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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Winners of back-to-back games, the Merrimack College football program will aim for a third straight victory for the first time in four seasons when it plays host to American International College in its annual Homecoming Weekend game on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff from Duane Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
BEER & WINE AVAILABLE AT DUANE STADIUM THIS FALL!
Merrimack is pleased to announce that beer and wine sales will be available at Duane Stadium this fall for the 2018 football season!
In addition to a 21+ Beer and Wine Garden on the stadium patio (opposite the press box side, closest to the Merrimack Athletics Complex), an additional beer station will be located on the concourse level of the stadium next to the ticket office. Both locations will open one hour before kickoff and will close at the end of the third quarter.
Note: A valid game ticket is required for access to either location.
Ticket Prices
Adults: $7
Youth (U-14)/Senior (65+): $5
Merrimack Students w/ valid Mack Card:
FREE!
NOTE: Tickets may be purchased
online, by phone (
978-837-5324) or on game day at either ticket entrance (cash only for on-site purchases). Pricing for online purchases does not include processing fees.
Five Things to Know
- Merrimack secured its second straight victory on the road against Saint Anselm last Saturday thanks to a 10-point third quarter and then held on late to edge the Hawks, 31-28. The Warriors had an answer for all three first-half Saint Anselm touchdowns, drawing even at 21-21 at the half before a field goal and then a strip sack that led to a defensive touchdown gave the visitors a 10-point cushion. Two Merrimack second-half interceptions kept Saint Anselm at bay until the last five minutes of regulation, but the Hawks never got closer than three points before the Warriors ran out the clock on their final offensive drive of the afternoon.
- Redshirt sophomore Michael Mercuri continued to solidify himself as one of the Warriors' top defensive – and overall – players with another stellar outing in last Saturday's win. He had a team-high 10 tackles (6 solo) while setting a new career-high with 3-1/2 sacks and five total tackles for losses totaling 24 yards. He forced the aforementioned game-changing fumble that was returned for a touchdown and had three other quarterback hurries.
- Merrimack will be going for its fourth straight win against AIC in a series that dates back to the team's earliest years as a varsity program. The Yellow Jackets had won nine straight games until 2015, when Merrimack got back in the win column with a 20-3 road win. They then won a defensive showdown in 2016 before piling 31 points in a 10-point win last September.
- The Warriors set a new season-high with five sacks on defense last week at Saint Anselm, while offensively they ran a season-most 90 plays and gained 26 first downs in that span. A season-high 53 of those plays were passes and 31 of them were completed, all by rookie quarterback Christian Carter, who enjoyed another solid day with 362 yards passing and three touchdowns while adding another 68 yards rushing.
- At the conference level, Carter ranks fourth averaging 241.8 passing yards per game and 14 passing touchdowns, while his 69.7 rushing yards per game is good for sixth best in the conference. Senior Cody Demers is slotted second in the league averaging 93.6 receiving yards per game and tied for third with six touchdowns, while redshirt junior is close behind with five scores. Mercuri, finally, has four sacks on the year – good for fourth in the league.
Inside the Matchup:
| Merrimack (3-4, 3-3 NE10) |
Category |
American Int'l (0-6, 0-6 NE10) |
| 10/20 at Saint Anselm (W, 31-28) |
Last Time Out |
10/20 at SCSU (L, 48-21) |
| 25.29 |
Scoring Offense |
13.17 |
| 34.57 |
Scoring Defense |
37.33 |
| 136.6 |
Rushing Offense |
99.9 |
| 260.57 |
Passing Offense |
178.67 |
| 397.1 |
Total Offense |
277.7 |
| 449.1 |
Opp. Total Offense |
396.3 |
| 6 |
Interceptions (Def.) |
5 |
| 10/4 |
Fumbles/Lost |
15/4 |
| 31:01 |
Time of Possession |
27:54 |
| 43.64% |
3rd-Down Conversions |
26.09% |
| 58.33% |
Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions |
16.67% |
| 12-84 |
Sacks/Yards |
6/46 |
| 19/23 (82.6%) |
Red-Zone Scores |
7/12 (58.3%) |
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Up Next
Merrimack turns the calendar to November and travels to Pace next Saturday for a 12 p.m. kickoff from Pleasantville, New York.
