NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – In one of the most highly anticipated football games in recent memory at Merrimack College, the Warriors' football program hosts Bryant University on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a Homecoming Weekend matchup at Duane Stadium presented by Dunkin'. The contest between the Warriors and Bulldogs is the first between the programs in Merrimack's NCAA FCS History.
Ticket Prices
Reserved Tickets: $15 ($13 for Youth)
General Admission: $10 ($7 for Youth (12), Senior & Military)
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. Pricing for online purchases does not include processing fees.
Inside the Matchup:
| Merrimack (2-3) |
Category |
Bryant (0-5) |
| 9/28 at Lehigh (L, 10-3) |
Last Time Out |
9/14 vs. #4/5 UC Davis (L, 41-13) |
| 35.00 |
Scoring Offense |
12.60 |
| 22.60 |
Scoring Defense |
32.00 |
| 135.6 |
Rushing Offense |
83.0 |
| 235.80 |
Passing Offense |
204.0 |
| 371.4 |
Total Offense |
287.0 |
| 318.8 |
Opp. Total Offense |
423.6 |
| 10 |
Interceptions (Def.) |
4 |
| 39.19% (29-74) |
3rd-Down Conversions |
33.33% (26-79) |
| 30.99% (22-71) |
Opp. 3rd-Down Conversions |
42.85% (30-70) |
Series History:
Merrimack and Bryant will meet for the 15th time ever on Saturday, but this week's contest will be the first between the two programs at the NCAA FCS level. Merrimack and Bryant's rivalry dates back to 1999, when the Warriors won the inaugural meeting, 20-10. The Warriors won six of the first seven matchups between the two, but Bryant has claimed the last seven in the series. Merrimack owns a 6-8 record against the Bulldogs. Saturday's game will also be the first game that Merrimack hosts Bryant since September of 2007, and first game overall at Duane Stadium.
Meet the Bulldogs:
Playing for first-year head coach Chris Merritt, the Bulldogs have started the season with an 0-5 mark. Bryant wrapped up a three-game homestand in Week Five, which saw the Bulldogs fall to Saint Francis U., 16-6, in their Homecoming game on campus. Bryant has played road games at Stony Brook and Albany while also hosting Fordham and Brown. Bryant is averaging just 12.6 points per game while allowing over 400 yards of offense on the other side of the ball.
Home Cooking:
In their two home games this season the Merrimack College Warriors are averaging 60.5 points a game which is good enough for best in the Northeast Conference. Sophomore quarterback Christian Cater is torching teams on defense while on his home turf. Carter has thrown for five touchdowns and has thrown for 369 yards while at Duane Stadium.
Spence with some Hardware:
Redshirt-senior captain and wide receiver
Marquis Spence became the first Merrimack player ever to win a Northeast Conference (NEC) weekly award this past week, receiving NEC Offensive Co-Player of the Week honors. Spence put forth a career-high effort against the Mountain Hawks, finishing last week with a career-high 16 receptions and 175 yards. The 16 catches were the fourth most in a single game in school history and tied for the most at the FCS level in 2019.
Takeaway Team:
Merrimack's defense has continued a trend: taking the football away from the opponent. The Warriors' secondary picked off Lehigh four times last week, the ninth time Merrimack has picked off an opponent at least four times in school history. The Warriors lead the NEC in interceptions totaling 10 picks over five games. Three of those five Interceptions have been taken to the house, which is another league-leading figure. Redshirt-junior
Michael Mercuri, redshirt-sophomore
Darion McKenzie and sophomore
Bryce Smith have have a pick-six in 2019
Up Next
Merrimack will have a bye week coming up before returning to action on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Delaware State. Kickoff in Dover, Del. is set for 2 p.m.
