TUSCALOOSA, Ala. This weekend, the No. 9 Alabama football team will host one of the top programs in the FCS when the Mercer Bears come to Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Bears, who are 9-1 and on a three-game winning streak, are well-positioned to claim the Southern Conference title and are currently projected as the No. 5 seed in the FCS postseason. Despite their impressive season, Mercer faces a massive challenge on Saturday. They haven’t played an FBS team yet, making the Crimson Tide — ranked ninth — by far the most talented opponent they’ve faced all year.
While the talent gap is clear, Saturday’s outcome is not a foregone conclusion. Alabama has already suffered an upset this season as a heavy favorite, losing to Vanderbilt in Nashville. To avoid another embarrassing defeat, the Crimson Tide must do one thing: protect the football.
Mercer has scored non-offensive touchdowns eight times this season, something Alabama has yet to accomplish. The Bears are a constant threat to score, especially in sudden-change situations. Mercer has returned three punts for touchdowns and blocked another for a score, accounting for four non-offensive touchdowns on special teams alone.
The Bears’ defense has also been a force, leading all of FCS with 21 interceptions and scoring three touchdowns off those picks. Alabama’s secondary has improved recently, recording eight interceptions over the past four games. However, the Crimson Tide’s 13 interceptions on the season fall far short of Mercer’s impressive total.
Mercer’s Non-Offensive Touchdowns in 2024:
– Chris Joines: 20-yard Punt Return vs. Presbyterian
– Brayden Smith: 75-yard Punt Return vs. Presbyterian
– TJ Moore: 39-yard Interception Return vs. Citadel
– Juwan Johnson: 40-yard Interception Return vs. Wofford
– Brayden Smith: 49-yard Punt Return vs. Princeton
– Brayden Manley: 0-yard Fumble Return vs. ETSU
– Marques Thomas: 25-yard Interception Return vs. ETSU
– Mic Wasson: 20-yard Blocked Punt Return vs. ETSU
On paper, Mercer is unlikely to beat Alabama on Saturday. However, the Crimson Tide has shown this season that it is capable of beating itself, having lost twice as favorites. In their surprising loss to Vanderbilt, Alabama committed an early interception that the Commodores turned into a touchdown, and a late sack fumble sealed the loss. Even with the turnovers, Alabama still managed 394 yards of offense, showing that moving the ball was not the issue.
The loss to Tennessee followed a similar pattern, with an early red-zone interception erasing a potential touchdown, and another turnover late squashing Alabama’s comeback hopes.
Alabama has now played two straight games without turning the ball over, winning decisively against LSU and Missouri by a combined score of 76-13. When the Crimson Tide commits multiple turnovers, however — like they did against Tennessee, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt — the results have been much closer, with one dramatic loss and another narrow win.
To avoid an upset, Alabama should continue the approach that worked in their last two games: running the ball effectively, avoiding third-and-long situations, and allowing quarterback Jalen Milroe to manage the game and protect the football. If the Crimson Tide can maintain a clean game on offense, they’ll leave Bryant-Denny with an emphatic victory on Saturday.