No. 10 Alabama waltzes into this week’s game after beating LSU in Death Valley last week. This week’s opponent, Mercer, is a top-10 team in the FCS ranks.
Assistant Sports Editor Samuel Prestipino went “behind enemy bylines” to discuss the matchup with Gabriel Kopp, co-editor-in-chief and acting sports editor for Mercer University’s student-run newspaper, The Mercer Cluster.
The following interview was conducted over email.
Prestipino: How does playing a game versus a big FBS school have a positive impact on an FCS school like Mercer?
Kopp: Obviously, there are a reported 600,000 reasons for Mercer to play Alabama, which is to say that the payout Mercer receives from their SEC opponent will be a boon for its athletic program going forward. Outside of the financial incentive, however, it gives the school and our program visibility on the national stage.
This is Mercer’s second time playing Alabama since we reinstated our football program in 2013, losing in 2021, 48-14. Recruits who see they have the opportunity to get snaps against one of the best teams in the country each year might be swayed to choose to play for Mercer instead of going to a smaller FBS team where they will sit on the bench until their senior year, and in the off chance that the Bears win, interest in the school should skyrocket.
When Mercer pulled off an upset against Duke University in 2014 March Madness, it saw an influx of applicants who may not have considered Mercer beforehand, so it is just as much an advertisement of the university as it is an exhibition of our football program.
Prestipino: What is something that fans who don’t pay close attention to Mercer or the FCS should know about the team this year?
Kopp: Like the Crimson Tide, the Bears have a new head coach this season. After watching the coach who took Mercer to its first-ever appearance in the FCS Playoffs leave for Navy College’s offensive coordinator position, the Bears have developed into a defensive juggernaut, ranking among the top five FCS teams in many categories like turnover margin, sacks and defensive touchdowns scored. The unit is led by a large class of seniors, including linebackers Ken Standley and Isaac Dowling Jr. and secondary pieces TJ Moore and Myles Redding. Standley and Dowling Jr. are in a race to finish their careers as the program’s top tacklers, while Moore and Redding are tied with each other for most interceptions in the FCS with six apiece.
The offense will likely be led by true freshman quarterback Whitt Newbauer as the team’s starting quarterback heading into the season, DJ Smith, continues to be “day-to-day” following an injury earlier in the season, according to Head Coach Mike Jacobs. Newbauer has a strong arm and has been a quality placeholder for Smith, but it remains to be seen how the true freshman will handle a raucous Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Prestipino: How would you say Mercer is preparing for Alabama this week? Are there any weaknesses that the Bears will be looking to exploit?
Kopp: Jacobs said in a press conference earlier this week, “We don’t want to make it too much of a sideshow. There’s a football game, and we want to go through our process of how we’ve gone all week and recognize that we have a really good opponent this week.”
It is hard to pinpoint a weakness which the Bears could exploit, but turnovers will be a key factor in getting points on the board for Mercer. In both of Alabama’s losses this year, they have lost the turnover battle, and against Vanderbilt, the time of possession, too. When the Bears played in Tuscaloosa in 2021, they scored on a 60-yard and 22-yard pass while failing to rush for longer than nine yards at a time, so airing out the ball might be their best bet. If Mercer can string together a few first downs early, expect a few deep passes to try to take the top off of the Tide’s secondary. However, with an Alabama defense that has 13 interceptions through nine games, that may be a bit of a stretch.
Prestipino: Have the Bears played any mobile quarterbacks this year? If so, how can they learn from previous games to try and contain Jalen Milore’s rushing ability this week? If they haven’t played a mobile quarterback yet, how do you think the team is preparing to handle Milroe’s legs?
Kopp: Mercer has come across many pass-happy offenses in the Southern Conference, but this year, Samford University’s quarterback was able to keep the ball for himself in the Bears’ only loss of the season so far. Mercer, whose defense leads the FCS in rushing yards allowed, gave up seven runs for 47 yards while sacking the Bulldog passer three times for a loss of 23 yards. The next week, they allowed Western Carolina University’s quarterback to rack up 66 yards on 12 rushing attempts. With that being said, the defense will have to keep at least one of its linebackers as a spy for nearly all plays that are not obvious passing downs because Jalen Milroe offers an entirely different threat than the Bears have seen this season. While we have three defensive linemen who have 5.5 sacks or more this season, they will likely not be able to generate the same level of pressure against future NFL talent, giving Milroe plenty of room to make a play through the air and not on the ground
Prestipino: What does success look like for Mercer this week as they take on a potential College Football Playoff team?
Kopp: While a (very) hopeful fan may see a win as the only possible positive outcome Saturday, Mercer can drive home from Tuscaloosa with some degree of satisfaction if they force one or more turnovers and get points on the board. The Bears’ defense is the team’s bread and butter, and as long as Alabama persistently passes the ball around the field, Mercer may be able to pick off a pass or two. That, of course, is contingent on whether or not Mercer’s defensive line can force the Tide into passing situations. In four games against Alabama (dating back to 1939), the Bears have scored two touchdowns, both of which were scored two years ago. Even a field goal would be welcome as the team has yet to be shut out this year, and, again, turnovers will be a crucial part in getting the offense in the right position to score.
