Football Falls to Saint Francis (PA)

LORETTO, P.A. – The Merrimack College football team lost its Northeast Conference (NEC) matchup against Saint Francis University on Saturday afternoon. Junior quarter back Malakai Anthony threw for 149 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Tyvon Edmonds Jr. ran for 148 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Seth Sweitzer had two catches for 66 yards. He also found the end zone once. On the defensive side of the ball Donte Williams led the team in tackles with 11, including one for a loss. Chiebuka Aduaka had three sacks on the afternoon in the loss.

The Basics 
Score: Saint Francis 28, Merrimack 21
Records: Saint Francis (3-5, 3-2), Merrimack (4-4, 3-2)

Rapid Recap

The first quarter was all punts for both teams. Early on in the second quarter, the Red Flash could the end zone first to take a six-point lead. Just two plays into the next Merrimack offensive possession, Anthony found Sweitzer slicing up the middle of the field for a 58-yard pass and catch, giving the Warriors a one-point lead. Two punts from Saint Francis and one from Merrimack gave the Warriors the ball with just over five minutes to play in the half. A deep pass to Donovan Wadley gave Merrimack great field position just one play into the drive. The fourth run of the drive for Edmonds Jr. found the end zone, putting the Warriors up eight. The Warriors would head into halftime up by eight points.
 
Punts plagued the first three possessions of the second half. Merrimack would take over on their own 40-yard line. Ty Yocum would cap off a 11-play drive with a one-yard rush up the middle, giving the Warriors a 21-6 advantage. The Red Flash would score on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to eight. After forcing a Merrimack punt, Saint Francis would score again and convert the two-point conversion to tie the game at 21. After another Merrimack punt. The Red Flash would add a touchdown to go up by seven. With just under six minutes to play the Warriors would take over on offense. Merrimack would use 11 plays, but could not find the endzone, losing the game by seven.

Notes and Figures

• The touchdown for Yocum is the first of his Merrimack career.
• Aduaka had one and a half sacks going into the game, he now has four and a half.
• Myles Taylor, DJ Frazier and Collin Heard all ranked second on the team in tackles with five each.

Up Next
Merrimack jumps on the road for the last time of the season next Saturday at the University of Massachusetts. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.