There’s no bigger stage in the Southern Conference this weekend than E.J. Whitmire Stadium, where No. 10 Mercer (7-1, 6-0 SoCon) visits No. 24 Western Carolina (6-3, 5-0) for a clash that could ultimately decide the 2025 SoCon championship.
Both teams carry long winning streaks — Mercer has won seven straight, Western six — and the league’s two most explosive offenses are set to collide Saturday afternoon on WCU’s homecoming.
🏈 Mercer vs. Western Carolina How To Watch
Matchup: No. 10 Mercer (7-1, 6-0 SoCon) at Western Carolina (6-3, 5-0)
Where: E.J. Whitmire Stadium | Cullowhee, NC
Kickoff: Saturday, November 8, 2025 | 2:30 p.m.
TV/Streaming: ESPN+/Nexstar
Last Meeting: Mercer 44, Western Carolina 34 (Oct. 26, 2024)
Catamount Nation we need you next week! Big time match up vs Mercer next Saturday! Remember to wear your purple! Meet us there!#NoExcuses #LOTE pic.twitter.com/88QLqsoZPt — Western Carolina Football (@CatamountsFB) November 2, 2025
A Title Chase Decades in the Making
Western Carolina has been a Southern Conference member since 1977 but has never won a league title in football. The Catamounts’ only playoff berth came in 1983, when Bob Waters’ squad reached the NCAA I-AA championship game.
This fall, head coach Kerwin Bell, quarterback Taron Dickens and company have Catamount Nation daring to dream that this will be the year when the SoCon stars align. With two home games left — this week against Mercer and the Blue Ridge Border Battle versus ETSU on Nov. 15 — WCU controls its path to history. The season finale comes Nov. 22 at VMI.
Mercer, meanwhile, is aiming to repeat as SoCon champions after earning the program’s first crown last year under then first-year head coach Mike Jacobs, the former Lenoir-Rhyne leader who revived the Bears’ offense and culture in a hurry. The Bears restarted football in 2013 after more than 70 years and joined the SoCon the next season; in just over a decade, they’ve climbed to FCS Top-10 status.
Quarterback Duel: Dickens vs. Atkinson
Few FCS games will feature a better quarterback matchup.
- Taron Dickens (WCU) missed the first three games due to eligibility issues, but since returning, he’s been nearly unstoppable — 177-of-228 passing (77.6%) for 2,217 yards, 26 TDs, 1 INT.
Dickens set an NCAA record with 46 consecutive completions against Wofford a few weeks back and has guided Western to six straight wins. - Braden Atkinson (Mercer), the Rolesville High alum, has been equally electric — 179-of-258 for 2,474 yards, 25 TDs, earning SoCon Offensive Player of the Week three times in the past month. In Mercer’s 52-28 win over Furman this past Saturday, he threw for 426 yards and 4 touchdowns while rushing for another.
Both rank among the national top-10 in passing efficiency and yards per game.
📊 Statistical Showdown
| Category | Mercer | Western Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Points Per Game | 38.1 (1st) | 37.0 (2nd) |
| Total Offense | 512.4 ypg (1st) | 474.8 ypg (2nd) |
| Passing Offense | 334.5 ypg (1st) | 327.2 ypg (2nd) |
| Rushing Offense | 177.9 ypg (4th) | 147.6 ypg (5th) |
| Total Defense | 293.9 ypg (1st) | 448.1 ypg (8th) |
| Opp Passing Yards | 215.3 ypg (1st) | 267.4 ypg (7th) |
| Opp Rushing Yards | 78.6 ypg (1st) | 180.7 ypg (8th) |
The Bears’ defense leads the SoCon in nearly every category, while Western leans on a fast-paced passing attack that averages 327 yards per game. Expect fireworks in Cullowhee.
Key Players to Watch
- WCU WR James Tyre – League leader in receptions (56) and TD catches (10).
- Mercer WR Adjatay Dabbs – Top deep threat in the SoCon, averaging 18.2 yards per grab.
- Mercer LB Andrew Zock – Second in the conference with 10 sacks and 15 TFL.
- WCU DB Ken Moore Jr. – Three INTs and a pick-six; anchors a defense tied for the league lead with 11 interceptions.
Series History
Mercer has won nine straight in the series after Western claimed the first two meetings in 2014-15. The Bears edged the Catamounts 44-34 last season in Macon. Western hasn’t beaten Mercer in nearly a decade — another streak it hopes to end on Homecoming weekend.
What’s at Stake
- SoCon Supremacy: The winner takes firm control of first place entering the final two weeks. With no conference championship game, that edge could decide the league title — and possibly the SoCon’s lone automatic FCS playoff bid.
- Historic Milestone: A WCU victory would move the Catamounts within one game of their first SoCon title and first playoff appearance in 42 years.
- Homecoming & Momentum: Saturday’s crowd in Cullowhee should be among the most raucous in years.
💪 FABULOUS 15: Find out where Western Carolina landed in our latest North Carolina college football rankings.
📅 WHO’S PLAYING THIS WEEK? Explore the full schedule for North Carolina college football teams, including FBS, FCS, D2, D3 and NJCAA.
