Freshman Atkinson throws 5 TD passes in Mercer’s 45-21 win over SamfordBy Canadian Press on October 4, 2025. MACON, Ga. (AP) — Braden Atkinson had his best day in his young career, throwing for career highs of 365 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-21 win over Samford on Saturday. Atkinson, a freshman, has thrown for over 300 yards in three of his four starts for the Bears (4-1, 4-0 Southern Conference). In between, he threw a pair of scoring passes to Brayden Smith and another to Javarius George. Brady Stober was 14 of 22 for 234 yards passing, two touchdowns and an interception for the Bulldogs.