Mercer uses all phases and holds off East Texas A&m 23-15

MACON, Ga. -- Jaylen King threw for a touchdown and Cameron Goggins had an interception return for a touchdown and Mercer held off East Texas A&M 23-15 in a season opener on Saturday night.

The Bears enter the season ranked 21st in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll.

Simon Zeidan opened the scoring with a 55-yard field goal to put Mercer up 3-0.

Before the end of the first, King threw a 12-yard touchdown to Jackson Kostmayer for a 10-0 lead. Zeidan added field goals of 21 and 33 yards to extend the lead to 16-0 with 30 seconds before halftime.

Fifteen seconds later, Eric Rodriguez threw a 38-yard pick-6 to Goggins for a 23-point lead.

The Lions got on the scoreboard when Rodriguez threw a 48-yard touchdown to Micah Simpson with 2:01 left in the third. They closed to within 23-15 when Quay Middlebrooks ended an 80-yard drive running into the end zone from the 9. Rodriguez ran it in for the two-point conversion.

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East Texas A&M turned it over on downs with 35 seconds, when on 4th-and-goal at the Mercer 9, Rodriguez threw high over the head of wide open Jake Whitehead and the Bears killed the clock.

Simpson caught nine passes for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Lions.

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