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AVE MARIA, Fla. --- Ave Maria football faces another tough test this week when they take on NCAA DI Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Mercer University on Saturday night in Macon, Ga. This is the first meeting between the two teams and the first FCS opponent for the Gyrenes.
The game will be broadcasted on ESPN3. Mercer will also provide live stats for Saturday's contest.
The Blue and Green haven't been able to put things together in the first two games. The Gyrenes' offense showed up against North Greenville, scoring 21 points with 416 yards in a 45-21 loss, but then turned the ball over seven times at Florida Tech.
The Gyrenes' defense on the other hand, struggled against Florida Tech allowing 639 yards of total offense, 271 of which came on the ground, but allowed just 257 yards against Florida Tech, with most of the points allowed coming from having been backed up on their own end of the field due to the Gyrenes' offensive struggles. AMU will have to play well on both sides of the ball in order to pull off the upset on Saturday.
Despite his off game last week, quarterback
Clayton Uecker (Akron, Ohio) has still completed 50 percent of his passes this season and is averaging 228 yards through the air over the first two games. Wide receivers'
Travis Makauskas (Jacksonville, Fla.) and
Thomas Zimmer (Margate, Fla.) each are averaging over 50 yards receiving a game and have a touchdown on the season.
Frank Kelly (Chicago, Ill.) has led the Gyrenes defensive efforts this season with 12 total tackles, one tackles for a loss, and two fumble recoveries through two games.
Kurt Joseph (Miami, Fla.) and
Nick Dorgan (Chicago, Ill.) each have amassed six solo tackles and have assisted on four tackles for a total of 10. Joseph also has a sack on the season and Dorgan has forced one fumble.
Mercer began the season with a 45-42 victory over Reinhardt. After a 25-20 loss to Furman in their Southern Conference debut, the Bears routed Stetson on the road 49-0. Through three games, Mercer has averaged 38 points and 428.7 yards per game with 224 of those yards coming on the ground. The Bears have also been extremely efficient in the red zone scoring on 12-of-14 possessions, 11 of which were touchdowns.
John Russ will be behind center for the Mercer Bears. The sophomore quarterback has completed passes this season at a 59.4 percent clip for 580 yards and six touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. His favorite target has been JT Palmer, who leads the team with 16 receptions for 217 yards and three touchdowns.
Freshman Alex Lakes will get a bulk of the carries this weekend. The Mercer running back has rushed the ball 49 times this season for 337 yards and six touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, Linebacker Tyler Ward has been a force in the middle of the Mercer defense this season with 37 total tackles through three games. He has also recorded 1.5 tackles for a loss and an interception this season.
