The Citadel Notes
Mercer Notes
SoCon Notes
ESPN3.com
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Citadel faces Mercer for the first time in more than eight decades when the teams meet in a Southern Conference contest on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Macon, Ga. 

The game will be shown nationally on espn3.com with announcers Dan Mathews, D.J. Shockley and Hannah Chalker. It will be broadcast throughout South Carolina on The Citadel Sports Network beginning with the tailgate show at 2 p.m.

The Bulldogs and Bears last played in 1931 when Mercer won 26-0 in Charleston, and The Citadel holds a 6-4-1 lead in the series. Mercer dropped its football program following the 1941 season and returned to the gridiron last year as a member of the Pioneer League before officially joining the SoCon in July.

The Citadel (2-6, 0-3 SoCon) is coming off a 29-15 loss at Western Carolina last Saturday while the Bears (5-4, 1-4) lost their third SoCon game of the season by a touchdown or less with a 38-31 setback at Chattanooga.

In the game against the Catamounts, The Citadel put two runners over the 100-yard mark for the third time this season as freshman B-back Isaiha Smith gained a season-high 111 yards and Aaron Miller rushed for 104. Miller ranks second in the SoCon and 34th nationally (second among quarterbacks) with an average of 92.9 rushing yards per game.

Mercer quarterback John Russ threw for 293 yards and nearly led Mercer back from a 21-point deficit in the loss to Chattanooga. He leads the SoCon in pass efficiency rating at 156.0, and Alex Lakes is first in the league in rushing with an average of 102.6 yards per outing.

Although there has been a huge gap in the series, Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb is no stranger to The Citadel. Lamb was a quarterback (1982-85), assistant coach (1986-2001) and head coach (2002-10) at Furman. During those years, the Paladins were 21-8 against the Bulldogs, including 6-3 with Lamb as head coach.

Following Saturday's game, The Citadel returns to Johnson Hagood Stadium for their annual Homecoming game against Furman. Kickoff for the rivalry contest between the Bulldogs and Paladins is at 2 p.m.