MACON, Ga. — Mercer is about to kick off its 2024 football season with a Thursday night game against Presbyterian. Before the game, head coach Mike Jacobs, offensive lineman Riley Adcock and linebacker Ken Standley spoke with the media.
Here are some takeaways from their comments.
New sheriff in town
Mike Jacobs is about to enter his first season as Mercer’s head coach after a four year stint at Lenoir-Rhyne. Jacobs went 32-9 at the helm with Lenoir Rhyne, and he hopes to bring some of that winning culture to Mercer.
“I’m excited about the way this football team has prepared, really since we got here in January,” Jacobs said. “We’ve been building for this moment on Thursday, and we’re excited to kick off the 2024 season.”
Jacobs isn’t the only new face on the Bears this season. Mercer will have to replace former starting quarterback Carter Peevy, and his favorite receiver, Ty Harper.
Harper caught 63 passes for 1130 yards and 7 touchdowns last year. Now, with a new quarterback under center, the offense will take on a different look.
Transfer quarterback DJ Smith has been tabbed as the starter for Mercer’s first game. Smith spent two seasons playing for Jones College at the junior college level, and now he’ll be under center in Mercer’s offense.
“The overall body of work from spring to now, DJ has done a tremendous job,” Jacobs said. “It was a highly contested battle, and he's certainly prepared. We think he gives us the best chance right now.”
Bears relying on offensive line
With so much uncertainty at other positions on the team, the Bears will be counting on their offensive line to be consistent for them this season. That group is headed by senior Riley Adcock, who made the All-Southern Conference team in each of the past two seasons.
Jacobs said he’s liked what he’s seen from that unit throughout the offseason.
“The offensive line will never be somewhere that we can point [and say] that it’s deficient in any way,” Jacobs said. “Those kids are going to play hard. There’s nowhere to hide. In practice, they work extremely hard and I’ve been really excited about that group’s development.”
Even with that development, Adcock said the group still has room to grow. There are also a few new players along the line, and Adcock says they’ll really start to mesh once the season starts.
“I’m excited about this group,” Adcock said. “Since we are a new group, we’ve had to hang out a bit more to get to know each other. I feel like this is the tightest offensive line group we’ve had since I’ve been here.”
A determined defense
Another reason Adcock is confident about the offensive line is because they’ve been practicing against the Mercer defense every day. He says the quality of the Bears defense has forced the offense to learn on the fly.
“We’re playing against one of the top defenses in our conference and in the country,” Adcock said. “When you get to go out against guys like that, you’re having to get better at your little techniques, little details - and with all these new guys - we’re having to communicate more.”
Linebacker Ken Standley is about to start his sixth season with the team, and has seen the Bears do just about everything - except claiming a SO-CON Championship.
The Bears finished one game shy of the title in 2023, and Standley said that result’s been fueling the team all offseason.
In 2024, Standley said the team has their sights set on a conference championship.
“It’s created a hunger in us that’s like no other I’ve ever experienced in the past,” Standley said. “I think this team has really seen what we’re capable of - and with several new pieces on the offensive and defensive side of the ball - I think we can reach those goals.”