SoCon Football 2025: Defending Champion Mercer Opens Title Defense with Narrow Win Over Wofford to Highlight Week Three Action
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| Wofford and Mercer met in SoCon Thriller (photo courtesy of Wofford athletics) |
Week three in SoCon play once again provided more disappointment than optimism, and in particular, for how some of the league's perceived top teams--East Tennessee State and Western Carolina--both let games slip away late, while both Mercer and Furman were both able to shake off stunning losses to Pioneer Football League member Presbyterian and get back on the winning track with a pair of wins over the weekend, with the Bears claiming a 22-21 thriller over Wofford in their SoCon opener, while the Paladins claimed their second CAA win of the season, downing Campbell, 28-24, in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
The league continues to struggle, however, against out-of-conference foes through the first three weeks of the season. Only one team in the SoCon has a winning record through the first three weeks of the season, as Furman has posted a 2-1 mark. The Paladins, who under the direction of ninth-year head coach Clay Hendrix, were picked to finish sixth in the preseason by the league's coaches at the league's annual preseason media day held at Hotel Hartness in Greenville.
To encapsulate just how hard it has been for the league to through non-conference play, the SoCon sports just a 4-12 record against other FCS leagues. The SoCon has wins over Murray State, Campbell, William & Mary and Stetson so far out of league. Furman (2), East Tennessee State (1) and Chattanooga (1) account for those four SoCon out-of-league wins thus far.
The big game most had their eyes trained on was the third SoCon game of the young season, as Mercer hosted Wofford, as the Bears officially opened their title game defense with their first of eight league contests in 2025.
The Bears claimed the 22-21 win over a Wofford team that continues to improve as the season progresses. The Terriers have now lost three games by a combined six points, as the offense continues to struggle to find its footing under a new leader under center.
On the other side, Mercer had a good offensive evening in its 2025 league debut, as the Bears rolled up 470 yards of total offense en route to improving to 7-6 all-time in SoCon openers.
Mercer took an early 10-0 lead when Reice Griffith capped off a solid 73-yard scoring drive to open the scoring on their first possession of the game. On the next possession, CJ Miller would put Mercer ahead 10-0 when he capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run to give the Bears the two-score lead with 4:47 left in the first.
Wofford would get on the board late in the second quarter, and after nearly 10 quarters without an offensive touchdown to start the season, the Terriers finally had a breakthrough, as Ivory Aikens hauled in an 80-yard scoring strike from Ethan Drumm to make it a 10-7 game with 3:31 remaining in the half.
Mercer responded, however, using a late 40-yard field goal by Griffith as time expired in the opening half, giving the Bears the 13-7 lead at the break. The field goal was set up by freshman quarterback Braden Atkinson, who was making his first start for the Bears, connected on a beautifully thrown 32-yard pass to a wide-open Kendall Harris to set up the final points of the opening half.
In the second half, the Terriers would use their second big pass play to take what would be their first lead of the night, as Ethan Drumm connected with Isaiah Scott on a 50-yard scoring strike to make it a 14-13 Terrier lead a little less than two minutes into the second half.
The Terriers would then come up with more points, thanks in large part to their opportunistic defense, as defensive back Eli Campbell picked off a Atkinson offering and returned 53 yards before being brought down at the Mercer 10. It would eventually set up Drumm's third scoring strike of the night, as he found true freshman wideout CJ Adams streaking across the middle of the end zone for a 7-yard scoring strike, giving the Terriers the eight-point, 21-13, lead with 10:46 remaining in the third.
Griffith would tack on his third trifecta of the night, converting from 44 yards out to cut Wofford's lead to five, at 21-16, on the ensuing drive, and did so with just under seven minutes remaining in the frame. The 44-yard conversion by Griffith tied a career-long.
The Bears then took over the ball late in the third quarter and would end up getting what would prove to be the final points of the night, which also proved to ultimately be the game-winning points. CJ Miller scampered into the end zone from six yards out with 14:02 remaining to give the Bears a 22-21 lead.
The two-point conversion attempt, however, failed. The Bears' defense would do enough down the stretch to preserve the one-point win over the Terriers, with sophomore and preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Andrew Zock having a lot to do with that, as he posted eight tackles and matched a school record with his 4.5 tackles-for-loss in the game.
