy completed 13-of-19 passes for 268 yards with two touchdowns as the Bears topped Morehead State, 48-22. Mercer averaged 9.2 yards per play in the win.
The Bears had a week off to prepare for its SoCon opener at Furman on Sept. 23. Outside of scoring drives to end the first half and start the second half, Mercer couldn’t get anything going in a 38-14 loss that dropped them out of both FCS polls.
While the Bears are on the outside looking in at ranked teams who have worse losses than Ole Miss and Furman, there’s plenty of season left for Mercer to get back in the polls. That’s especially true if the Bears play like they did in last Saturday’s 38-3 win over VMI.
For the second time this season, Mercer scored on its first offensive snap. Just 19 seconds into the game, Al Wooten raced for a 76-yard touchdown to break Peevy’s four-week-old record of the longest run in school history. Wooten finished with 164 yards and two scores on just 12 carries to lead the offense.
Meanwhile, Mercer’s defense limited VMI to just 66 total yards in the second half. Lance Wise had a 30-yard interception return to set up a Bear touchdown. That was Wise’s school-record seventh pick of his career.
Player of the year (so far): Wide receiver Devron Harper. Harper has made big plays in a variety of ways since he arrived in Macon after transferring from Gardner-Webb prior to the fall 2021 season. After catching a 33-yard touchdown from Peevy late in the third quarter last week, he returned a punt 73 yards for a touchdown after VMI’s ensuing possession. That’s his second punt return for a score this year and fourth return for a touchdown in his career. Harper had 217 all-purpose yards in the win, and he ranks fifth nationally averaging 158 all-purpose yards per game.
October game to watch: vs. Chattanooga, Oct. 14. Mercer has a couple of chances for a “statement win” this month that could propel them back into the polls and this is the first one. After starting 6-1 last season, a 41-21 loss at Chattanooga began a 1-3 stretch to end last season for the Bears.
*****
VMI (2-3, 1-1)
VMI has yet to score more than 17 points in any game this season, but has already doubled its win total from last season thanks to a vastly improved defense.
Last year, the Keydets held only one opponent to less than 26 points. That occurred in their only win, a 24-14 victory over Bucknell. This year, VMI has held three opponents to 21 or fewer points.
The defensive improvement was evident from the start in a thrilling 12-7 win over Davidson. The Keydets trailed 7-6 late in the fourth quarter before embarking on a 12-play, 85-yard drive. It culminated on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Collin Ironside to V.J. Johnson with 51 seconds left to lift VMI to a win in new coach Danny Rocco’s debut game at the school.
That Davidson team currently ranks No. 2 in the FCS in rushing, averaging 313 yards per game, and leads the country in rushing touchdowns with 21. Against VMI, the Wildcats rushed 39 times for 101 yards and their only touchdown came via a pass. After being held to seven points against the Keydets, Davidson has scored 219 points over four games since to lead the nation in scoring offense (45.2 points per game).
Another solid defensive effort helped VMI win its SoCon opener for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The Keydets held Wofford to 0-of-10 on third down conversions and 1-of-3 in red zone scoring in a 17-14 win on Sept. 22.
A week later, VMI struggled in all phases in a 38-3 loss at Mercer to even its league record. The lone bright spot was a career-long 46-yard field goal by Caden Beck.
Player of the year (so far): Linebacker Evan Eller. VMI seemingly always has a linebacker who leads the SoCon in tackles and this year it’s Eller with 55. That total ranks ninth nationally. Last season, Eller tied for second in the league with 99 tackles.
October game to watch: at The Citadel, Oct. 14. VMI has a bye this week as it prepares for the 79th edition of the Military Classic of the South against its biggest rival. Last season, The Citadel retained the Silver Shako in a wild back-and-forth game. The Keydets led 3-0 after one quarter before the Bulldogs took a 14-3 lead into halftime. VMI scored three touchdowns less than six minutes apart in the third quarter to take a 22-14 lead. The Citadel answered with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull out a 26-22 win.
*****
SAMFORD (2-3, 1-2)
After going undefeated in SoCon play a year ago, it’s been a different story for the reigning conference champions this year. Samford opened the season with a blowout win over Shorter, but lost each of the next three games including conference losses to Western Carolina and Chattanooga.
It’s the first 0-2 start in league play for the Bulldogs since the 2018 season, which ironically began with a blowout win over Shorter. The 30-7 loss at Western Carolina was downright weird. Samford went on a 97-yard drive midway through the first quarter to open the scoring but was shut out the rest of what turned into an extremely long day. Western Carolina’s 30-0 run the rest of the way was sandwiched around a five-and-a-half hour weather delay.
In its home SoCon opener, Samford fell behind Chattanooga 34-10 in the second quarter before going on to a 47-24 loss.
Things looked much more “Samford like” offensively last Saturday. After being tied with ETSU 21-21 at the half, the Bulldogs had three long scoring drives in the second half to pull away for a 42-28 win. Michael Hiers completed 42-of-50 passes for 399 yards and a score, while Jay Stanton rushed for a career-high 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Player of the year (so far): Quarterback Michael Hiers. While Hiers has looked a bit more human this season with six interceptions after throwing four all of last year, the reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Year still ranks second in the country with 1,529 yards passing. Hiers, who finished fourth in the Walter Payton Award voting last season, has completed 71.7 percent of his passes and has thrown nine touchdowns.
