By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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A week two preview of the games in the Southern Conference.

nThere are a couple of headliners on the week two Southern Conference schedule, most notably Furman traveling to Mercer for the first overall game on the league slate. In addition to the obvious implications, this will likely be an emotional evening for Bear head coach Bobby Lamb. A Georgia-native, Lamb played quarterback for the Paladins from 1982-1985, was assistant coach from 1986-2001 and was Furman’s head coach from 2002-2010.

nAs a letterman, Lamb led the Paladins to the 1985 1-AA playoff finals and was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year. He won a national championship as a a defensive ends coach in 1988. As a head coach, Lamb won a Southern Conference title and was named league coach of the year in 2004. Nearly 30 years of his life were spent in Greenville. Lamb now has a new opportunity in Macon.

n”I’m looking forward to facing Furman on Saturday, we certainly have a tough challenge ahead with the defending Southern Conference champions and the 17th-ranked team in the country coming to town,” Lamb explained.

nGreat energy is expected as Mercer plays its first-ever Southern Conference game.

n”We have great support in Macon and will probably have our biggest crowd to date this Saturday. It will be a great atmosphere and our guys thrive off that,” Lamb added. “However, once the ball is kicked off it comes down to football and blocking and tackling.xc2xa0

nTwo top 12 teams will tussle when pre-season league favorite Chattanooga takes on Jacksonville State. The Mocs very nearly upset FBS Central Michigan in week one and put forth a stellar effort defensively. These two teams met last in 2012, a 27-24 victory for the Gamecocks. Then-freshman quarterback Jacob Huesman rushed for 166 yards, the second-highest total by a signal caller in program history. Saturday will stand as a national statement for the winner.xc2xa0xc2xa0

nAfter facing a top five team in the FCS in week one in Coastal Carolina, The Citadel will play at top-ranked, defending FBS national champion Florida State. Western Carolina is hosting Brevard College, while VMI is at Bowling Green.