Atkinson was stellar in his first start for the Bears, finishing the contest with 316 yards, a touchdown and two INTs on 26-of-36 passing in the game. His effort helped the Bears post a dominating 463-293 advantage in total offense, including snapping the ball 34 more times than Wofford (82-48). The Bears also dominated the time of possession, using a near 18-minute advantage in overall time of possession (38:54-21:06).
In the losing effort, Wofford was led by Drumm, who finished the night 7-of-17 passing for 175 yards and three scores. Mercer increased its lead in the all-time series on the gridiron with Wofford to 11-7 by taking its fifth-straight win over the Terriers.
The One That Slipped Away
It was nearly a year to the day since East Tennessee State had North Dakota State on the ropes--a result which would have reverberated through FCS football--and a year later and with the league off to a shaky start out of conference through the first two weeks of the season, ETSU's trip to No. 25 West Georgia felt like a must-win for a league that has gone from knocking on the door of returning as one of FCS Football's Elite Conferences to being worthy of barely an automatic bid.
The feeling was that a Bucs win on the road against a Top 25 foe could potentially change all of that. However, just like the Bucs had done in the waning moments a year earlier in front of the home crowd at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium against the Bison, there was an epic meltdown. Last season, the Bucs could only watch in horror as Cam Miller did his thing to take a season-altering, 38-35, win in Johnson City. The Bison would go on to win a 10th FCS national title, while the Bucs would fail to even make the playoffs, finishing 7-5.
Despite leading West Georgia 31-20 and looking good for the better part of three quarters, the Bucs were again left horrified, as the Wolves scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to turn back the Bucs, 35-31.
Unlike the meltdown at home vs, NDSU a year earlier, the latest collapse felt much different for the Bucs. It also signaled maybe the final best opportunity at a high-quality non-conference win for the league. The Bucs had held as much as a 15-point lead early in the third quarter, as Devontae Houston's 11-yard scoring reception from quarterback Jacolby Criswell had staked ETSU to a 28-13 lead with 9:26 remaining in the third quarter. It would be the final touchdown of the night, as the only points the remainder of the night would be a Ewan Johnson 46-yard field goal with 4:07 left in the third, which would give the Bucs a 31-20 lead.
The timeline of the collapse in 2025 was similar to that of the one in '24 against the Bison. The final seven minutes of the game would prove to be the Bucs' undoing. First, UWG quarterback Davin Wydner found running back Latrelle Murrell out of the backfield for a 27-yard pitch-and-catch, cutting ETSU's lead to just three following a successful two-point conversion, making it a 31-28 game with 6:40 remaining.
On ETSU's ensuing possession, the Wolves would then force the ETSU offense to go three-and-out to get the ball back to their offense. However, after gaining one first down, it appeared the Bucs might have staved off the furious rally, as ETSU defensive back Jivon Oggs picked off his second pass of the season, which ended UWG's drives with just under two minutes remaining.
ETSU's offense then took the field looking to run out remaining time off the clock, however, the only problem was the Wolves still had two timeouts in their back pocket. The Wolves defense did its job, and good time management and use of those timeouts would give the ball back to the Wolves with just 42 seconds remaining.
Then, the unthinkable happened. On 2nd-and-10 from its own 44, Wydner found an unbelievably wide-open TJ Lockley for a 51-yard pass connection, getting the Wolves all the way to the ETSU 5 with time winding down. Without any timeouts, the Wolves rushed to the line of scrimmage and Wydner spiked the ball to stop the clock. After an offsides infraction was flagged against the Bucs moved it to the 2, Wydner found wideout DeAndre Buchanan for a 2-yard scoring strike in the corner of the end zone, giving UWG a 35-31 lead with just 15 seconds remaining following the PAT. It was the first lead of the night for the Wolves.
The Wolves sealed the remarkable come-from-behind win--their second against SoCon competition this season after opening the campaign with a 34-3 win at Samford--when Jalen Burton picked off Cade McNamara's deep pass at the UWG 36.
The loss sees the Bucs fall to 1-2 heading into a crucial contest against Elon at William B. Greene Stadium next Saturday.
For the game, the Wolves ended up holding the edge in total yards gained, as they finished with a 457-289 edge in total offense.
Jacolby Criswell finished the game by connecting on 5-of-8 passes for 108 yards with three scores and no INTs, while Cade McNamara finished his evening going 9-of-13 for 76 yards, with a pair of INTs.
