Football Travels to Assumption Friday (7 p.m.)
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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – After two hard-fought, one-possession losses at home to start the season, the Merrimac College football team looks to right the ship when it hits the road for the first time in 2015, as the Warriors head to Worcester, Massachusetts, for a Friday night Northeast-10 Conference clash with Assumption College. Kickoff at the Multi-Sport Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
The Basics
Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 18, 2015 | 7 p.m.
Records: Merrimack (0-2, 0-1 NE-10) | Assumption (1-1, 0-1 NE-10)
Location: Multi-Sport Stadium | Worcester, Mass.
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack battled valiantly before ultimately dropping a hard-fought, 24-20 decision to visiting Stonehill College last Friday night at home
- For the second straight week, a low-scoring first half set the tone, as the Warriors opened up the scoring midway through the first quarter after recovering a Stonehill fumble at the visitors' 1-yard line. Stonehill would carry the lead into the locker room after an eight-play, 85-yard drive that ended with a 50-yard touchdown pass-and-catch to make it a 7-6 Skyhawk lead at halftime
- Late in the third, the Warriors marched 80 yards on seven plays in just under two minutes to grab a 13-10 lead; then, after a Stonehill three-and out, Merrimack blocked a Stonehill punt attempt deep in Skyhawk territory, and freshman Enrique McFarlane gathered the loose ball at the 10-yard-line and took it to the house to give the hosts a 20-10 lead
- Stonehill, however, would score a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns – including one with 3:08 left – to rally back for the victory
Inside the Series:
Merrimack has mostly controlled the series with Assumption, winning 15 of the 20 games played. The two sides have met every year since 1996 (Merrimack's first varsity season). The Warriors own a 7-4 record in Worcester and have gone 8-1 at Martone-Mejail Field, with the lone loss coming last season.
The Greyhounds:
- Picked third in the 2015 NE-10 Coaches' Poll, Assumption heads into Friday's contest also in search of its first league win after dropping a wild, 40-31 decision to reigning champion LIU Post on the road last Saturday afternoon
- The Greyhounds owned one of the league's most vaunted defenses last year, but so far, the Greyhounds have allowed a league-most 38.5 points per game after yielding 37 to Kutztown in their season opener and 40 last week to the Pioneers
- Quarterback Brendan Tobey has completed a league-best 64.5 percent (40-62) of his passes and ranks second in the league with 246.5 passing yards per game; his favorite target has been Ashton Grant, whose 203 receiving yards lead the conference to date
- Alex Shain has led the ground game with a league-most 126.0 yards per contest and three rushing TDs, while defensively, Bakari Bunt (23) and Jarrod Casey (22) rank second and fourth, respectively, in total tackles
Up Next
Merrimack returns home for a Saturday (Sept. 26) matchup against rival Bentley beginning at 1 p.m.
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