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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College football will aim for consecutive victories when it visits Saint Anselm College for a Saturday (Oct. 20) afternoon Northeast-10 Conference tilt. Kickoff from Grappone Stadium is set for 12 p.m.
Five Things to Know
- Merrimack got back in the win column in a big way last Saturday, posting a 38-24 win over Stonehill that saw the Warriors lead by as many as 25 points for their first victory over the Skyhawks since the 2011 season. The team set high water marks in total offense (547 yards) and points (38) in that game, while freshman quarterback Christian Carter stole the show offensively with a career-high five touchdown passes and 430 yards passing, as well as an additional 112 yards rushing to account for a historic evening.
- Merrimack holds the all-time lead in the series against the Hawks at 14-6 overall, with a 9-3 edge in games played in North Andover, as well as a 5-3 advantage up in Manchester. Last year, the Warriors saluted their seniors with a dominant 41-3 victory over Saint Anselm in its final home game of the 2017 campaign.
- Carter was lauded for those aforementioned heroics in that win over Stonehill by two different outlets this past week; he was first named the NE10 Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week by the league office, and then on Wednesday he took home the New England Football Writers Gold Helmet Award for all Division II/III players, becoming the fourth Warrior quarterback over the last decade to do so.
- Merrimack finished with a season-high two sacks last Saturday and is up to seven on the year. The Warriors also were one tackle shy of their single-game high after totaling 83 stops in the victory. Redshirt sophomore Jovan Grant forced a huge fumble that prevented a Stonehill touchdown, while sophomore Caleb Holden had eight solo tackles and classmate Michael Mercuri led the team with 11 overall tackles.
- At the conference level, Carter ranks fourth averaging 217.8 passing yards per game and 11 passing touchdowns, while his 70.0 rushing yards per game is good for fifth best in the conference. Senior Cody Demers is slotted second in the league averaging 92.8 receiving yards per game and tied for third with five touchdowns.
Inside the Matchup:
| Merrimack (2-4, 2-3 NE10) |
Category |
Saint Anselm (1-4, 1-4 NE10) |
| 10/13 at Stonehill (W, 38-24) |
Last Time Out |
10/13 at LIU Post (L, 37-6) |
| 24.33 |
Scoring Offense |
19.8 |
| 35.67 |
Scoring Defense |
44.8 |
| 141.2 |
Rushing Offense |
82.0 |
| 243.67 |
Passing Offense |
245.0 |
| 384.8 |
Total Offense |
327.0 |
| 449.8 |
Opp. Total Offense |
436.6 |
| 5 |
Interceptions |
2 |
| 8/2 |
Fumbles/Lost |
4/3 |
| 30:14 |
Time of Possession |
24:31 |
| 40.44% |
3rd-Down Conversions |
32% |
| 60.00% |
Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions |
35% |
| 7-52 |
Sacks/Yards |
16 |
| 15/18 (83.3%) |
Red-Zone Scores |
11/11 (100%) |
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Up Next
Merrimack returns to North Andover for its annual Homecoming Weekend game against AIC next Saturday (Oct. 27), with kickoff from Merrimack Stadium set for 1 p.m.
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