SoCon Goes 1-1 vs. CAA
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| Western Carolina comes up just short vs. Elon (photo courtesy of WCU athletics) |
Western Carolina and Elon battled in one of the tightest games all afternoon in week three, however, Elon would avenge last year's 24-17 by the Catamounts at Rhodes Stadium, as the Phoenix came to EJ Whitmire Stadium and posted what was a 37-31 win.
It looked as though the Catamounts might be ready to take control of the contest when they scored a pair of touchdowns consecutively out of the halftime locker room to assume a 28-23 lead in the contest. The Purple and Gold got scores on a 97-yard kickoff return for a score from Dominic Dutton and a 62-yard run from James Tyre off an offensive fumble recovery with 11:07 remaining in the third quarter, which gave the Catamounts the five-point, 28-23, lead.
Elon's Luke Barnes then answered with back-to-back field goals of 38 and 42 yards, respectively, to allow the Phoenix to retake the lead, at 29-28, with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter, and that would set up a dynamic final 15 minutes of football at Whitmire Stadium.
The Catamounts put together a 12-play, 65-yard drive, which was capped by a 28-yard Marcus Trout with 13:05 remaining, and that would end up giving Western Carolina the lead back, at 31-29, in the continued see-saw affair.
However, Elon would put together a game-winning drive on with just under nine minutes left, using a 10-play, 79-yard drive and taking almost four minutes off the fourth quarter clock until Phoenix quarterback Landen Clark scampered 10 yards for a TD to make it a 35-31 game. A successful two-point conversion reception by Isaiah Fuhrmann increased Elon's lead to six, at 37-31, with 4:53 remaining.
The Catamounts would get a pair of first downs and moved the ball inside Elon territory to the Phoenix 38 on their ensuing possession following James Tyre's 3-yard reception. However, a loss of one yard on a rush by Camury Reid would bring up a crucial 3rd-and-9 play from the Elon 39 with time winding down under two minutes. After a timeout and an incomplete pass by Isaac Lee, the Catamounts had to go for it on 4th-and-9, but Lee would be sacked for a loss of eight yards, and the Phoenix took over the football and ran out the remainder of the clock for the 37-31 win.
The loss puts the Catamounts in a somewhat precarious position now, as with an 0-3 start, Western Carolina must now win the Southern Conference title to likely gain an automatic bid to the FCS postseason. Elon improved to 2-1 on the young season and will head into a crucial game at East Tennessee State (1-2) next week looking to avenge another one of its 2024 losses to SoCon competition.
The Catamounts will begin that Southern Conference title journey next week, hosing Samford (0-3) at Whitmire Stadium.
For the game, Elon held a slight advantage in total yards, posting what was a 456-426 edge in total offense. The Catamounts once again played a pair of quarterbacks in the win over the Phoenix, with both Bennett Judy and Isaac Lee seeing action under center, as Taron Dickens--the preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year--remained suspended. No word on whether or not Dickens will be available for next week's game vs. Samford has been made known, however, his suspension according to some might be four games, which would of course extend through that game against the Samford.
Isaac Lee finished the contest connecting on 19-of-31 passes for 132 yards with a touchdown and two INTs, while Bennett Judy finished out the contest by connecting on 17-of-24 passes for 114 yards and a score.
James Tyre and Dominic Dutton combined to score all four of WCU's touchdowns in the game, using three different ways to accomplish the feat. Both wide receivers naturally caught touchdowns of four and seven yards, respectively, in the opening half of play.
Meanwhile, in the second half, Dutton opened the second half with that electrifying 97-yard kickoff return for a score, while Tyre came up with a fortuitous bounce from a Catamount offensive fumble and raced 62 yards for a score to sting the Phoenix and give WCU the 28-23 lead.
Tyre ended up leading the Catamounts in both rushing (62 yds), thanks to that fortuitous fumble recovery and subsequent return, while also hauling in eight passes for 87 yards and a score.
Elon would be led by Landen Clark both through the air and on the ground in the win. He finished the afternoon connecting on just 11-of-28 passes for 305 yards with two TDs and two INTs. Meanwhile, he would also end up being the Phoenix's leading rusher, finishing the day with 25 attempts for 72 yards and a pair of scores.
