Football Heads to LIU Post for Saturday Showdown

Date	Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 (12 p.m.)
Matchup	Merrimack (3-5, 3-4 NE10) LIU Post (6-2, 5-2 NE10)
Venue	Bethpage FCU Stadium // Brookville, N.Y. Directions // Tickets
Multimedia	Live Stats // Watch
Social	@MerrimackFB // @MC_Athletics // Instagram

 
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – After a wire-to-wire victory over Saint Anselm in its final home game of the season, the Merrimack College football team opens a stretch of two straight road trips to close out the 2017 campaign starting with a bout against the reigning league champions, LIU Post, on Saturday (Nov. 4) in Northeast-10 Conference action. Kickoff from Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium is 12 p.m.

Inside the Series

• Merrimack and LIU Post will clash for the 15th time on Saturday, as the Warriors look to snap a two-game losing streak.
• Merrimack has gone just 3-11 against the Pioneers all-time, with that last win coming in the 2014 season at home in impressive fashion (19-17). Merrimack was one of just two teams in the league to beat LIU Post that season.
• After losing the first eight meetings, Merrimack snuck by in a 10-7 win at home back on Nov. 4, 2006. After a six-year hiatus, the two teams reignited the yearly rivalry when the Pioneers joined the NE10 as associate members in 2013.
• In two of the last four years, Merrimack has gutted out a pair of gritty victories, starting with a 26-21 road win back in 2013 and then again in 2014, before a close 27-24 defeat on Long Island in 2015.
• Merrimack all-time is 2-5 at home against LIU Post compared to a 1-6 record on the road. 

Last Time Out

• Merrimack saluted its seniors in fitting fashion, cruising to a 41-3 victory over Saint Anselm College last Saturday at Merrimack Stadium.
• The Warrior offense had one of its best performances of the season on Saturday, compiling over 450 yards of total offense while matching its second-highest scoring output of the season en route to compiling 41 points.
• Merrimack found the end zone for the first of six times midway through the first quarter and took a lead it would never relinquish. Saint Anselm's only points on the afternoon came late in the opening frame by means of a 34-yard field goal, but after that, the Hawks never got closer than the Merrimack 48-yard-line on any of their remaining drives thanks to a phenomenal effort by the Merrimack defense, which allowed a season-low 155 yards of total offense, including a meager 55 passing yards, against the Hawks
• The Warriors found the end zone two more times in the second quarter thanks to a pair of big plays, including a forced fumble and a recovery that was returned for a score. They then used another long passing play to add to their lead early in the third before icing the contest with two more scores during the final frame.

'Mack Report

• Merrimack's defense had its best outing of the year last weekend, limiting Saint Anselm to only 155 yards of total offense, including just 55 yards passing and 100 rushing.
• Redshirt freshman Jake Ragusa was the NE10 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career after leading the team with nine tackles, a forced that was returned for a touchdown, and a sack.
• Quarterback CJ Scarpa ranks second in the NE10 in passing yards per game (278.1) and ranks second in passing touchdowns (16).
• Running back Derrick Villard ranks second in the league averaging 105.3 rushing yards per game and touchdowns (8).
• Sophomore Sebastian Lucas ranks second in the league in receiving yards per game (91.1).
• Jake Ragusa and junior linebacker Enrique McFarlane are both tied for fourth in the conference with 4-1/2 sacks.
• As a team, the Warriors rank second in the NE10 in total offense (432.3) and rank sixth in scoring average (25.1). Merrimack owns the league's second-best passing offense (285.1), as well.
• Defensively, Merrimack yields the second-fewest yards per game in the conference (334.8) but the sixth-most points per game (28.6), while its 19 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 LIU Post

• Last year's NE10 champions have gone 6-2 through their first eight games of the season, as LIU Post's only two losses are to nationally ranked Assumption (54-20) and a road stumble at Bentley (40-21). LIU Post also boasts wins over Virginia Union (42-13) and New Haven (35-34).
• LIU Post boasts the league's top offense that averages 501.0 yards per game and averages 41. 5 points per game (2^nd/NE10). It converts a league-best 57 percent of third downs, as well. Defensively, the Pioneers allow 381.4 yards per game (5^th/NE10) and 28.4 points per game (5^th).
• Graduate student quarterback Yianni Gavalas, who graduated from Saint Anselm last year as the program's most decorated passer, has kept that success going on Long Island. He is the NE10's leader in passing yards per game (308.5), touchdowns (29) and completion percentage (73.4). He has only been intercepted seven times on 282 attempts.
• Gavalas' top target has been Michal Richardson, who ranks third in the NE10 in receiving yards (690) and second din touchdowns (10).
• The Pioneers also boast one of the league's top rushers in Malik Pierre, who averages 82.9 yards per game (3^rd/NE10) and 6.1 yards per carry (2^nd). He has found the end zone a league-high 11 times.
• Defensively, lineman Anthony DeNunzio is one of the league's best and ranks second with 6-1/2 sacks in eight games.
• Bryan Collins is in his 19^th season as head coach of the Pioneers and is the school's all-time wins leader after starting the season with a 130-68 all-time coaching mark.

Inside the Matchup:

Merrimack (3-5, 3-4 NE10)	Category	LIU Post (6-2, 5-2 NE10)
W, 41-3 vs. Saint Anslem (10/28)	Last Time Out	W, 41-14 at Pace (10/28)
146.5	Rushing Offense	187.3
285.1	Passing Offense	311.8
431.6	Total Offense	499.1
334.8	Opp. Total Offense	380.8
6	Interceptions	5
14/7	Fumbles/Lost	12/4
30:45	Time of Possession	31:03
41%	3rd-Down Conversions	57.1%
32%	Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions	40.2
20/141	Sacks/Yards	16/81
22-30 (73%)	Red-Zone Scores	29-34 (85.3%)

 
Up Next
Merrimack concludes the 2017 season at perennial power New Haven next Saturday (Nov. 11) to close out the year. Kickoff against the Chargers from DellaCamera Stadium is set for 12 p.m.