Mercer, the No. 16 ranked team in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, just pulled off an absolutely wild comeback, rallying from a 10-0 halftime deficit to beat The Citadel 28-19 on Saturday. It was all thanks to one guy: JP Pickles, who exploded in the second half, accounting for all four of Mercer’s touchdowns.
First Half Blues to Second Half Brilliance
It looked grim for Mercer early on, didn’t it? The Citadel came out swinging, grabbing a 10-0 lead by halftime. Sebastien Boyle broke free for a 40-yard run, and Evan Kiely tacked on a 37-yard field goal, leaving Mercer fans wondering what was going on. But if you thought this game was over, you clearly haven’t been watching Mercer this season. JP Pickles decided the second half was his time to shine. He absolutely took over in the third quarter, first hitting Devon Caldwell for a 9-yard touchdown pass. Then, he launched an 80-yard bomb to Brayden Smith, instantly erasing that early lead and shifting the momentum. Pickles wasn’t done, though, punching it in himself with a 2-yard scoring run to make it 21-10 heading into the final quarter.
Pickles Keeps Piling On
The Citadel managed another field goal, but Pickles just shrugged it off. He zipped a 24-yard touchdown pass to Trayvion Solomon with 7 and a half minutes left, putting Mercer up 28-13 and essentially sealing the deal. When the dust settled, Pickles was a stat-sheet stuffer. He completed an incredible 17 of 20 passes for 234 yards, and he wasn’t just throwing dimes; he led the Bears on the ground too, rushing for 56 yards. His main target, Brayden Smith, was a beast, snagging five passes for 113 yards. For The Citadel, Nick Billoups went 12-for-17 for 143 yards, but it just wasn’t enough to stop the Pickles express.
Mercer’s Unstoppable Streak Continues
This win is huge for Mercer, pushing their impressive winning streak to five consecutive games. They are now 7-2 overall and sit at 4-1 in the Southern Conference. And talk about owning a series, Mercer has now beaten The Citadel in their last seven matchups, taking the lead in the all-time series 12-11-1, which goes all the way back to 1906. Next up, Mercer heads to Chattanooga next Saturday. Can they keep this incredible streak alive and continue their march up the FCS rankings? You know we’ll be watching.
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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