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| Furman Freshman WR Evan James hauls in game-winning TD vs. Campbell (photo courtesy of Furman athletics) |
While Elon finished off Western Carolina in the first meeting between SoCon and CAA in the first meeting of the day, which kicked off about an hour before the second matchup between the two leagues, Furman was able to hold off a hungry Campbell team in search of its first win of the season in its home opener at Barker Lane Stadium, as the Paladins held on for a 28-24 win.
The win saw the Paladins improve to 2-1 on the young season heading into an off week, while Campbell remained winless, at 0-3 overall and 0-1 in CAA play.
It was a big day for both Furman sophomore quarterback Trey Hedden and freshman wideout Evan James, as the two ended up collecting both league and national accolades with their performances for the Furman offense in Saturday afternoon's triumph.
Hedden, 25-of-36 passes for 316 yards and a pair of touchdowns without an INT to collect SoCon Offensive Player of the Week accolades.
Hedden's favorite target was true freshman Evan James, who hauled 10 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, while also accounting for Furman's lone turnover by throwing an INT, and his tremendous day catching the football saw him honored as the STATS Perform National Freshman of the Week. It was the very same honor quarterback Trey Hedden ended up garnering a citation for last season in Furman's 48-7 home win over Stetson.
In addition to the award-winning day on the offensive side of the football, defensive end Joshua Stoneking garnered SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting six tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks. Stoneking was part of a Paladin defense, which collectively finished the night with 11.0 tackles-for-loss.
The Camels would end up edging out the Paladins in total offense in the game, outgaining the Paladins 389-384.
Furman would get on the board on its opening drive of the game, as Ian Williams would connect on a 23-yard field goal to give the Paladins a 3-0 lead, completing a 10-play 70-yard drive. On the second play of the second quarter, however, Kamden Sixkiller connected with Randall King to give the Camels a 7-3 lead on a beautifully thrown four-yard fade route. It would complete an 11-play, 80-yard drive for the Camels.
On the ensuing drive, Furman had a promising drive thwarted after trying a trick play on a wide receiver pass from Evan James, which was picked off by Camels defensive back Chase Arrington to end the scoring opportunity.
With just under six minutes remaining in the half, Furman stopped Campbell on a 4th-and-1 at midfield to take over the football in tremendous field position.
The Paladins would drive the ball into the Camels red zone late in the half, and on 3rd-and-6 from the Campbell 24, Trey Hedden found Jackson Pryor for a 24-yard strike, as the Paladins would re-take the lead 11-7 after a successful two-point conversion by Jay’Quan Smith with 1:26 remaining in the half.
Campbell would mount a furious drive in the final 1:26, aided by a Sixkiller 30-yard completion to wideout Barry Tate to get the Camels into Furman territory. Campbell would reach the Furman 26 before having to settle for an Alex Crabb 34-yard field goal, trimming the Paladin lead to one, at 11-10, as the two teams headed to the halftime locker room.
In the second half, Campbell opened with the football and would re-take the lead with an impressive scoring drive, as JJ Cowan scored on a 4-yard run to complete a 14-play, 77-yard drive, giving the Camels a 17-11 lead.
The Paladins would drive right back, however, and would mount a nine-play, 84-yard drive, which was capped by a 1-yard plunge from Smith and with the Williams PAT, the Paladins would retake the lead, 18-17, with 3:36 left in the third quarter.
The Camels marched right back, however, driving deep into Paladin territory once again and would remain perfect on offensive scoring drives in the second half, as Cowan bounced outside for a six-yard scoring run and following Crabb's PAT, the Camels would retake the lead, 24-18, with 14:24 to play in the game. It was the Camels' second-straight 75-yard scoring drive to start the second half.
The Paladins would march right back into the Camels red zone; however, the drive would stall at the 11-yard line and Ian Williams came on to boot through his 12th-straight made field goal dating back to last season, getting the Paladins to within 24-21 with 11:59 remaining.
Furman's defense finally forced a Campbell punt and then on Furman's next possession, it appeared the Paladins would have to punt it back to the Camels; however, a substitution infraction gave the Paladins an automatic first down to extend the drive.
The result would be Furman's offense making Campbell pay dearly for the miscue, as Hedden found his favorite target Evan James for a 30-yard TD pass with 5:10 left, giving the Paladins a 28-24 lead.
