Things are going well down in Macon, Georgia, as the Mercer Bears are off to an impressive 6-1 start. What's been the secret for their success? Balance. Mercer is playing great complementary football. Its offense is dynamic, averaging 41 points and more than 460 yards per game, while the defense is smothering, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry and 5.5 yards per pass attempt. It's also a defense that has picked off opposing quarterbacks 15 times. With those added possessions, the offense is burying teams as a result.
This is the story so far of the 2022 Mercer Bears. However, their story leading up to this season is just as interesting.
The Bears haven't enjoyed this much success since they brought back football in 2013 -- their first season since 1941. Mercer finished 10-2 that year with a schedule consisting of NAIA, Division III and Pioneer League programs. They went an impressive 7-2 in their only season in the Pioneer League before moving to the Southern Conference.
What followed was a series of 6-5 and 5-6 records, never really breaking through until last year. Third-year coach Drew Cronic went 5-6 and 7-3 in his first two seasons, respectively, and is off to a 4-0 start in SoCon play along with a 6-1 record in 2022.
The challenge now for the Bears, which carry a high ranking in many polls and a much stronger belief from national pundits, is to show up against the SoCon's blue bloods and earn the first playoff berth in program history. They had their chance last year in the final week of the season, but took a 38-35 loss to East Tennessee State in a thriller.
They already got their revenge on ETSU last weekend, winning 55-33, and get their chance to embark on the rest of the journey this weekend against No. 14 Chattanooga. Here's how the rest of the FCS Power Rankings look heading into Week 8, which includes a new No. 1 team after South Dakota State upset North Dakota State in the Dakota Marker rivalry.
Biggest Riser: Idaho -- No. 18 (Last Week: 25)
Biggest Fallers: Montana -- No. 10 (LW: 1), Elon -- No. 16 (LW: 8)
On the Cusp: Penn (5-0), New Hampshire (5-2), Campbell (4-2), North Carolina Central (5-1)
Dropped out: Monmouth
| Team | Rank | Record | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. South Dakota State | 5-1 | Down 21-7 in the third quarter, the Jackrabbits rallied to upset North Dakota State thanks to three Hunter Dustman field goals and stellar defensive play. What makes it even sweeter is that the win evened up the Dakota Marker Trophy series at 10-10. |
 | 2. Sacramento State | 6-0 | The Hornets have often raced out to an early lead, then fought through a furious comeback by the opponent, only to outpace them again in the end. They can't toy around with Montana next weekend. |
 | 3. Weber State | 6-0 | The Wildcats might be the most well balanced team in the FCS. If you told me that they are the No. 1 team in the country, I wouldn't argue with you. They look that good. |
 | 4. North Dakota State | 5-2 | Losing two games in a season rarely happens at North Dakota State. The season is far from over, but the last two times the Bison lost two games in a season (2010 and 2020), they didn't advance past the quarterfinal round in the FCS playoffs. |
 | 5. Holy Cross | 6-0 | Coming off of a bye week, the Crusaders take their unblemished record on the road to Easton, Pennsylvania, to take on the Lafayette Leopards. |
 | 6. Montana State | 6-1 | The Bobcats have a huge game against Weber State. Having starting QB Tommy Mellott, who returned last week vs. Northern Colorado, makes this game even more intriguing. |
 | 7. Mercer | 6-1 | QB Fred Payton needs to be in the Walter Payton Award conversation. His play this year has been lights-out with 21 touchdowns and only one interception. He's completing 67% of his passes at 10 yards per attempt. |
 | 8. Jackson State | 8-0 | Being tested outside of the SWAC is what many are focused on with Jackson State, and it has its biggest test of the season this weekend against Campbell. |
 | 9. William & Mary | 5-1 | Coach Mike London's Tribe will look to extend their winning streak to three games as they come off of their bye week and travel to Towson. |
 | 10. Montana | 5-1 | The run game wasn't working and the defense couldn't get off the field when it needed to in a 30-23 loss to Idaho. Both were big-time contributions in the upset. |
 | 11. Delaware | 5-1 | The Blue Hens had to stew on that loss to William & Mary for two weeks. I feel sorry for Morgan State this weekend; Delaware will push the pedal through the floor from start to finish. |
 | 12. Incarnate Word | 6-1 | While their offense has snagged the headlines, the Cardinals are playing some excellent defense down there in San Antonio. If they keep this up, they'll make a deep playoff run this season. |
 | 13. Fordham | 6-1 | Total domination in the Bronx last weekend by the Rams in a 45-14 win over Stony Brook. There wasn't any doubt in this one with the way Fordham's defense played. |
 | 14. Chattanooga | 5-1 | The SoCon has been a dog fight all season long, and it has definitely been one of the more competitive conference races. Chattanooga and Mercer face off in a battle for first place this weekend. The Mocs will need to avoid costly mistakes against the Bears to win. |
 | 15. Southern Illinois | 5-2 | Don't look now, but the Salukis are on a five-game winning streak and tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Just how good is SIU? We won't know until Nov. 12 when it plays North Dakota State. |
 | 16. Elon | 5-2 | An uncharacteristic performance by QB Matthew McKay is what led the Phoenix down the point of no return vs. Rhode Island in a 17-10 loss. Once the offense lost its efficiency, it was game, set, match. |
 | 17. Samford | 5-1 | The Bulldogs are in a three-way tie with Chattanooga and Mercer for the top spot in the SoCon. They will look to keep pace this weekend vs. East Tennessee State, and things really get interesting when they face the Mocs and Bears later in November. |
 | 18. Idaho | 4-2 | What a big-time upset by Idaho over Big Sky foe Montana. You can say that the Vandals went into Missoula and stole one from the Grizzlies. |
 | 19. Richmond | 4-2 | The Spiders got an important win last week against Villanova. Because the offense was having an off day, you have to tip your cap to the defense, which held Villanova to 3 of 12 on third downs. |
 | 20. North Dakota | 4-2 | It is never a dull moment in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. With South Dakota State riding high off of its upset last weekend over North Dakota State, the Fighting Hawks get their opportunity to knock off the No. 1 team in the country this weekend as they take on the Jackrabbits. |
 | 21. Southeast Missouri State | 5-1 | We'll learn a lot about the Redhawks defense this weekend vs. Northwestern State. SEMO has to put together a full four quarters of football against a pesky Demons squad. |
 | 22. Austin Peay | 5-2 | The Governors get two weeks to prepare for a solid Jacksonville State team, which is in transition to become a member of the FBS and Conference USA next season. |
 | 23. UT Martin | 4-2 | We know the Skyhawks can score, but will they be able to score enough to keep things interesting against the Tennessee Volunteers? |
 | 24. Princeton | 5-0 | The Tigers defense gave up more than 17 points? Are things crumbling at Princeton? All joking aside, this team has another Friday night game vs. Harvard and must continue to rely on its defense -- just as its done all season long. |
 | 25. Furman | 5-2 | Furman took its foot off of the gas last weekend against Western Carolina, and the Catamounts nearly pulled off the comeback win. Chalk that up to lessons learned for the Paladins. |