October game to watch: at Wofford, Oct. 7. While winless Wofford might not sound like a big-time showdown, when you have two SoCon losses by the end of September every next game truly is the most important. Samford has won each of the last eight meetings in the series and has only lost at Wofford once. That was in 2011.
*****
ETSU (1-3, 0-1)
An ETSU team looking to rebound from a disappointing follow-up to its 2021 SoCon championship last year has found the going tough thus far in 2023. The Buccaneers managed just a field goal apiece in lopsided losses to new FBS member Jacksonville State and Austin Peay sandwiched around a blowout win against Carson-Newman to start the year.
ETSU finally found the end zone against a Division I opponent last Saturday in its SoCon opener at Samford. The Bucs capitalized on three first-half turnovers by the Bulldogs to go into halftime tied at 21-21. Samford scored the first three touchdowns after halftime though and went on to a 42-28 win. That marked the Bucs’ eighth consecutive loss to Div. I competition dating back to the middle of last season.
There were a couple of bright spots in the loss for ETSU against Samford. Bryson Irby rushed for a career-high 126 yards and three touchdowns. Sheldon Arnold II earned SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors as he had seven tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Player of the year (so far): Punter Nate Brackett. Brackett leads the SoCon and ranks fifth nationally averaging 45.8 yards per punt. Nine of his 28 punts have been downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and eight of them have gone at least 50 yards.
October game to watch: at Chattanooga, Oct. 21. ETSU has lost four of the last five meetings in the “Rail Rivalry,” but all five have been one-score games. Last season in Johnson City, the Bucs led the Mocs, 13-0, at the half and 13-3 going into the fourth quarter. Chattanooga rallied in a big way though as they outscored ETSU 21-3 over the final 15 minutes to secure a 24-16 win.
*****
THE CITADEL (0-5, 0-2)
Struggles on both sides of the ball have The Citadel off to its worst start to a normal football season in 58 years. The last time the Bulldogs started a season not affected by COVID by losing each of their first five games was in 1965. That team started 0-6 and finished 2-8.
The Citadel has not led in any game this year and has lost each one by at least 21 points. Even during rough years in the recent past, the Bulldogs have been able to run the ball effectively; so, it’s rather stunning to see The Citadel rank No. 118 (out of 122) nationally in total offense averaging 226 yards per game.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ defense ranks No. 122 nationally in yards allowed (530.2 per game) and scoring (43.6 points per game).
While they’re certainly not giant steps, the Bulldogs appear to be making some improvement. In last week’s 49-14 loss to Western Carolina, The Citadel posted season-highs in first downs (17) and points.
Player of the year (so far): Running back Cooper Wallace. In an offense trying to find something that works, Wallace has been used in multiple ways. He leads the team in rushing (202 yards) and receiving (110 yards on nine receptions). Wallace has also caught two touchdowns, accounting for half of The Citadel’s touchdown total. He also completed his only pass for 12 yards and returned his only kickoff 18 yards.
October game to watch: vs. VMI, Oct. 14. In a down season, there’s still always something to play for, one being the Military Classic of the South. The Citadel would love nothing more than to retain the Silver Shako for the third consecutive season. Before that, the Bulldogs have another shot at an old, classic rival when they play at Furman this Saturday.
*****
WOFFORD (0-5, 0-2)
Things have not gone much better in Spartanburg where Wofford is also winless, despite not allowing more than 23 points to any of its four FCS opponents.
While the Terriers’ defense has been solid at times, their offense hasn’t gotten going. Wofford ranks 114th nationally in total offense (246.2 yards per game) and 117th in scoring offense (12 points per game).
Perhaps the most painful of the losses for Wofford came at home on Sept. 16. The Terriers were clinging to a 20-16 lead late in the fourth quarter when Presbyterian drove 75 yards on 17 plays, converting three fourth downs along the way. The last of those conversions came on an 18-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left as Wofford fell, 23-20.
The Terriers followed that three-point loss to Presbyterian with a 17-14 loss at VMI. That game ended on a 10-second run-off following an intentional grounding penalty against Wofford with the ball at the VMI 33.
Last week’s loss to Chattanooga could provide a little hope for the Wofford faithful though. The Mocs came rolling into town on a hot streak but did not look like a team coming off a 47-24 win at Samford for much of the night. Wofford led Chattanooga 6-0 in the second quarter and 13-6 in the third before the Mocs came back for a 23-13 win.
Player of the year (so far): Running back Ryan Ingram. Despite Wofford’s offensive woes, Ingram has rushed for 333 yards and has accounted for half of the Terriers’ six touchdowns this season. He’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
October game to watch: vs. Samford, Oct. 7. After Samford got its offense on track last week in a 42-28 win over ETSU, it will be interesting to see if Wofford’s defense can keep up its solid play against what is typically an explosive offense.