The Camels would drive to the Furman 11 on their final possession, however, on 4th-and-5 with 21 seconds left,
Joshua Stoneking bull-rushed Sixkiller, getting the Paladins their third sack of the day, but more importantly preserving Furman's second win in their first three games to start the season. The Paladin offense ran out the remaining seconds and Furman escaped into its off week.
Campbell got a nice effort out of McNeese State transfer quarterback Kamden Sixkiller, who finished connecting on 34-of-43 throws for 294 yards, while his favorite target was Randall King, who ended up hauling in 13 catches for 105 yards and a score.
Furman will now have an off week before opening Southern Conference play on Sept. 27, as the Paladins will be in Homewood to face off against Samford. The Paladins haven't played Samford since a 26-21 win at Samford back in 2023, as the 2024 meeting was scrubbed due to Hurricane Helene.
VMI falls in Thriller at Bucknell
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| Collin Shannon passes for a career-high 362 yards vs. Bucknell (Photo courtesy of VMI athletics) |
VMI's game against Bucknell kept in the theme with absolute barn-burners in the SoCon football for week three, however, as was more often the case than not, it was the SoCon team that ended up being on the wrong end of the result, as the Keydets fell, 35-28, to its Patriot League opposition.
It appeared the Keydets might be in for a long afternoon when it trailed 21-7 at the half, however, VMI would mount a relentless rall in the second half to tie the game (28-28) before falling by a touchdown. It was the fourth-straight season that the two teams have met, with Bucknell now having won the last three, including the past two by the identical scoreline of 35-28.
The seven-point loss would see VMI fall to 1-2 on the young season, while the Bison improved to 2-1 overall.
If you like a passing, high-octane aerial battle, then this past Saturday's contest between the Keydets and Bison was the one for you.The two teams combined for 767 passing yards and almost 900 yards of offense in the thriller. The two QBs also combined to throw for eight of the game's nine total TDs, with only one INT between the two signal-callers.
Bucknell's Ralph Rucker IV led the Bison attack with the fourth-most passing yards in the FCS for week three, as he finished the contest by connecting on 21-of-28 passes for 405 yards, with five TDs and only one INT.
Meanwhile, VMI's Collin Shannon also had a big day, completing 21-of-38 throws for a career-high 362 yards, three touchdowns and no INTs.
VMI faced a pair of 14-point deficits in the contest but never folded. Facing a 28-14 deficit to the Bison on the road entering the fourth quarter, the Keydets would book two scores to stun the home team. First, Nana Utsey posted the game's lone rushing score to get the Keydets within seven, at 28-21, following a 3-yard scamper just six seconds into the final frame. Utsey's run concluded a three-play, 77-yard drive to get VMI to within 28-21.
Then after a VMI defense came up with a big stop midway through the fourth quarter, the Keydet offense would have the ball in excellent field position, taking over at their own 48.
Six plays later on 2nd-and-goal from the Bucknell 14, Shannon found Owen Sweeney for a 14-yard pitch and catch, tying the game, 28-28, with 5:26 remaining. It was Sweeney's second scoring catch of the day, as he hauled in six passes for 72 yards and two TDs in the contest.
With the game tied 28-28, however, Bucknell would end up making the plays in the clutch to secure the win. With under two minutes left, the Bison were faced with a 3rd-and-1 at the VMI 38, Rucker pushed forward with the football against the VMI defensive front and gained just enough to garner a new set of downs for the Bison.
In a game in which rushing yards were hard to come by, that yard by Rucker would prove vital. On the very next play, he threw a 37-yard bomb to the corner of the end zone and his favorite target Sam Milligan ran under the perfectly tossed offering from Rucker before making sure he had both feet in bounds while simultaneously securing his record-setting fourth scoring catch of the day, giving the Bison a 35-28 lead following the PAT with just 1:49 left. The Bison defense would do enough to make that Milligan scoring catch count for what would prove to be the game-winner.
Milligan would finish off his record-setting day by hauling in just seven passes for 192 yards and four scores. Not to be overlooked was the effort turned in by VMI wideout Noah Grevious, who finished with six catches for 186 yards and a touchdown.
