Football Stays Unbeaten in NE-10 with Gritty 19-17 Win over LIU Post in Home Opener
Football Stays Unbeaten in NE-10 with Gritty 19-17 Win over LIU Post in Home Opener
Links: Box Score
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Junior Armond McRae (Nashua, N.H.) hauled in a short pass from freshman quarterback Joe Capobianco (Oceanside, N.Y.) and took it to the house from 26 yards out for the game-winning score, while the defense combined for an astounding six takeaways, propelling the Merrimack College football team to an exhilarating come-from-behind win, 19-17, over LIU Post in the 2014 home opener on Saturday at Martone-Mejail Field.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 19, LIU Post 17
Records: Merrimack (2-1, 2-0 NE-10) | LIU Post (1-2, 1-1 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
What They Said
Head Coach Dan Curran: "We talked all week about how physical of a game it was going to be against LIU Post, and that's exactly what it was. We had a couple of tough breaks early on but the kids were resilient all day long. They stuck together and battled for four quarters, and that was the difference in the game. Defense did a great job forcing turnovers all game long and offensively we made plays in the most critical points in the game when we needed it the most."
How It Happened
In a matchup pitting two of the league's top offenses on paper heading into the afternoon, it was both sides' defense that wound up as the game's main storyline for most of regulation.
After LIU Post squeaked ahead on a field goal early in the first quarter, both sides combined for only 10 points in the opening half, as each team's defensive unit forced five consecutive punts combined from the end of the first frame toward the early goings of the second.
That cued up Merrimack's first takeaway defensively, as senior linebacker AJ Roberto (Lynnfield, Mass.) stripped the ball away from LIU quarterback Stephen Laurino in the midst of a sack, giving the Warriors great field position for their first score of the afternoon.
Only four plays and 60 yards later, first-year junior Adriell Mayes (Chesapeake, Va.) scampered in from 10 yards out for his second rushing score of the year, pushing the Navy and Gold ahead, 7-3, with 8:20 left in the second quarter.
LIU attempted to counter and was in the midst of a promising drive until Laurino skied a pass that was tipped by a member of the Merrimack secondary and wound up in the hands of senior Ervin Johnson (Brandenton, Fla.) for his first pick since the 2012 campaign, setting the Warriors up for a golden chance to add to their lead before the half.
Merrimack was in the midst of what looked like a promising drive and marched all the way down to the LIU 11-yard line, but sophomore Justin Mount (Medford, Mass.) was stripped at the 1-yard line, giving the ball back to the Pioneers to round out the half.
After turning it over on downs to start the second half, Merrimack allowed the go-ahead score to the Pioneers on a six-play, 52-yard drive capped off by a four-yard rush from Laurino, pushing the visitors back ahead, 10-7.
That would be the only score of the third quarter, one that was highlighted by five consecutive drives that ended in turnovers.
Following a Merrimack punt, Laurino was picked off for the second time by sophomore Matt Clifford (Billerica, Mass.), the latter of which earned his first career interception in the process, but Merrimack was intercepted on its next drive. But then Johnson came up with his second turnover on a forced fumble to stall the Pioneers on their next drive, only to watch the offense give it back to LIU on another fumble.
Finally, with time winding down in the third, Roberto continued his monster game with a forced fumble in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, giving the Warriors the ball near midfield.
Capobianco would quickly drive the Warriors into scoring position with a 45-yard completion to junior Jere Brown (Freeport, N.Y.), and two plays later connected with classmate Cody Demers (Dracut, Mass.) from nine yards out to push the hosts on top, 13-10.
The home crowd had even more to cheer for after Laurino was picked off by rookie Terrell Huff (Windsor, Conn.) for his first collegiate interception, but Merrimack's offense stalled on the ensuing drive. That opportunity was enough for Laurino and the Pioneers, who started ta their own 31 and slashed their way down field and capped things off with a 30-yard touchdown pass to push the visitors ahead, 17-13, with 7:46 to go.
After both teams' defenses forced punts, Merrimack got the ball back right at midfield for one last drive, and some timely penalties on LIU set the Warriors up in Pioneer territory with under three minutes to go. Capobianco first found Brown for a 14-yard strike to the 26-yard line, and then rolled to his right, slung it to McRae, and the latter did all the rest, slicing across the first-down marker, spinning around another defender and dashed all the way to the end zone for the decisive score of the game.
The Pioneers were greeted by a huge sack from sophomore Josh Hill (Glastonbury, Conn.), and the Warrior defense forced three errant passes in a row to turn the ball back over to the offense. And from there, McRae scooted ahead for one last first down to seal the win.
Inside The Numbers
- LIU outgained Merrimack by a 409-386 margin, but Merrimack wound up with 256 yards in the air compared to 229 for the visitors
- McRae enjoyed another big week, finishing with over 100 yards rushing (119) and 30 yards receiving while Mayes logged 37 yards on the ground for the Warriors
- Brown's 130 yards catching were a season-high, while senior Zach Ingalls (Westford, Mass.) totaled 45 yards on five catches, as well
- Roberto enjoyed arguably his best game in a Merrimack uniform, leading the defense with 11 tackles – seven solo – and the one sack and two forced fumbles
Notes and Notables
Merrimack moves into a three-way tie for first place in the NE-10 standings alongside AIC and Saint Anselm … The six turnovers were the most forced in a single game by the Warrior defense since Sept. 3, 2011, against WPI, on which they forced two fumbles and picked off four passes.
Up Next
Merrimack faces a stiff test next Saturday (Sept. 27) evening, when it travels to reigning league runner-up Stonehill for a battle under the lights at W.B. Mason Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
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