Macon, GA (WGXA) — The Mercer Bears came out of Greene Stadium in Johnson City with a dramatic, comeback win against East Tennessee State on Saturday, 38-34.

Head coach Mike Jacobs' squad trailed by 10 twice in the second half but overcame the deficit to remain atop the Southern Conference standings.

"This is like a milestone for us," senior tight end Malik Simmons told WGXA. "We started off the season a little slow, wasn't as we expected it, but it boosted our confidence."

The Bears (3-1, 3-0 SoCon) also moved back into the FCS top 25 as the last team in.

"We knew this game was going to be a tremendous challenge," Jacobs said at Monday's team press conference. "We needed every player that was on the bus and every last second to win the game."

Junior safety Kaleb Hutchinson intercepted a pass from Bucs QB Cade McNamara with under a minute remaining to seal the win for Mercer on the road.

"The 'never quit' mentality was big for us defensively," Jacobs said. "We are a young group of guys and you're seeing them grow up right in front of you."

Senior defensive lineman Brayden Dudley echoed Jacobs' statement, stating the team's will to win only grew when the chips were down.

"We want to win the game," Dudley said. "That's how we live our life, every day in practice... the connectivity that we have on this team is leaps and bounds from what I've ever seen."

Although the Bears gave up nearly 500 yards of total offense and allowed over 10 more first downs to ETSU, they were able to dominate on the ground game.

"We really didn't have the best game, they got some good plays on us," Dudley added about the defense. "But we knew we were going to have to come out here, tighten up our chin straps and get active."

Junior running back CJ Miller was named the FCS National Offensive Player of the Week for his mammoth 29-carry, 172-yard effort on the ground. He also caught 3 passes for 41 yards - and punched in what would become the game-winning touchdown from 1 yard out with 5:40 remaining in the fourth.

"There's just nothing that can be said for being a bully," Jacobs said about the third-year player's efforts in the win.

The Bears will now shift their focus to a basement-dwelling Samford Bulldogs (0-5, 0-3 SoCon) - the only team that got the best of the Bears in conference play last year.

Mercer turned the ball over 5 times on the road and gave up a season-high 55 points.

Of note, it's also homecoming weekend for Bulldogs head coach Chris Hatcher - prepping at nearby Mount de Sales High School and starring at Division 2 Valdosta State in college.

His cousin, Keith, is the head coach at Macon's Academy for Classical Education (ACE).

Despite their winless record, Jacobs said the team is looking to start fast and limit self-inflicted wounds to avoid a similar result from last year.

"We will not take anybody lightly," Jacobs said. "We know we'll get everybody's best shot, we know there's a lot on the line for them, and there's a lot on the line for us."

The Bears kick off against Samford at 4:00 PM at Five Star Stadium on Saturday.

The game will also be broadcast on ESPN+.