Seven Turnovers Haunt Football in 55-24 Setback vs. St. Anselm
Seven Turnovers Haunt Football in 55-24 Setback vs. St. Anselm
Links: Box Score
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – After returning an interception for a touchdown to close out the first half and claw to within three points of visiting Saint Anselm, the Merrimack College football team tallied just one more field goal the rest of the way while turning the ball over a season-high seven times, as the undefeated Hawks handed the Warriors a 55-24 setback on a drizzly Saturday afternoon at Martone-Mejail Field.
The Basics
Score: Saint Anselm 55, Merrimack 24
Records: Merrimack (2-3, 2-2 NE-10) | Saint Anselm (5-0, 4-0 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
In a matchup of the league's top two offenses coming into the weekend, neither side disappointed, as the game featured nearly 1,000 yards of total offense as Saint Anselm built itself a 24-14 lead late in the first half.
After a field goal from the Hawks with 6:13 to go pushed their lead to 10, Merrimack was intercepted for the second time of the game on the ensuing drive, giving the ball back to the visitors with a chance to add insurance to their already 10-point cushion.
But that insurance never came, as Saint Anselm quarterback Yianni Gavalas watched his attempt from the Merrimack 44-yard line picked off by Terrell Huff (Windsor, Conn.), who maneuvered through a few tacklers before crossing midfield and cutting back to the right and finding daylight; the rookie Warrior wound up scampering 77 yards after the interception to seal the pick-six and bring the home side to within three (24-21) heading into the locker room.
Saint Anselm opened the second half with a three-and-out to give the ball back to the Warriors, who found themselves marching downfield and in position to take the lead before the team's first of two fumbles gave the ball back to the visitors and stalled their momentum.
The Hawks promptly took advantage, needing only five plays to move the ball 90 yards before Elad Covaliu broke through for a 43-yard scoring run to pump the lead to 31-21.
Merrimack would answer with a season-long 20-yard field goal off the leg of senior Nick Zwaan (Longmeadow, Mass.), but the visitors answered on their next drive with a field goal to keep the lead at 10 (34-24) toward the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Still trailing by 10 with 13:25 left in regulation, Merrimack was turned aside on five plays and punted back to the Hawks, who responded with a nine-play, 80-yard drive to put the game out of reach after Gavalas hooked up with Justin Bernard for a seven-yard strike to cap it off.
That was when the turnovers began to mount, as Saint A's intercepted freshman quarterback Joe Capobianco (Oceanside, N.Y.) for the third time of the day on the Warriors' next drive. And while the Hawks didn't capitalize on their next series, their defense made up for it moments later, as a Kyrell Jaundoo strip sack led to a 27-yard fumble return from Eric Wilson to make it 48-24.
Eddie Matovu would pick off Capobianco for the fifth and final time two series later and brought it in from 25 yards out to account for the final margin of victory for Saint Anselm.
Inside The Numbers
- Saint Anselm finished with an impressive 595 yards of total offense, outgaining the Warriors by over 200 (595-373)
- The game featured over 150 plays ran by both offenses (87-78 MC)
- Huff and junior linebacker Jon Hooper (Pembroke, Mass.) wound up with interceptions for the Warriors, while senior Ervin Johnson (Bradenton, Fla.) forced a fumble, as well
- Sophomore Brian Carroll (Sudbury, Mass.) and junior Kristian Jackson (Shrewsbury, Mass.) finished with double-digit tackles (13, 11)
- Capobianco completed 22 passes on 42 attempts for 277 yards, while junior Armond McRae (Nashua, N.H.) led all Warriors with 60 yards rushing and 83 receiving for 143 all-purpose yards
- Rookie returner Cody Demers (Dracut, Mass.) was a menace on kickoffs, finishing with 158 yards on six attempts, averaging 26.3 per return
- The loss was Merrimack's most lopsided one at home since allowing 59 points to AIC in a 59-19 loss on Oct. 30, 2010
Up Next
Merrimack looks to buck its two-game losing streak when it visits rival Bentley next Saturday (Oct. 11) for a 1 p.m. pickoff.
--
For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