VMI returns to the gridiron next Saturday, as the Keydets will be on the road for a game against Richmond (1-2), with kickoff set for 2:00 p.m. EST at UR Stadium. Bucknell will face No. 10 Lehigh (3-0) inside the friendly confines Christy-Mathewson Memorial Stadium in what will be a key Patriot League clash. Kickoff for the Bison-Mountainhawks battle is set for 6 p.m. EST.
There Were Blowouts Too...
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| Baylor runs past Samford (photo courtesy of Baylor Athletics) |
Samford and Chattanooga would both be on differing sides of blowouts as a part of Saturday's SoCon gridiron action. The Bulldogs would be in FBS power four country, taking on Big 12 member Baylor in a Baptist School battle, while Chattanooga took on Pioneer League member Stetson of the FCS non-scholarship ranks looking for its first win of the season in the Mocs' home opener.
The Bulldogs and Bears kicked off the day's SoCon action, with the game kicking off at noon, and almost from the outset, it was clear the Bulldogs were overmatched. Led by running back Bryson Washington, who finished the contest by rushing for 135 yards and a pair of scores, the Bears rushed out to a 7-0 lead following a blocked punt, which allowed the Bears offense to take over at the Samford 28.
It took just four plays for the Bears to find the end zone for the first of what would be six times in the contest, as Washington scored on a 2-yard rumble behind his left tackle to give Baylor a 7-0 lead with the game a little over two minutes into the game.
After another stop from the Baylor defense, Sawyer Robertson found wideout Josh Cameron on a 10-yard scoring connection with 9:37 left in the half to make it a 14-0 Bears lead. It took Baylor just five plays to go 82 yards to extend its lead to two TDs.
Samford's lone offensive score of the day would come with just over a minute remaining in the opening frame, as the Bulldogs went to the back of tricks to cap the 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive, using the double pass to find the end zone. Quarterback Quincy Crittendon tossed the ball behind the line of scrimmage to running back CJ Evans, who then lofted a pop-fly to true freshman wideout Torrey Ward in the corner of the Baylor end zone for a 12-yard scoring toss, cutting Baylor's lead in half, at 14-7.
However, the rest of the half and the game would belong to the Bears. An onslaught of 21 points in the second quarter ultimately put the game to bed before the half. Kobe Prentice hauled in a 12-yard pass from Robertson to get the scoring started, making it a 21-7 contest with just under nine minutes left in the half.
Washington then scored on his second scoring scamper of the day, finding the end zone on a 5-yard scamper to make it a 28-7 contest with 4:22 remaining in the half. Caden Knighten's 1-yard scoring plunge with 1:09 remaining in the half pushed the halftime margin to 28, at 35-7.
In the second half, there would be only one TD between the two teams and it would come from the Bears with 11:40 remaining. Louis Brown IV hauled in an 11-yard scoring pass from Robertson to cap the scoring on the day and setting the final margin at 42-7.
The loss sees the Bulldogs fall to 0-3 on the season, while Baylor improved to 2-1. The Bears out-gained the Bulldogs 468-195 on the day. Samford starting quarterback Quincy Crittendon completed 7-of-13 passes for 59 yards with one INT. Brad Stober also saw action under center for the Bulldogs, completing 4-of-10 passes for 30 yards with a pair of INTs.
Samford (0-3, 0-1 SoCon) returns to action next Saturday with a trip to Western Carolina (0-3, 0-0 SoCon), with kickoff slated for 2:30 p.m. EST at EJ Whitmire Stadium. Baylor will remain in the friendly confines of McLane Stadium next Saturday when it welcomes No. 22 Arizona State (2-1) for its 2025 Big 12 Conference opener.
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| Chattanooga opens season in style vs. Stetson (photo courtesy of Leah O'Dell/UTC Athletics) |
Chattanooga left little doubt as to what would transpire in its home opener of the 2025 football season, decimating its Pioneer Football League competition Stetson, 63-0, in front of a crowd of 7,144 fans on-hand at Finley Stadium.
The Mocs dominated the game in every aspect. The blowout win would see the Mocs improve to 79-36-3 all-time in home openers and improved to 1-2 overall on the season. The Hatters, meanwhile, fell to 1-2 on the season.
The Mocs finished the afternoon by rolling up 539 yards of total offense, while holding the Hatters to just a total of 126 total yards in the game.
