Western Carolina Catamounts vs Mercer Bears

College Football

W Carolina

3-4

14-17

Final

Mercer

5-2

Five Star Stadium

Drive chart

Drives

Field Goal
Touchdown
Touchdown
Punt
Punt
Punt

Team	1	2	3	4	T
WCU	0	7	0	7	14
MER	0	0	7	10	17

Who won: Mercer 17-14

The Mercer Bears beat the Western Carolina Catamounts 17-14 on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at Five Star Stadium. JP Pickles led the Mercer in passing yards (12/15, 132 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT). Lex Thomas led the W Carolina in passing yards (19/35, 215 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT).

Player of the game

Jayden Cornelius

WCU · 7 TKL, 2 INT, 1 TFL

8.0

Win probability

100%MER final

WCUMER

Tap or hover the line to see the play. Dots mark the biggest swings.

Play by play

Q4 0:00MER
End of game
End of 4th quarter.
FIELD GOALQ4 0:00
MER
42 yd field goal is good
Simon Zeidan 42 Yd Field Goal
WCU 14 - 17 MER
Q4 0:03WCU
Timeout
Timeout Western Carolina, clock 00:03
Q4 0:03MER
Timeout
Timeout Mercer, clock 00:03
Q4 0:36
4 yd run
No Huddle-Shotgun #7 Z.Palode-Gary rush middle for 4 yards gain to the WCU24 (#0 B.Monroe; #8 R.McKinnis)
Z. Palode-Gary · 12 CAR, 66 YDS · 1st & 10 · 1st & 10 at WCU 28
Q4 0:36
15 yd run
No Huddle-Shotgun #19 J.Pickles rush left for 15 yards gain to the WCU28 (#8 R.McKinnis), 1ST DOWN
J. Pickles · 21 CAR, 86 YDS · 2nd & 9 · 2nd & 9 at WCU 43
Q4 0:36MER
Timeout
Timeout Mercer, clock 00:36
Q4 0:46
1 yd run
No Huddle-Shotgun #19 J.Pickles rush middle for 1 yard gain to the WCU43 (#0 B.Monroe)
J. Pickles · 21 CAR, 86 YDS · 1st & 10 · 1st & 10 at WCU 44
Q4 1:21
FLAG
Flag: penalty
No Huddle-Shotgun #19 J.Pickles rush middle for 4 yards gain to the MER41 (#18 T.Anderson) PENALTY WCU Face Mask (#18 T.Anderson) 15 yards from MER41 to WCU44, 1ST DOWN
J. Pickles · 12/15, 132 YDS · 2nd & 11 · 2nd & 11 at MER 37
Q4 1:21
1 yd completion to D. Caldwell
No Huddle-Shotgun #19 J.Pickles pass complete short right to #21 D.Caldwell caught at MER36, for 1 yard loss to the MER37 (#21 N.Ashenafi), out of bounds
J. Pickles · 12/15, 132 YDS · 1st & 10 · 1st & 10 at MER 38
Q4 1:21
4 yd run
No Huddle-Shotgun #21 D.Caldwell rush middle for 4 yards gain to the MER38 (#90 D.Davis; #16 C.Kerns), 1ST DOWN
D. Caldwell · 12 CAR, 71 YDS · 2nd & 2 · 2nd & 2 at MER 34
Q4 1:21
8 yd run
No Huddle-Shotgun #9 B.Smith rush right for 8 yards gain to the MER34 (#21 N.Ashenafi)
B. Smith · 2 CAR, 16 YDS · 1st & 10 · 1st & 10 at MER 26
Q4 1:21
Kickoff returned 13 yds
#95 M.Fitzgerald kickoff 52 yards to the MER13 #6 S.Martin Jr. return 13 yards to the MER26 (#21 N.Ashenafi; #8 M.Cochran)
M. Fitzgerald
TOUCHDOWNQ4 1:29
Touchdown! 5 yd catch
L. Thomas · 1 REC, 5 YDS
No Huddle-Shotgun #1 J.Boyd pass complete short right to #2 L.Thomas caught at MER00, for 5 yards to the MER00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 01:29 #60 B.McCollum kick attempt good (H: #95 M.Fitzgerald, LS: #50 X.Nocco)
WCU 14 - 14 MER
Q4 1:43WCU
Rush
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas rush right for 2 yards gain to the MER05 (#0 J.Carter; #8 C.Goggins)
2nd & Goal at MER 7
Q4 1:43WCU
Timeout
Timeout Western Carolina, clock 01:43
Q4 1:43
Incomplete to J. Young
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas pass incomplete short right to #87 J.Young thrown to MER03 broken up by #24 N.Gay QB hurried by #16 M.Williams
L. Thomas · 19/35, 215 YDS · 1st & Goal · 1st & Goal at MER 7
Q4 1:56
2 yd run
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas rush middle for 2 yards gain to the MER07 (#48 R.Dangler; #5 J.Richardson), 1ST DOWN
L. Thomas · 15 CAR, 18 YDS · 4th & 1 · 4th & 1 at MER 9
Q4 2:00WCU
Timeout
Timeout Western Carolina, clock 02:00
Q4 2:26
9 yd run
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas rush left for 9 yards gain to the MER09, out of bounds at MER09
L. Thomas · 15 CAR, 18 YDS · 3rd & 10 · 3rd & 10 at MER 18
Q4 2:36WCU
Pass incompletion
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas pass incomplete short middle to #0 A.Colombo thrown to MER11 QB hurried by #0 J.Carter
2nd & 10 at MER 18
Q4 2:40
Incomplete to A. Colombo
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas pass incomplete short middle to #0 A.Colombo thrown to MER00 broken up by #25 E.McDowell
L. Thomas · 19/35, 215 YDS · 1st & 10 · 1st & 10 at MER 18
Q4 2:59
13 yd completion to A. Colombo
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas pass complete short middle to #0 A.Colombo caught at MER21, for 13 yards to the MER18 (#0 J.Carter; #21 S.Jackson), 1ST DOWN
L. Thomas · 19/35, 215 YDS · 2nd & 10 · 2nd & 10 at MER 31
Q4 3:19
Incomplete
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas pass incomplete short left thrown to MER21 QB hurried by #15 K.McInnis
L. Thomas · 19/35, 215 YDS · 1st & 10 · 1st & 10 at MER 31
Q4 3:50WCU
Rush
No Huddle-Shotgun #2 L.Thomas rush left for 5 yards gain to the MER31, out of bounds at MER31, 1ST DOWN
3rd & 5 at MER 36