NCAA Football

Mercer Bears (9-4)


Davis' 3 TDs power FCS No. 1 South Dakota State in 41-0 shutout of Mercer

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) Isaiah Davis ran for three touchdowns, including a 42-yard dash to open the second half, and top-seeded South Dakota State turned in a dominant performance to shutout Mercer 41-0 Saturday in a Football Championship Series second-round game.

The defending national champions, ranked No. 1 the entire season, had a first-round bye. The Jackrabbits advance to face the winner of Saturday's game between Youngstown State and eighth-seeded Villanova.

South Dakota State (12-0) took the opening kick and drove 56 yards in 10 plays to set up Hunter Dustman's 26-yard field goal and had touchdowns on its next three possessions of the half to take a 24-0 lead. Davis scored from the 4 to open the second quarter to cap a 13-play, 74-yard drive that used more than seven minutes of the first quarter. Mark Gronowski found Jaxon Janke with a seven-yard TD and Davis capped a six-play, 66-yard drive with a six-yard run with :21 left in the half.

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Leaders
Passing Yards: C. Peevy2275
Passing TDs: C. Peevy11
Rushing Yards: A. Wooten II715
Rushing TDs: C. Peevy12
Receiving Yards: T. James1157
Receiving TDs: T. James7
Interceptions: None 
Schedule 2023
Date Opponent Result / Time
8/26 vs. North Alabama W 17 - 7
9/2 at 22 Ole Miss L 7 - 73
9/9 vs. Morehead State W 48 - 22
9/23 at Furman L 14 - 38
9/30 vs. VMI W 38 - 3
10/7 at ETSU W 24 - 6
10/14 vs. Chattanooga L 10 - 22
10/21 vs. Wofford W 31 - 17
10/28 at Western Carolina W 45 - 38
11/4 at Citadel W 38 - 16
11/11 vs. Samford W 28 - 21
11/25 vs. Gardner-Webb W 17 - 7
12/2 at South Dakota State L 0 - 41
Southern
  Conference Overall
7 Furman 7-1 10-2
18 Chattanooga 6-2 8-5
17 Mercer 6-2 9-4
23 Western Carolina 5-3 7-4
Samford 4-4 6-5
Virginia Military 4-4 5-6
ETSU 2-6 3-8
Wofford 2-6 2-9
Citadel 0-8 0-11
Offense (FCS Rank)
Yards: 4189 (45)
Passing Yards: 2279 (55)
Rushing Yards: 1910 (30)
Points per game: 24.4 (65)
Yards per game: 322.2 (83)
Touchdowns: 34 (56)
Field Goals: 10 (50)
Defense (FCS Rank)
Yards: 4486 (92)
Passing Yards: 2858 (109)
Rushing Yards: 1628 (51)
Points per game: 23.9 (35)
Yards per game: 345.1 (48)
Touchdowns: 36 (67)
Field Goals: 18 (118)