MACON, Ga. -- Despite a 336-yard passing effort from graduate transfer QB Johnathan Bennett, The Citadel (2-2, 0-1 SoCon) fell short in a resilient road effort against No. 14/16 Mercer  (4-0, 2-0 SoCon) in the Bulldogs' initial chance in Southern Conference competition, faltering down the stretch to the unbeaten Bears in a back-and-forth 38-21 clash Saturday evening at Five Star Stadium.

KEY NOTES
-- Bennett concluded the matchup 19-of-40 through the air for 336 yards and one score; the graduate student also tossed one interception on the day, a pick six late in the first half
-- Cooper Wallace paced the rushing game for the Bulldogs, picking up 29 yards on nine carries; Garrison Johnson plowed his way into the end zone for the lone Citadel score on the ground, finishing with nine yards behind three rushes
-- Javonte Graves-Billips led a dynamic receiving corps, accounting for 105 yards on four receptions, including a big-time 60-yard bomb down the seam; Dervon Pesnell tacked on a pair of catches for 69 yards; Johnny Crawford III logged the solo receiving TD, grabbing three receptions for nine yards
-- Defensively, Cale Williams led all tacklers with 11 takedowns on the day, including eight solo with a pair of tackles-for-loss; Dominick Poole trailed just behind with 10 tackles, notably swiping a pick six midway through the second quarter to get the Bulldogs on the board
-- James Platte contributed another solid effort for the special teams, launching five punts total with a 44.4 average