Mercer defense puts clamps on Furman in 24-3 win

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- , Brandon Marshall ran for a pair of scores and Fred Payton threw for another and Mercer controlled Furman 24-3 in a Southern Conference opener on Saturday. Payton threw a 35-yard touchdown to Ty James to complete a nine-play, 75-yard drive that put Mercer (2-1, 1-0) ahead 7-3. Marshall added touchdown runs of 10 and 1 yards in the second quarter for an 18-point lead. Fred Davis added 94 yards on the ground with 18 carries for Mercer. The Bears' defense stymied Furman (2-2, 0-1) quarterbacks Hamp Sisson who threw three interceptions and backup Jace Wilson who threw a pick. ---- More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP--Top25 Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25