Riddle a star for Mercer
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Freshman quarterback Robert Riddle passed for 316 yards and one score and ran for two more touchdowns as Mercer opened Southern Conference play by holding off Samford 30-24 Saturday afternoon.
Cole Fisher booted three field goals, including a 33-yarder to end the first half, to provide the needed cushion for the victory. He hit from 39 yards out and added a 41-yarder with 4:37 left in the game for a 30-21 lead.
Riddle, a McCallie School graduate, found Stephen Houzah in stride for a 73-yard scoring strike to take a 27-14 lead in the fourth.
Mercer (2-1, 1-0) was thrashed by Memphis 66-14 in the season opener, then beat Jacksonville 45-3 before snapping an eight-game losing streak to the Bulldogs that stretched for decades in part because Mercer’s program was long dormant.
Tee Mitchell rushed for 103 yards, and Marquise Irvin had six catches for 71 yards.
Devlin Hodges threw for 291 yards with three touchdowns as the Bulldogs (1-2, 0-1) closed to 27-21 midway in the final quarter.
› Wyoming 17, Wofford 14 LARAMIE, Wyo. — Raghib Ismail Jr.’s 9-yard touchdown catch from Tyler Vander Waal with 17 seconds left capped a frantic 80-yard drive and lifted the Cowboys to victory over their visitors from the Football Championship Subdivision and the SoCon.
Wyoming (2-2) struggled on offense until Vander Waal caught fire in the fourth quarter, completing 11 of 17 passes for 133 yards.
Wofford (2-1) appeared to have secured a rare win against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent when linebacker Robbie Armstrong hit Vander Vaal as he threw, allowing Weston Rountree to intercept with 3:25 to play.
The Terriers gained only one first down, though, and punted, setting up the Cowboys’ game-winning drive with 1:59 remaining.