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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College football program kicks off its home slate and its Northeast-10 Conference schedule this weekend when it welcomes reigning league champion Assumption to town for a Saturday (Sept. 8) night showdown under the lights at Merrimack Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
BEER & WINE SALES COMING TO MERRIMACK STADIUM!
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 has mostly controlled the series with Assumption, winning 15 of the 23 games played, but Assumption has four three straight games, including a 56-7 decision last year.
- Merrimack's last win in the series was in 2013, when the Warriors took down the Greyhounds on the road by a 31-21 margin. Merrimack's last win at home was the year before that by a 43-40 score on Homecoming Weekend.
- The two sides have met every year since 1996 (Merrimack's first varsity season). The Warriors own a 7-6 record in Worcester and have gone 8-2 in North Andover; this will be the first-ever meeting against Assumption at Merrimack Stadium.
'Mack Facts
- The Warriors enter the weekend in search of their first win after going toe-to-toe for the majority of their season opener with a Bloomsburg squad that was receiving votes in the national polls when they played last Saturday. In that game, Merrimack had a number of chances to either pull even or take the lead as a youthful roster – especially on offense – showed flashes before ultimately dropping a 30-16 decision.
- Reigning NE10 Rookie of the Week Christian Carter, a freshman quarterback, had a solid debut under center; he tossed for 237 yards and a score and was not intercepted while finishing 21-of-37 in the pocket (56.76%). He also carried the ball 11 times for 32 yards (2.9/carry).
- Senior Cody Demers was Carter's favorite target last week, hauling in a team-high 11 catches for 110 yards and the lone score on the afternoon. Junior Marquis Spence added 86 yards, as well.
- Redshirt sophomore Corey Resendes also finished with a career-high three field goals in that game, while on defense senior Jesse Jones led the way with 10 tackles and the Warriors combined for a pair of interceptions from sophomores Jovan Grant and Caleb Holden.
- Last year, Merrimack finished as the NE10's third-best offense in terms of yards per game, averaging 413.4 per contest while outgaining its competition in six out of 10 games. The Warriors also surpassed 200 yards rushing on three occasions – including one 300-yard showing.
- On defense, Merrimack yielded only 124.3 yards per game, the second-fewest in the conference, while the team also excelled at hassling the quarterback, totaling 25 sacks on the year – once again the second-best figure in the league. Overall, Merrimack ranked fourth in total yards allowed per game (348.9).
Scouting Assumption
- The defending NE10 champions also enter the weekend in search of a win after falling in a close matchup against Kutztown last weekend, 32-28.
- Senior Cody Williams led the team with 73 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and went 24-for-35 for 214 yards with one touchdown through the air to highlight the Greyhound's offense last week. His favorite receiver was Tyis Boykin, who had seven catches for 90 yards, while Deonte Harris had five receptions for 43 yards.
- Defensively, Joe Bruno leads Assumption with 10 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for a loss after last week's season opener. Kaleb Silva contributed nine stops and one interception in the opener; as a team the Hounds finished with five sacks, picking up where they left off last year as the NE10's top defensive team in terms of total sacks.
- The Greyhounds featured the league's top-rated scoring offense (43.4) and defense (15.5) last season, ranking in the top-11 in both categories. They were also the nation's top team in interceptions (26) and averaged 3.46 sacks per game (5th/NCAA).
Inside the Matchup:
| Merrimack (0-1, 0-0 NE10) |
Category |
#RV Assumption (0-1, 0-0 NE10) |
| 9/1/18 at Bloomsburg (L, 30-16) |
Last Time Out |
9/1/18 at Kutztown (L, 32-28) |
| 112.0 |
Rushing Offense |
152.0 |
| 237.0 |
Passing Offense |
22.0 |
| 349.0 |
Total Offense |
372.0 |
| 406.0 |
Opp. Total Offense |
456.0 |
| 0 |
Interceptions |
1 |
| 1/1 |
Fumbles/Lost |
2/0 |
| 29:56 |
Time of Possession |
31:05 |
| 31.25% |
3rd-Down Conversions |
38% |
| 50.0% |
Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions |
--% |
| 0-0 |
Sacks/Yards |
2 |
| 3-3 (100%) |
Red-Zone Scores |
2-2 (100%) |
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Up Next
Merrimack will make the short trip down to Waltham for a matchup against nearby rival Bentley next Saturday (Sept. 15) afternoon, with kickoff from Bentley Field set for 2 p.m.
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