CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Brandon Rainey ran for 120 yards and a score and threw for another touchdown as The Citadel held off Mercer 35-24 to post its first winning record of the season on Saturday.

The Citadel (5-4, 3-2 Southern Conference) has won three straight games after starting the season with two losses.

Mercer (3-5, 2-3) took the lead when Lance Wise stripped the ball from The Citadel's Raleigh Webb and sprinted 40 yards for a touchdown to give the Bears a 24-21 advantage with 2:00 remaining in the third.

The Citadel answered when Remus Bulmer ran it in from the 9 to retake the lead 28-24 with 8:34 left in the final quarter.

The Bulldogs thwarted Mercer's following drive when Sean-Thomas Faulkner sacked Kaelan Riley on a fourth-down pass play with 8:34 remaining in the game. Rainey then took The Citadel on a nine-play drive, capped by Bulmer crashing in from the 5 for the final score with 1:17 left in the game.