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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College football team will play its final home game of the season when it hosts Saint Anselm College on Saturday in Northeast-10 Conference action. Kickoff from Merrimack Stadium is 1 p.m. The program will honor its graduating seniors after the contest has concluded as part of Senior Day.
Inside the Series
- This will be the 20th meeting between the two teams, with the Warriors leading the all-time series, 13-6.
- After Saint Anselm captured three of the first four meetings, Merrimack has won 12 of the last 15 and seven of nine.
- Merrimack is 8-3 at home against the Hawks compared to a 7-3 mark on the road. Merrimack had won seven straight at Grappone Stadium before last year's 28-17 setback.
- The last time the Warriors and Hawks played in North Andover was in 2015; that year, Merrimack cruised to a thorough 41-16 victory on Homecoming Weekend in a game that featured four Merrimack takeaways and nearly 400 yards of total offense.
Last Time Out
- Merrimack came up short on the road against Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday, dropping a 28-9 decision.
- Southern Connecticut built itself a 14-0 lead with a pair of first-quarter scores, while Merrimack was denied on a 4th and short opportunity on its first drive of the game before an interception return doomed its next drive.
- While the Warriors got on the board with a 31-yard field goal early in the second, Southern used two big plays - a 64-yard rush and a 34-yard throw - to add two more touchdowns to its lead.
- Merrimack scored its only touchdown of the game early in the third quarter and drove deep into Southern territory on its next two drives in the second half but turned the ball over on downs before an interception ended its last drive of the game to seal the Owls' win.
Thank You Seniors
- Merrimack will honor 15 student-athletes who are projected to complete their undergraduate careers in the spring at the conclusion of Saturday's game.
- The Merrimack Football Class of 2017-18 as a group has led the team to a number of signature wins over the years, including multiple wins over traditional conference powers AIC and LIU Post, as well as conference rival Bentley.
- Additionally, these seniors led the program to its first win on the road against national power New Haven, and the program's first win against Division I Wagner.
- Off the field, they have continued the program's rich tradition of connecting with the surrounding community through various initiatives, such as Lawrence Literacy Nights, Special Olympics Boston, Lazarus House and many others.
'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 (283.9) and ranks fifth in passing touchdowns (13).
- Sophomore Sebastian Lucas ranks second in the league in receiving yards per game (93.3).
- Running back Derrick Villard ranks second in the league averaging 98.6 rushing yards per game and is tied for third in rushing touchdowns with six.
- Junior linebacker Enrique McFarlane, despite dealing with injuries earlier in the season, ranks third in the conference with 4-1/2 sacks.
- As a team, the Warriors rank second in the NE10 in total offense (427.9) and rank seventh in scoring average (22.9). Merrimack owns the league's second-best passing offense (291.1) and seventh-best rushing attack (136.7), as well.
- Defensively, Merrimack yields the third-fewest yards per game in the conference (360.4) but the second-most points per game (32.3), while its 16 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 Saint Anselm
- Saint Anselm enters the weekend with a 1-6 overall mark and is 1-5 in league play.
- The Hawks' lone win last week on the road against Pace (35-34); before that, they had lost their first six games of the season by no fewer than 14 points.
- Saint Anselm has the worst offense in the conference in terms of yardage per game (235.9), while defensively the Hawks yield a league-most 35.1 points per game. Only Stonehill (425.3) has allowed more yards per game than Saint Anselm has (421.1).
- Junior quarterback Eric Fairweather has played in all seven games and has completed 71-of-152 (46.7%) for 549 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions. Classmate Kyle Hill is his top wideout option with a team-best 24 receptions for 234 yards and four touchdowns. Fairweather also represents Saint Anselm's top rushing threat with a team-high 115 carries and 468 yards (4.1/carry).
- Joe Adam is in his second season serving as head coach at Saint Anselm in 2017.
Inside the Matchup:
| Merrimack (2-5, 2-4 NE10) |
Category |
Saint Anselm (1-6, 1-5 NE10) |
| L, 28-9 at SCSU (10/21) |
Last Time Out |
W, 35-34 at Pace (10/21) |
| 136.0 |
Rushing Offense |
154.4 |
| 291.1 |
Passing Offense |
81.4 |
| 427.1 |
Total Offense |
235.9 |
| 360.4 |
Opp. Total Offense |
421.1 |
| 5 |
Interceptions |
7 |
| 14/7 |
Fumbles/Lost |
10/5 |
| 30:55 |
Time of Possession |
31:29 |
| 42% |
3rd-Down Conversions |
33% |
| 36% |
Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions |
-- |
| 17/118 |
Sacks/Yards |
10 |
| 19-27 (70%) |
Red-Zone Scores |
12-16 (75%) |
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Up Next
Merrimack concludes the 2017 season with back-to-back road matchups starting with a trip to Long Island to battle LIU Post next Saturday (Nov. 4). Kickoff against the reigning NE10 champions is set for 12 p.m.
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