Justus Durant got the Mocs off to a strong start with a 3-yard scoring run, which was followed by an AJ Little 59-yard punt return score for a score and Camden Orth closed out a 21-point first quarter with a 1-yard scoring plunge, closing out what was a 21-point first quarter for the Mocs.
Little would end up being named the SoCon's Special Teams Player of the Week, as it would be the first of two returns for a score in the game for Chattanooga.
In the second quarter, the onslaught continued following the Mocs' first scoring pass of the day, as Orth hooked up with Jamarri Robinson for a 16-yard scoring strike to make it a 28-0 contest with 12:50 to play in the third.
After the Mocs defense stymied the Hatters once again, it was Orth's time to get into the action with a long scoring scamper, as he sprinted 55 yards for a score to make it a 35-0 game with 10:16 remaining in the third. That would be the score as the game reached halftime.
In the second half, the bloodletting continued, as Markell Quick returned the opening kickoff of the second half, taking the opening kickoff 91 yards all the way back for a score and a 91-yard score to make it 42-0.
Later in the quarter, Orth added a 1-yard scoring plunge and a 23-yard scoring pass to Taylor Crumedy to make it a 56-0. All told, Orth had four TD responsibilities in the game.
The final TD of the evening would fittingly come via the ground attack, as Journey Wyche sprinted 78 yards for a score to set the final margin at 63-0.
The Mocs finished the game with an astounding 445 rushing yards, which was just 23 yards of the all-time school record, as the Mocs posted 468 rushing yards on Nov. 7, 1931. It was the sixth-highest rushing total in school history and the most since rushing for 456 yards at The Citadel on Nov. 5, 1994.
Orth finished his best day under center for the Mocs by completing 7-of-14 passes for 94 yards, with two TDs and an INT, while rushing 11 times for 118 yards and a pair of scores to lead the ground attack.
Chattanooga has a stern challenge ahead, as the Mocs head to No. 3 ranked Tarleton State out of the UAC. It will mark the second contest against a ranked FCS team this season for the Mocs, who also took on No. 12 Tennessee Tech a couple of weeks ago, dropping a 45-17 game in Cookeville. Tennessee Tech was named the newest SoCon member back in early August and will begin play in the league in 2026. Kickoff for the game between the Mocs and Texans is slated for 7 p.m.
SoCon Bulldogs fall to Gardner-Webb
The final game of the evening would see The Citadel and Gardner-Webb face off against each other in a non-conference clash, and for the second time when facing a SoCon foe this season, it was Gardner-Webb getting better of the historic league, as the hometown Runnin' Bulldogs went on to a 23-13 win over The Citadel in their home opener in front of 4,522 fans on-hand at Ernest Spangler Stadium.
Gardner-Webb, which also posted a wild 52-49 win over Western Carolina to open the 2025 season, improved to 2-1 overall, while The Citadel fell to 1-2 (1-0 SoCon). It was the second-straight week the Bulldogs have faced a team on the road with the same mascot, however, it wouldn't go as swimmingly as the 40-13 win at Samford to open SoCon play last week.
It was a struggle for the Bulldogs offense for much of the night, and The Citadel would fall behind 20-0 early in the third quarter before finally starting to get some positive things to happen.
It was another solid performance turned in by Gardner-Webb starter and Liberty transfer Nick Hampton under center, as he finished the night connecting on 13-of-22 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, helping the hometown Bulldogs post a 334-307 advantage in total yards.
Gardner-Webb also got field goals of 26, 33, and 27 yards from place-kicker Charles Viorel to account for the 23 points scored by the Bulldogs in the game.
It was Viorel that would give the Runnin' Bulldogs their first points of the night in front of the home crowd this season, as his 26-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter, concluding a 12-play, 42-yard drive to give the Runnin' Bulldogs an early 3-0 lead.
After the Runnin' Bulldogs stymied The Citadel's offense, Gardner-Webb got the ball back late in the quarter and would increase its lead to two scores when Hampton connected with wideout Caleb Borders for an 11-yard scoring strike to make it a 10-0 game with 47 seconds left in the opening frame. The scoring strike from Hampton concluded an impressive 8-play, 79-yard drive.
A little over midway through the second quarter, Gardner-Webb would provide the lone points of the 15-minute frame, as Hampton found wideout Chris Lofton for a 67-yard scoring strike, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs full command of the game, with a 17-0 lead with 6:14 remaining in the opening half.
