South Dakota ends Mercer's Playoff Run Abruptly

 

MACON, GA--In a season that began with a 'no contest' for Mercer against UC Davis in Huntsville in the FCS Kickoff classic, also ended in a 'no contest' of sorts, as No. 11 South Dakota came to Five Star Stadium and officially delivered a TKO to the No. 6 Bears' football season, as the No. 11 Coyotes captured their second playoff win in as many weeks, blanking Mercer, 47-0, Saturday afternoon in a rainy Five Star Stadium.

With the win, the Coyotes improve to 10-4 and move on to face Montana (12-1) in an FCS Quarterfinal matchup next Saturday. The Bears conclude their 2025 season with a 9-3 mark, losing their final two games of the season by a combined 99-17 margin to both Auburn and South Dakota. 

The Coyotes rolled up 550 yards of total offense, which included 309 yards on the ground and were the beneficiaries of four Mercer turnovers, which all came on INTs, as the Coyotes converted those into 24 points.

It was not a day to remember for freshman quarterback Braden Atkinson in a Mercer uniform. The 2025 Jerry Rice Award winner completed just 18-of-39 passes for 148 yards, with no touchdowns four INTs. It was easily his worst performance of the season. In his final two games of the season, Atkinson completed 38-of-72 passes for 358 yards with one TD and six INTs. 

After forcing a Mercer three-and-out on the Bears first possession of the game, the Coyotes wasted little time in getting on the board, using a seven-play, 80-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead when Reid Watkins scored on an 8-yard run to make it 7-0 with 9:13 remaining in the opening quarter. The opening drive was keyed by the running of LJ Phillips, who gained 57 yards on four carries, including one which covered 41 yards. 

Atkinson threw his first of what would be four picks on the day, including three in the first half, on Mercer's second possession of the game, as Gabriel Hardman intercepted the Jerry Rice Award winner's pass near midfield, setting up the Coyotes offense in excellent field position. 

Seven plays and 47 yards later, the Coyotes were in the end zone for a second time in the opening quarter, as Phillips scampered 16 yards for a score to conclude the short drive to give South Dakota a 14-0 lead with just under four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

Atkinson would throw his second pick early in the second quarter, as Mikey Munn picked off the pass at the USD 20 after the rookie QB found himself under heavy pressure. As they had done earlier, the Coyotes would make the Bears pay for the untimely miscue. 

The Coyotes needed just five plays to cover 80 yards and was capped by a 15-yard run from Phillips, making it a 21-0 game with 11:38 left in the half.

A third Atkinson INT was set up the Coyotes' third score of the half, as RJ Stewart picked off the pass at the South Dakota 24 and returned it 12 yards to the 36, setting up the Coyotes' offense in decent field position. Will Leyland would cap the drive with a 40-yard field goal and a 24-0 lead with 3:07 left in the opening half. 

Both teams would have one more possession in the opening half of play before settling for USD's 24-point advantage at the break.

The Coyotes would get a 24-yard return on Reice Griffith's opening kickoff of the second half and then on the first play from scrimmage, Larenzo Fenner hauled in a 66-yard scoring pass from Aidan Bouman for a 31-0 lead.

Mercer failed to convert on fourth down on its next possession, and that gave the Coyotes the football at their own 37. It didn't take South Dakota long to find more points, as Bouman found wideout Tysen Boze for a 63-yard touchdown and a 38-0 lead with 10:41 remaining in the third. The Coyotes would add a safety with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter to assume a 40-0 lead heading into the final period. 

In the fourth quarter, the Coyotes closed out the complete domination of the Bears, as Tennel Bryant added a 26-yard scoring run to set the final margin, at 47-0