Defensive Stand Gives Football Big 14-12 Win over Bentley
NORTH ANDOVER, MA - The Merrimack football team, on the strength
of a defensive stand with the clock winding down, improved to 3-0
in the conference for the first time in school history defeating
previously unbeaten Bentley University 14-12 at Warrior Field
Saturday afternoon.
By defeating the Falcons, who entered Saturday's game with a
perfect 5-0 record (3-0 in conference), the Warriors and Southern
Connecticut are the only unbeaten teams in the Northeast-10.
Southern Connecticut defeated New Haven Friday night to improve to
4-0 in conference.
Merrimack built a 14-0 lead at halftime, but the Falcons cut the
lead to two following four unanswered field goals from Tyler
McNamara, with his final one coming with 3:28 remaining in
regulation.
After the Warriors went three and out, the Falcons had their
chance to take the lead on their final drive, as they started at
their own 34-yard line with 2:17 remaining. Facing a third and two
at the 41-yard line, Tony Johnson (Lynn, MA)
stopped Luis Cotto short of the first down, setting up a decisive
fourth and one. After a timeout, quarterback Bryant Johnson kept it
himself, but he was met by the Warrior defensive line, with
Shane Brown (Wakefield, MA) and Garrett
Boyd (Newburyport, MA) emerging from the pile, stopping
the Falcon quarterback in his tracks and preserving the win for the
Warriors.
"We've been saying all year that it takes a 60-minute effort,
and we did that today," said head coach John Perry. "Some days it's
the offense that has to step up, but today the defense did it for
us. Bentley's a great team, but we pinned our ears back when we
needed to, and we stuffed them at just the right times."
Merrimack's offense managed just 86 yards in the second half,
but its defense was there, preventing a Bentley touchdown in all
six of its red zone possessions.
The Warrior defense also came up big in the first half, blanking
the Falcons, limiting the visitors to just 141 total yards and just
38 on the ground on 16 carries.
Merrimack broke through midway through the second, as
James Suozzo (Everett, MA) completed a 10-play,
80-yard drive with a five-yard rush, giving the hosts the 7-0 lead.
Moments later, Richard Johnson (Brockton, MA)
intercepted Bentley quarterback Bryant Johnson at the Falcons
36-yard line, and on the second play of the Merrimack drive, Suozzo
hit Chris Laham (Westwood, MA) in the end zone
from 34-yards out extending the lead to 14-0.
The Falcons were driving with time winding down in the half, but
Nick DesJardins (Somerville, MA) sacked Johnson,
who coughed up the ball, and Tony Johnson pounced on it forcing the
turnover, Bentley's second of the half.
Anthony Smalls (Dorchester, MA), ranked second
in the country in rushing entering Saturday's game, was over
100-yards for the fifth time in as many games, rushing for 115
yards on 28 carries. Suozzo, who's anchored the third-best offense
nationally, finished with 83 yards on the ground and 117 passing
yards on 11-of-24 passing. Laham caught four passes for 61 yards,
while Jeremiah Watts (Clovis, CA) had three
catches for 22 yards.
Merrimack's defense was led once again by Shawn Loiseau
(Shrewsbury, MA), who had a game-high 17 tackles. Brown
finished with five, as the hosts forced three turnovers in the
game.
For Bentley, Johnson threw for 325 yards (208 in the second
half) on 25-of-52 passing. His favorite target was Kelley Rowe, who
caught nine balls for 149 yards, while John Malone had six catches
for 78 yards. Cotto rushed for 73 yards on 15 carries.
Merrimack (4-1, 3-0 NE-10) looks to make five straight wins when
it visits Assumption College next Saturday at 1 p.m.
