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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College football team closes the month of September with a showdown against another unbeaten league foe, as the Warriors will look to upend the LIU Post Pioneers in a Saturday (Sept. 29) afternoon Northeast-10 Conference clash at Merrimack Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
COACH TO CURE GAME!
On Saturday, the football program – in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest national charity devoted exclusively to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) – will once again Coach to Cure Muscular Dystrophy (MD)!
The team will be hosting honorary team captain,
Tanis, who will join the team for the afternoon. We ask that you please consider supporting the cure for MD by making a donation in honor of Tanis and all who live with and fight against the disease.
You can donate online at this link, or by texting the word "CURE" to #50555 to donate $10.
About Coach to Cure MD
Coach To Cure MD is a partnership between the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), a professional organization for over 10,000 college football coaches and staff, and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest national charity devoted exclusively to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne).
BEER & WINE AVAILABLE AT MERRIMACK STADIUM THIS FALL!
Merrimack is pleased to announce that beer and wine sales will be available at Merrimack 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: $12
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.
Inside the Series
- Merrimack and LIU Post will meet for the 16th time on Saturday, as the Warriors look to snap a three-game losing streak.
- The Warriors had won three out of four games at one point, including a 19-17 home win during the 2014 season against an LIU Post team that lost just two games in league play.
- The Warriors dropped a heartbreaker on the road in 2015 by three points and played admirably in the ensuing two games against LIU Post teams that were either NCAA Tournament qualifiers (2016) or an eight-win team (2017).
- Merrimack is 3-12 against the Pioneers all-time, including 2-5 at home and 1-7 on Long Island. Saturday will be the Pioneers' first-ever trip to Merrimack Stadium.
'Mack Facts
- Merrimack enters the weekend at 1-3 overall with a 1-2 mark in league play. The Warriors took down Bentley two weekends ago on the road for their first win and played tough against New Haven last Saturday at home, but the Chargers' 24-0 first-half lead proved to be the difference in an eventual 44-18 defeat.
- The Merrimack offense features true freshman quarterback Christian Carter under center; the rookie has impressed through four games with 164.8 passing yards per game (5th/NE10) and six touchdowns (T-4th).
- Carter also boasts another nearly 60 yards per game rushing, as well, with 238 total yards on 48 attempts. Redshirit freshman Jamari Venter has over 200 yards rushing on the year on 50 carries (4.5/attempt) and is averaging 56.50 yards per game.
- Senior Cody Demers has been one of the league's lethal receiving options, ranking fourth averaging 66.8 yards per game. He has hauled in two scores while averaging just under 10 yards per catch on 28 receptions, and he even threw a touchdown last week against New Haven. Redshirt junior Marquis Spence also has hauled in two scores this year.
- Redshirt sophomore Jovan Grant shares the team lead in total tackles with senior Jesse Jones; both have 26 stops on the year and are two of six Warriors with 20-plus tackles.
- Grant has an interception and one forced fumble, while sophomore Caleb Holden leads the team with two picks, redshirt freshman Daekwon Shepherd has forced two fumbles and three different Warriors have recorded a sack.
- Merrimack averages 354.3 yards of total offense as a team, good for seventh in the NE10, while its 40-percent conversion rate on third down is fifth-best in the league. On defense, the Warriors have allowed 446.3 yards per game and 38.3 points per game.
Scouting LIU Post
- The Pioneers have gone 3-0 to start the season, with all those wins coming against league opponents. Their closest margin of victory was 20 points at Stonehill (27-7), while the other two wins have been by 30-plus points.
- Rutgers transfer Chris Laviano leads the Pioneer offense under center, where he has thrown for 226.67 yards per game while completing over 62 percent of his passes. He has six touchdowns and three interceptions so far. Malik Pierre ranks fourth in the league averaging 73.7 rushing yards per game, while Michael Richardson is one of five Pioneers with a touchdown catch so far but the only one with two.
- On defense, Kevin Petit-Frere leads the league with 3.5 sacks and Abel Joseph has added another 2.5; Farrell leads the team with 22 tackles, while Kasim Thomas has two interceptions.
- The Pioneers rank third in the league averaging 32.7 points and 402.0 yards per game offensively and score on 89 percent of their trips to the red zone (3rd/NE10). LIU also shines on defense allowing under 10 points per game (6.0) while yielding a league-low 243.7 yards per contest.
Inside the Matchup:
| Merrimack (1-3, 1-2 NE10) |
Category |
LIU Post (3-0, 3-0 NE10) |
| 9/22 vs. New Haven (L, 18-44) |
Last Time Out |
9/22 vs. Bentley (W, 38-3) |
| 173.3 |
Rushing Offense |
175.3 |
| 181.0 |
Passing Offense |
226.67 |
| 354.3 |
Total Offense |
402.0 |
| 446.3 |
Opp. Total Offense |
243.7 |
| 4 |
Interceptions |
4 |
| 5/1 |
Fumbles/Lost |
4/2 |
| 31:22 |
Time of Possession |
32:03 |
| 39.66% |
3rd-Down Conversions |
40.43% |
| 50.00% |
Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions |
25.00% |
| 3-26 |
Sacks/Yards |
9/56 |
| 10/13 (76.9%) |
Red-Zone Scores |
8/9 (88.8%) |
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Up Next
Merrimack will enjoy a one-week respite during the bye week before returning to action with the first of back-to-back road trips on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Stonehill. Kickoff from W.B. Mason Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
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