In Mercer’s 52-7 loss to Crimson Tide, Bears snag optimism and a highlight-reel catch

In their third meeting since 2017, the Mercer Bears fell in what was an expected result against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa Saturday afternoon, losing 52-7 against the nation’s No. 10 team in the FBS.

While the Bears (9-2, 6-1 in SoCon) came into the game ranked No. 9 in the FCS polls and in the midst of one of the best years in program history, Mercer and head coach Mike Jacobs knew the game at Bryant Denny Stadium was more about the experience.

“I’m really pleased with their effort. I thought we had great intensity throughout the course of the game,” Jacobs told 100.9 The Creek after the game. “I thought  our young quarterback played a great game, you know, we only had one three-and-out in the first half.

And an experience it was. Freshman quarterback Whitt Newbauer, who was a ‘Bama fan for his entire childhood, had some moments despite the unsurprising blowout loss. The key moment of the game arrived late in the second quarter when Newbauer heaved up an impressive throw to the endzone.

Mercer receiver Kendall Harris reeled in the throw with one hand for a jaw-dropping grab and a Bears touchdown.

“I threw it up there, I couldn’t see if it was caught or not, I just heard the crowd go crazy. I think a lineman for (Alabama) came over and told me ‘that was a great play,’” Newbauer said on the radio after the game. “I looked at the replay and saw a hell of a catch from Kendall Harris for his first touchdown, that was a great catch.”

TOUCHDOWN BEARS‼️

.@Kendall_Harris7 pulls it in off of a dime pass from @whitt_newbauer 😤 pic.twitter.com/ik8mMxEPqs

— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) November 16, 2024

The first half was otherwise a Crimson Tide showcase. Mercer did make some impressive plays, but they were often negated by penalties or subsequent turnovers. 

Alabama’s second offensive drive started with an impressive sack by Isaac Dowling that was nullified by a roughing the passer call that Jacobs and the Mercer sideline did not seem pleased with. 

Later on in the same drive, it appeared the Bears came away with a fumble recovery after defensive lineman Andrew Zock stripped Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, but the officials ruled that Milroe was down.

“Other than turnovers, I was really pretty happy. I thought there was a couple questionable decisions on how things were administered at a couple points on the officiating end, but it is what it is,” Jacobs said. “At the end of the day, we just can’t turn the ball over and get off the field and get some stops. But again, great grit from our kids.”

Mercer was otherwise outmatched, however, particularly when tasked with covering Alabama in the secondary. A few busted coverage plays and long passes put the Bears behind early. 

The Crimson Tide also won the lines of scrimmage, although Mercer did manage to pressure Milroe a handful of times near the end of the opening half. All things considered, the Bears put up a decent fight and were mostly limited by some athletic mismatches and mental mistakes.

Aside from the highlight-reel Harris catch, the Bears struggled to overcome mistakes and break through. A Parker Wroble fumble after a nice catch turned the tables further and gave the Tide another touchdown. Alabama kept rolling, and the Tide led 31-7 at the break. 

The second half was more of the same, even after Milroe was subbed out at quarterback following another Alabama touchdown. 

Backup Tide passer Ty Simpson had one particularly impressive play where he escaped what looked certain to be a sack by Amarius Nash and tossed a long ball downfield that ended up in the hands of an Alabama receiver at the 1-yardline to set up another score.

TY SIMPSON ESCAPES THE SACK AND THROWS UP A PRAYER TO JOSH CUEVAS pic.twitter.com/PKrBFtlVnm

— Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) November 16, 2024

The Tide ended up playing four different quarterbacks in the contest. The fourth to play, Washington transfer Austin Mack, completed an impressive touchdown throw in the fourth quarter that ran the score up further.

Alabama finished with more than 500 yards of offense and dominated time of possession. The Bears were one-for-nine on third downs in the contest.

The Best takeaway for Mercer was probably Newbauer’s poise when faced with one of the nation’s best defenses. The true freshman looked comfortable in the pocket, even if the plays were not going his way.

“What we ask Whitt to do is protect the football. The one interception he had, the defensive lineman made a heck of a play,” Jacobs said. “I think he made really great decisions, I think he got rid of the ball quickly. I thought he had studied and prepared like a champion, really blown away by his maturity level. I think his best football is still ahead of him, he’s playing well right now.”

The Bears will face Furman next Saturday at 3 p.m. in Macon and attempt to win the Southern Conference outright. The Paladins upset ETSU this weekend in a key conference game.

“You can throw records right out the window in a rivalry game. Furman’s got the most conference championships in SoCon history I believe,” Jacobs said. “They’re gonna come to Macon fired up after a big win over ETSU. Our kids will be ready to roll, I promise you.”