Watts, Suozzo Lead Football to 52-42 Win over First-Place SCSU
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NEW HAVEN, CT - Jeremiah Watts (Clovis, CA) set
the school record with 19 receptions while James Suozzo
(Everett, MA) posted 467 total yards as the Merrimack
football team defeated first-place Southern Connecticut 52-42
Friday night at Jess Dow Field.
Merrimack (6-3, 5-2 NE-10) remains mathematically alive for a
share of the Northeast-10 title, but needs Stonehill to upset
first-place Bentley next Saturday combined with a Warrior victory
over Pace next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Warrior Field. The Warriors,
Falcons and Owls would then all have two losses, creating a
three-way tie for the title.
In the win, sophomore linebacker Shawn Loiseau
(Shrewsbury, MA) picked up 10 tackles, breaking the school
record of 105 set in 1999. With one regular season game remaining,
Loiseau has 111 tackles and leads the conference in tackles per
game. The Warriors also set the school-record for total yards in a
season with 4,318, surpassing last year's total of 4,234.
Watts' 19 receptions surpassed Elfren Quiles' school record of
18 set in 2004. His 212 receiving yards were 17 shy of Quiles'
record for a single-game and rank third all-time in program
history.
The first half saw 52 total points and the Warriors down 28-24
at the half. They trailed 14-0 early but clawed back into the game
behind an 18-yard touchdown pass from Suozzo to Chris Laham
(Westwood, MA), two rushing scores from Suozzo and a field
goal from Pedrom Tand (Northboro, MA).
Suozzo threw for 172 yards in the first half and rushed for
another 54, but the Owls marched down the field with as much ease
as the Warriors, as Chris Roberts threw for three first-half scores
and passed for 153 yards, while five Owl rushers totaled 103
first-half yards.
Merrimack took its first lead 1:30 into the third as Suozzo
completed a 5-play, 67-yard drive with a 16-yard pass to Laham,
giving the Warriors the 31-28 advantage. Six minutes later, Suozzo
hit Watts in the end zone on a 3rd-and-13 for the senior
wideout's 15th catch of the night, tying a career-high,
and extending the lead to 38-28.
After Southern Connecticut's Timothy Wells scored on a six-yard
pass from Roberts, the Warrior defense stepped up as Tony
Johnson (Lynn, MA) returned a fumble 34-yards for the
touchdown 1:05 into the fourth quarter.
Roberts hauled in another touchdown pass just 1:52 later, but
Suozzo connected with Patrick Easley (Tulsa, OK)
on a four-yard touchdown reception with 4:58 remaining to put the
game out of reach at 52-42.
Freshman Jimon Hill (North Chicago, IL)
recorded his first 100-yard game, rushing for 139 yards on 24
carries, while Suozzo was also in triple figures with 103 yards
rushing on 19 carries and two touchdowns, and threw for 364 yards
and four scores on 36-of-48 passing. Laham added two more touchdown
receptions to his school-record of 36 and had 98 receiving yards on
eight receptions. Jake Manning (Dunstable, MA)
added six catches for 31 yards.
Merrimack's 619 total yards (364 passing, 255 rushing) ranked
second all-time in school history. The 36 first downs are a school
record, breaking the old mark of 34 set against AIC on October 10,
2008.
Rashaad Slowley led the Owls with 100 yards rushing, while
Roberts was 13-of-23 passing for 234 yards. His favorite target was
Andre Privott who had six catches for 116 yards.
