The Game: Mercer at Furman
Last Week: The Fighting Football Paladins went up to Cullowhee, NC and were dismantled by Western Carolina 48-10. It was a dispiriting game.
Are We Any Good? Nope, doesn't seem like it.
Opposing Team's Mascot: The Bears, which is a respectable mascot name. Not great, but solid. But here are 2 fun facts from one of Mercer's webpages:
1. Before 1924, their nickname was the Baptists.
2. The origin of the Bear nickname apparently comes from a 19th Century game between Mercer and the University of Georgia. I'll let the article I read take it from here:
In those days, athletes wore long hair and sported handlebar mustaches. As a brawny Mercer lineman charged down Old Herty Field in Athens, where the game was played in 1892, a bemused spectator asked, “Whence cometh that bear?”
It is stuff like that which makes writing this weekly post worthwhile.
Suggested Hashtag: #DefeatethThatBear
Et cetera: Though the Bears hold an identical 4-5 record as the Paladins, they are coming off a 17-14 upset of conference co-leader Chattanooga. Also, their five losses have come by an average of 4 points. In addition, this is Mercer Head Coach Bobby Lamb's first visit to Paladin Stadium since he was asked to resign from Furman after his only losing season. What I'm saying here is I don't like our odds.
Nonetheless, I am excited to be heading there Saturday for our last home game of the season. Even when we're having a rough season, there is no place I'd rather watch football than Paladin Stadium. And who knows? Furman has surprised me a lot this season; sometimes bad, but sometimes good. Here's hoping for a good surprise to close out 2015's home slate.
Anything else? Go Paladins!