In the second half, the Runnin' Bulldogs defense continued to be strong, sacking The Citadel quarterback Quentin Hayes and forcing him to fumble the ball and Runnin' Bulldogs defensive lineman Antonio O'Berry fell on the loose football to give Gardner-Webb the football at The Citadel 14.
However, after The Citadel's defense did its job, limiting the Runnin' Bulldogs to three points, despite the turnover deep in the red zone. Viorel trotted on and knocked through a 33-yard field goal to increase the home team's lead to 20-0 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the third.
The Citadel's offense would finally break the ice in the final quarter of play, as Sebastian Boyle got the Bulldogs on the board for the first time in the game, capping an eight-play, 79-yard drive with a two-yard scoring plunge to make it a 20-7 game with 1:39 remaining in the third.
Following Viorel's final field goal of the evening, which put the Runnin' Bulldogs ahead 23-7 with just under 11 minutes left in the game, The Citadel's only other points would prove to be nothing more than consolation, as Braylon Knauth hauled in a 1-yard scoring pass from Cobey Thompkins with just two seconds remaining. The two-point conversion, however, failed, leaving the final margin at 10. The scoring pass concluded a season-long, eight-play, 99-yard drive for The Citadel.
The Citadel would end up being led in the contest by quarterback Cobey Thompkins, who finished connecting on 6-of-10 passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. Garrison Johnson Jr. led The Citadel's ground game efforts, finishing with 73 yards on 13 carries. Thompkins added 63 rushing yards on 18 carries.
The Citadel returns to action Saturday when it looks to move to 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2016--a season The Citadel went on to claim its fourth conference title in school history with a perfect 8-0 league mark--as the Bulldogs host reigning SoCon champion RV/No. 25 Mercer in a 2 p.m. contest at Johnson-Hagood Stadium.
Gardner-Webb returns to action facing one of the best teams out of the "Group of Five" in the FBS, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will be in Athens, OH, to take on the Ohio Bobcats (1-2) in a game slated for a 3:30 p.m. EST kickoff.
Power Rankings: (A little clearer but not much)
1. East Tennessee State 1-2, 0-0 SoCon
2. Furman 2-1, 0-0 SoCon
3. Mercer 1-1, 1-0 SoCon
4. The Citadel 1-2, 1-0 SoCon
5. Chattanooga 1-2, 0-0 SoCon
6. Western Carolina 0-3, 0-0 SoCon
7. Wofford 0-3, 0-1 SoCon
8. VMI 1-2, 0-0 SoCon
9. Samford 0-3, 0-1 SoCon
Schedule for Sept. 20, 2025
Wofford (0-3) at Virginia Tech (0-3), Noon
*Mercer (1-1, 1-0 SoCon) at The Citadel (1-2, 1-0 SoCon), 2 p.m. EST
*Samford (0-3, 0-1 SoCon) at Western Carolina (0-3, 0-0 SoCon), 2:30 p.m. EST
VMI (1-2) at Richmond (1-2), 2 p.m. EST
Elon (2-1) at East Tennessee State (1-2), 5:30 p.m. EST
Chattanooga (1-2) at No. 3 Tarleton State (4-0), 7 p.m. EST
Furman (2-1, 0-0 SoCon) ------------------Idle-------------------------
SoCon Football Notes:
--With Chattanooga's game against No. 3 Tarleton slated for Saturday evening, it will mark the third Top 15 the league has faced this season, as league teams have also faced No. 1 North Dakota State (Def. The Citadel 38-0 on Aug. 30) and No. 12 Tennessee Tech (Def. Chattanooga 45-17). The SoCon has faced four ranked teams in the FCS Top 25 this season, as West Georgia (Def. ETSU 35-31) came into its matchup with East Tennessee State this past weekend ranked at No. 25.
--Gardner-Webb's 23-13 win over The Citadel this past weekend saw it join Presbyterian and West Georgia as programs that have a 2-0 record against SoCon teams this fall. Elon (Def. Western Carolina 37-31) and Richmond (Def Wofford 14-10) could become the third and fourth to join the 2-0 club against the SoCon this season, if each can find a way past league members ETSU and VMI on Saturday. Furman is the only team in the SoCon with a winning record, which includes a 2-0 mark against the Coastal Athletic Association, with wins over William & Mary and Campbell.
Firing Squads
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