MACON, Ga. – It’s safe to say head coach Mike Jacobs’ first season as Mercer’s head coach was a tremendous success.

Jacobs and the Bears recently made history by winning a SoCon championship for the first time in school history. The Bears also secured a bye in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

A year ago, Mercer defeated Gardner-Webb in its first playoff appearance, but lost 41-0 to South Dakota State. Since joining the FCS, the Bears now have a chance to make history and advance even further in the postseason.

But what made this Mercer team so special? Who should you keep an eye on when you go to the game? Who could be the key to victory? We’ve broken down the Bears to show you everything you need to know about this game’s key players, where to watch, and if you’re there in person, how to get there on time.

Mercer’s offense is easily led by his powerful rush. Senior running back Dwayne McGee leads all backs with 1,082 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He also has the most carries with 195, easily surpassing backup CJ Miller. Miller has 280 rushing yards for three touchdowns on 62 total carries.

McGee, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, was the focal point of Jacobs’ offense when he transferred to Jacobs from Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears wanted to get him involved early and often, which has been the key to double-digit wins this season.

But Mercer is no problem on the passing side either. The Bears have relied primarily on two quarterbacks this season, but one has taken over as the full-time starter. Starting DJ While Smith started early in the season, he missed some time due to injury, forcing Newbauer into the spotlight.

He threw a team-high 10 touchdown passes as well as 1,251 yards and just three interceptions. However, he only completed 59% of his passes. Newbauer also ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

One of his best throws of the season came in a loss against Mercer. In a disastrous road loss to Alabama, Newbauer dropped back and, while under pressure, fired a pass 31 yards down the field to redshirt freshman wide receiver Kendall Harris. Harris went up and made a miraculous one-handed grab that gave the Bears their only points in a 52-7 loss.

Although Smith didn’t throw as many touchdown passes as Newbauer, he did throw for more passing yards. He passed for 1,315 yards and nine touchdowns and has a 73% completion rate. He was also more productive on the ground as he is fourth on the team with 247 rushing yards and second on the team with four rushing touchdowns. Smith threw six interceptions, but provided a more dynamic threat on the ground.

Wide receiver Kelin Parsons, like his long-time teammate McGee, also transferred from Lenoir-Rhyne and led the team in one specific statistic. Parsons led the Bears in receiving with 600 yards and four touchdowns. He also has a team-best 38 catches.

Brayden Smith, a native of central Georgia and former Tattnall Square Academy football player, is second on the team with 416 yards rushing and led the team with five touchdowns. He might have had even more had he not missed three regular-season games.

The group as a whole scored over 40 points three times this season and scored at least 30 points in every game, albeit three. The

Mercer’s offense was undoubtedly strong, but especially early in the season, it was the defense that carried the team.

The group shut out VMI on the road in early November, once held No. 14 Chattanooga and No. 23 Wofford to just three points and held Bethune-Cookman’s offense scoreless.

While the group endured a rough stretch during the regular season, including three straight games in which the Bears allowed opposing offenses to score 30 or more points – including a 55-35 loss to Samford in October – it seemed to get them back on their feet against conference opponents.

The group is led by leading tackler and graduate linebacker Ken Standley. He leads the team with 82 total tackles and also has eight tackles for a loss. Pass rushers Brayden Manley and Arias Nash, along with defensive lineman Andrew Zock, have been devastating behind the line of scrimmage all season.

Manley leads all three with 14.5 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. He also caught a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Nash had seven and a half sacks, which is currently second on the team, and had 10 tackles for a loss, which is third on the team. He also had a forced fumble and is ahead of Manley for second most quarterback hits. Zock had six and a half sacks, tied for third on the team, 13.5 tackles for a loss, tied for second on the team, as well as two forced fumbles and 15 quarterback hits, both first on the team.

Behind players like Manley and Standley, TJ Moore, Myles Redding and Dainsus Miller led the secondary. Moore, a finalist for the Beck Buchanan Award, led the team with seven interceptions as the senior dominated in the secondary. He also had 11 pass breakups. Redding had six interceptions and four pass breakups, but also had three tackles for a loss. Miller had four interceptions and five breakups, as well as one tackle for a loss.

This unit will be crucial to defeating Rhode Island and helping the Bears make a deep run in the postseason.

With Mercer hosting a home playoff game, many people will no doubt want to be up close and personal to see the Bears potentially make history by advancing to the third round.

The game begins at 2 p.m. and those still interested in purchasing tickets can purchase them for $20 on the Mercer Athletics website or via this link here. Gates open at 1 p.m

Can’t do it? Don’t worry, the game will be streamed on ESPN+, which you can watch on any Apple, Roku or Amazon Fire TV device.

If you are planning a trip, be prepared to dress warmly. The temperature starts at around 58 degrees at the start of the game and decreases over time. However, it will be sunny. Therefore, bring sunglasses or a hat to protect yourself from the sun.