Juwan Johnson's 40-yard pick-6 sparks 5-0 Mercer past Wofford 22-3 for third straight SoCon win
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- — Dainsus Miller picked off a pair of passes, Juwan Johnson scored on a 40-yard pick-6 and Mercer forced four turnovers as the unbeaten Bears posted a 22-3 win over Wofford for their third straight Southern Conference victory on Saturday afternoon.
Reice Griffith kicked two field goals, including a 36-yarder to put Mercer in front for good with 6:28 left in the first half and the Bears added a safety on a blocked Wofford punt in the Terriers' end zone to take an 8-0 lead after a half. Johnson's pick-6 made it 15-3 barely two minutes into the third quarter.
Hess Horne fired a 21-yard pass to Brayden Smith early in the fourth quarter for the game's only offensive touchdown to set the game's final margin with 11:48 left.
D. J. Smith was sacked by Isaiah Wadsworth and fumbled at the Mercer 17-yard line on the Bears' first play from scrimmage and Devery Cagle turned it into a 28-yard field goal to give the Terriers a quick 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the contest. Smith then drove the Bears to the Wofford 8-yard line before throwing an interception.
Horne completed 10 of 17 passes for 100 yards and was picked off once. Smith was 5 of 7 for 57 yards.
Amari Odom was 9-for-22 passing for Wofford (2-2, 0-1) for 67 yards with three interceptions. Pauly Seeley V was 7 of 14 with an interception. The Terriers were held to just 146 yards of offense.
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Game Information
2024 Southern Conference Standings
Team | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
Mercer | 5-1 | 8-1 |
Western Carolina | 4-1 | 5-4 |
Chattanooga | 4-2 | 5-4 |
East Tennessee State | 3-2 | 5-4 |
Samford | 2-3 | 3-5 |
The Citadel | 2-4 | 4-5 |
Wofford | 2-4 | 4-5 |
Furman | 1-3 | 2-6 |
VMI | 1-4 | 1-8 |