Mercer absolutely obliterated VMI 54-3 on Saturday, piling up a truly ridiculous 658 yards of total offense while stifling the Keydets to a pathetic 102 yards for the entire game. If you’re VMI, you gotta be asking yourself what just happened, because that kind of beatdown leaves scars.
Mercer’s Offense Just Went Nuclear
Mercer’s attack was a three-headed monster at quarterback, with Jaylen King, JP Pickles, and Adrian Parker all tossing touchdown passes. King led the air assault, completing 14 of 23 passes for 202 of Mercer’s 256 total passing yards. But it wasn’t just through the air. The ground game was absolutely dominant, racking up 402 yards. Zahmari Palode-Gary was a beast, tearing up the field for 130 yards on just 10 carries, including a 64-yard touchdown run that was just flat-out electric. Pickles wasn’t just throwing TDs, he also ran for 66 yards, scoring a rushing touchdown himself, and Karlise Price added another score. This offense was firing on every single cylinder from the jump. Pickles hit Jackson Kostmayer for a 3-yard score to break a 3-3 tie, and then King connected with Kel Calixte on a 40-yard bomb, putting Mercer up 27-3 by halftime. Talk about putting your foot on the gas!
VMI’s Season Just Keeps Spiraling
Let’s be real, for VMI, this was another brutal chapter in what’s becoming a nightmare season. They got outgained by a mind-boggling 556 yards, which is just insane. You can’t win when you’re getting absolutely dominated like that. The Keydets are now sitting at a painful 0-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play. Meanwhile, No. 23 ranked Mercer is rolling at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Southern Conference, and this win marked their fifth straight victory over VMI. That’s not just a bad day, that’s a pattern, and it tells you everything you need to know about where VMI stands right now.
Looking ahead, Mercer gets to host Western Carolina next Saturday, surely riding high on this performance. For VMI, they’ve got to somehow regroup before heading to Wofford on October 17. The question isn’t just if they can get a win, but if they can even look competitive.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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