Saint Anselm Trips up Football, 28-17

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MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Merrimack College football team fell behind by 28 points before getting on the board in the fourth quarter but ultimately fell, 28-17, at Saint Anselm College on Saturday afternoon at Grappone Stadium.

The Essentials
 Score: Saint Anselm 28, Merrimack 17
Records: Merrimack (2-7, 2-6 NE-10) | Saint Anselm (2-7, 2-6 NE-10)
Location: Grappone Stadium | Manchester, N.H.
Attendance: 896
Duration: 2:32
Weather: Overcast/cloudy // Mid-50s F // Winds 10mph NNW

How It Happened

  • After Merrimack won the toss and deferred to the second half, Saint Anselm made the most of its first offensive drive of the game, chewing up over seven minutes of game time while marching 83 yards over 15 plays as Hawks tailback Joe Hayman scored from six yards out to make it 7-0 in favor of the hosts midway through the opening frame.
  • Following a Merrimack punt that set the Hawks up near midfield, the hosts drove as close as the Merrimack 15 before the defense forced a 40-yard field goal after a sack on third down. Saint A's kicker Daniel Parisi missed the attempt to keep the deficit at seven.
  • Another Merrimack three-and-out gave Saint A's another opportunity late in the first quarter, but senior Matt Clifford (Billerica, Mass.) came up with his third interception of the season at the most opportune times, picking off Saint A's quarterback Yianni Gavalas in the end zone.
  • However, the Hawks had another opportunity late in the first quarter and needed only six plays to go 69 yards and into the end zone, as Hayman scored for the second time in the half to push the hosts' lead to 14-0.
  • Merrimack took over late in the half and kept the offense out for a fourth-down attempt just across midfield but came up short, as the Hawks' lead stayed at 14 entering the break.
  • After five combined punts to start the second half, Saint A's stretched its lead to 21 points after starting at its own 36 and going 64 yards on six plays, as Gavalas connected with Kyle Hill from 13 yards out on a 3rd & 9.
  • Saint A's closed out the third quarter and began the fourth with another scoring drive, this time a 10-play, 70-yard sequence that saw Gavalas finish it off with a five-yard strike to Zach Bartak to make it 28-0 Hawks.
  • Redshirt sophomore Shamik Perry (Bowie, Md.) got the Warriors on the board two drives later after rumbling his way into the end zone from 85 yards out -- a new career-long on a single play from scrimmage -- on a 2nd and long, and then the Hawks spotted Merrimack two more points after botching a snap on a punt to make it a 28-9 game with 6:41 left in the fourth quarter.
  • Merrimack would march all the way down to the Saint Anselm 15 on its next drive but was turned away on a 4th & 5, giving the ball back and allowing the Hawks to run over four minutes off the clock.
  • The Warriors would get the ball back one last time near midfield, and first-year sophomore Brenton Martin (Marietta, Ga.) hooked up with junior Justin Mount (Westford, Mass.) for a 51-yard touchdown – the longest pass ever complete by Martin – to make it a nine-point deficit.
  • But Saint Anselm would recover the onside kick and run out the clock to thwart the late comeback attempt.

Facts and Figures

  • Redshirt junior Devonte Jones (Balitomre, Md.) and Clifford each shared the game lead with 11 tackles, while Merrimack as a whole had 10 tackles for losses – including three sacks.
  • Redshirt sophomore Samuel Francois (Riverdale, Md.) and senior Josh Hill (Glastonbury, Conn.) each had a sack for the defense, while Clifford came up with his third interception of the season, as well.
  • On offense, Martin finished with nine completions for 119 yards and a touchdown while Mount led the team with 86 receiving yards and the lone receiving touchdown.
  • Total Yards (MER // STA): 272 // 376
  • Rushing Yards: 153 // 82
  • Passing Yards: 119 // 294
  • 3rd Down Efficiency: 14% (2-14) // 44% (8-18)
  • Takeaways: 1 // 1

Up Next
 Merrimack returns home to welcome the current No. 11 team in the country in undefeated LIU Post to campus for the regular season finale. Kickoff from Martone-Mejail Field is set for 1 p.m., and after the game the team will honor the graduates from the Class of 2017 on Senior Day.

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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook. 

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