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Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College football team opened the game with a quick touchdown to bring the home crowd to life, but visiting Assumption College – the defending Northeast-10 Conference champion – would ultimately come out on top in both teams' league opener on Saturday night at Merrimack Stadium. Sophomore
Daekwon Shepherd had a huge day defensively with two forced fumbles and an interception – all career-firsts – to highlight one of the top performances from the hosts.
The Essentials
Score: Assumption 49,
Merrimack 19
Records: Merrimack (0-2, 0-1 NE10) | #RV Assumption (1-1, 1-0 NE10)
Location: Merrimack Stadium | North Andover, Mass.
Attendance: 3742
Duration: 2:41
How It Happened
- Merrimack didn't need long to get going, driving 84 yards over 13 plays against one of the most vaunted defenses in the country last season and scoring on its opening drive capped off by a 21-yard strike from freshman Christian Carter to a wide-open senior Cody Demers.
- The Warriors were poised to add to their lead after Shepherd's first big play of the afternoon, a forced a fumble on Assumption's first drive that gave possession back to the hosts. But Merrimack could not take advantage of the opportunity, and instead watched as Assumption's most dangerous weapon, receiver Deonte Harris, returned the ensuing punt 63 yards to tie the game at 7-7.
- Late in the opening quarter, Assumption took its first lead after going 70 yards in just under three minutes to go ahead by a 14-7 score that they carried into the second stanza.
- Shepherd's big day on defense continued two drives later, coming up with his first career interception in the end zone to give the hosts another chance to draw even. But Assumption's defense yielded nothing in the second quarter, while its offense added two more touchdowns to take a 28-7 edge into the half.
- The Greyhounds started the third quarter with the ball and went 63 yards in less than three minutes for another touchdown; they forced a Merrimack three-and-out and then found the end zone again on their next drive, going another 60-plus yards in over four minutes to take their largest lead of the game at 42-7.
- The Warriors put together a scoring drive for the first time since their opening possession late in the third; true freshman Matt Brehon found the end zone for his first time in a Merrimack uniform from 15 yards away to finish up a six-play, 66-yard drive that took less than three minutes.
- The hosts scored about 90 seconds later thanks to another huge play by Shepherd on the ensuing kickoff. The second-year Warrior forced another fumble and true freshman Tyler Roberts gathered it up, and then it was Carter showing more heroics three plays later by scrambling to his left and threading a perfect pass to sophomore Nick Pallotta for his first-ever touchdown late in the frame to get Merrimack within 23 points (42-19). The latter fought off an Assumption defender and held on for his first career score.
- That was the closest the Warriors would get before the final horn sounded; the Greyhounds got one back early in the fourth quarter and then turned away the hosts on their next three tries, including one drive that came up short at the Assumption 15 and another at the 45.
Notes and Notables
- Carter eclipsed the 200-yard mark again by completing 19 passes on 42 attempts with two touchdowns; he still has not been intercepted in 79 attempts in his collegiate career.
- On the defensive end, Shepherd's huge evening saw him set a new career-high with 12 tackles, tying the game lead with redshirt sophomore Jovan Grant, who had nine solo stops altogether, while redshirt freshman PJ Iannuzzi recorded his first career sack on Saturday night.
- Carter led Warriors in rushing as well, totaling a career-high 57 yards on 11 attempts.
- Freshman Jamari Jones contributed plenty in the return game, finishing with a career-high 86 kickoff return yards.
- Classmate Anthony Norcia totaled the first two receptions of his career and finished with 53 yards, while Demers led the way once again with 91 on eight catches, three ahead of junior Marquis Spence's five grabs.
- Senior Enrique McFarlane also posted double-digit stops with 10 tackles on the evening and recovered one of the two fumbles that the Warriors forced.
- Merrimack finished with 326 yards of total offense compared to Assumption's 526; the defense held Assumption to 3-of-7 on third downs and allowed only one sack.
- The Warriors converted 8-of-18 third down chances and set a season-high with 112 rushing yards
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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