Football Visits SCSU Saturday Aiming for Consecutive Wins

Date	Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017 (3 p.m.)
Matchup	Merrimack (2-4, 2-3 NE10) Southern Connecticut State (1-4,1-5 NE10)
Venue	Jess Dow Field // New Haven, Conn. Directions // Tickets
Multimedia	Live Stats // Watch ($)
Social	@MerrimackFB // @MC_Athletics // Instagram

 
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College football team takes aim for a second straight victory when it continues its Northeast-10 Conference slate with a Saturday (Oct. 21) afternoon matchup at Southern Connecticut State. Kickoff from Jess Dow Field is set for 3 p.m.

Inside the Series

• Merrimack and SCSU will be meeting for the 21^st time in a series that dates back to 1999.
• The series is even at 10-10, although Merrimack has won seven out of the last 11 matchups.
• Merrimack had won three straight in the series and five out of the last six matchups before SCSU won last October's meeting by a 35-15 final.
• Merrimack also won one of the most meaningful games in program history against SCSU, a 28-26 home win in the opening round of the NCAA?Tournament back in 2006 -- the first and only NCAA Tournament win in program history.
• All-time at home, Merrimack is 5-7 against the Owls while owning a 5-3 record at SCSU.

Last Time Out:

• Merrimack College ushered in a new era with the opening of Warrior Stadium last week, and the football team christened the new venue with a 44-10 Homecoming Weekend victory over Pace in front of more than 7,000 fans – a school record – last Saturday afternoon.
• The Warriors didn't need very long to record the first touchdown ever at Warrior Stadium. Graduate student CJ Scarpa connected with senior captain Devin O'Reilly from eight yards out to get Merrimack on the board midway through the first quarter. A partially blocked punt by freshman Matt DiTondo helped set up the drive near midfield.
• The Merrimack defense turned away the Setters on a 4th down try in Merrimack territory, and the Warriors would capitalize shortly afterward. Scarpa found a wide-open sophomore Sebastian Lucas, and the latter took it 47 yards for another touchdown.
• First-year sophomore Cam Hayes made his first appearance in a Merrimack uniform on Saturday, and the dual-threat quarterback made his presence felt immediately, rushing for a pair of touchdowns to help the Warriors build on their lead.
• The second half saw two more touchdowns on the ground, this time from senior Derrick Villard, while redshirt freshman Jake Ragusa intercepted a Pace pass late in regulation to seal the victory.

'Mack Facts:

• Merrimack has a number of players that rank among the top-five in the NE10's statistical categories.
• Quarterback CJ Scarpa ranks second in the NE10 in passing yards per game (305.8) and ranks fifth in passing touchdowns (12).
• Sophomore Sebastian Lucas leads the league in receiving yards per game (101.0).
• Running back Derrick Villard ranks second in the league averaging 99.7 rushing yards per game and is the conference's co-leader in rushing scores with six.
• Redshirt junior Avery Taylor ranks tied for fifth in the league with three sacks.
• The Warriors also rank second in the NE10 in total offense (448.7) and rank sixth in scoring average (25.2). Merrimack owns the league's second-best passing offense (310.5), as well.
• Defensively, Merrimack yields 368.2 yards per game (5^th/NE10) and 33.0 points per game (8^th) while its 13 sacks as a team are second-most in the conference.
• Dan Curran is in his fifth season as head coach of the Warriors in 2017; he has led the program to several marquee victories over the last four seasons and has helped produce several All-Americans, all-region and all-conference performers in that span.

Scouting Report: Southern Connecticut

• Southern Connecticut enters the weekend with a 1-5 overall mark and is 1-4 in league play.
• The Owls' lone win came against Stonehill, 45-26, in Week 2. Since then, SCSU has lost its last four games, including a 20-point defeat at LIU Post last weekend.
• SCSU employs the best rushing attack in the league that averages 195.8 yards per game. Five different backs have more than 125 yards on the season and Eli Parks leads them all averaging 71.7 per game and 6.9 per carry and has four touchdowns.
• Senior quarterback Raymond Catapano has started every game and has completed 54.4 percent of his passes (111-204) for 1290 yards, eight touchdowns and five picks. Paris Crawford and Isaiah Dockett each has a team-high 22 receptions and have combined for over 550 receiving yards. Zhyaire Fernandes leads the team with three receiving touchdowns.
• SCSU ranks fourth in the league in total offense (410.8) and sixth in defensive yards allowed (393.7) and ninth in scoring defense (33.8).
• Tom Godek is in his fourth season serving as head coach at SCSU in 2017.

Inside the Matchup:

Merrimack (2-4, 2-3 NE10)	Category	SCSU (1-5, 1-4 NE10)
W, 44-10 vs. Pace (10/14)	Last Time Out	L, 52-35 at LIU Post (10/14)
137.3	Rushing Offense	195.8
310.5	Passing Offense	215.0
447.8	Total Offense	410.8
368.2	Opp. Total Offense	393.7
5	Interceptions	7
12/6	Fumbles/Lost	6/4
31:03	Time of Possession	29:26
43%	3rd-Down Conversions	35.2%
46%	Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions	44.7%
14/95	Sacks/Yards	11
18-26 (69%)	Red-Zone Scores	12-18 (67%)

 
Up Next
Merrimack will play its final home game of the season when it hosts Saint Anselm next Saturday (Oct. 21) at Warrior Stadium for a Senior Day matchup with the Hawks. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and the program will honor its graduating seniors afterward.