MACON, Ga. (Interstat) — Jaylen King threw for 177 yards and a touchdown and added 34 yards rushing as Mercer defeated Texas A&M-Commerce 23-15 on Saturday at Five Star Stadium.

The Bears (1-0) built a 23-0 halftime lead behind field goals of 55, 21 and 33 yards from Simon Zeidan and a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown by Cameron Goggins. King connected with Jackson Kostmayer on a 12-yard scoring pass in the first quarter. Mercer’s defense held Texas A&M-Commerce scoreless in the first half.

The Lions (0-1) rallied after halftime. Eric Rodriguez threw for 232 yards and ran for a touchdown, while Micah Simpson caught nine passes for 165 yards and a score. EJ Oakmon added 87 yards rushing. Texas A&M-Commerce scored seven points in the third quarter and eight more in the fourth, but Mercer’s early lead held.

Mercer’s Jaylen King was the top star, completing 15 of 28 passes and rushing for 34 yards. The Bears also got six tackles and an interception from Justin Ferguson and five tackles from Kobe McInnis.