Merrimack Football Falls To Yale After Fast Start

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – It was a tale of two halves for the Merrimack College football team as the Warriors fell to the Yale Bulldogs, 41-24, at the Yale Bowl on Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors got off to a good start as they took a 21-7 lead over the Bulldogs midway through the second quarter. The early lead was a result of two explosive touchdown passes from Merrimack quarterback AJ Hairston Jr. (11-for-26, 192 yards, two touchdowns) and a pick-six from linebacker Will Claude, who gave the Warriors a 14-7 lead late after his 75-yard return.

Yale outscored Merrimack 17-0 in the fourth quarter. 

"We played well at times and it got away from us at the end," head football coach Mike Gennetti said after the game. "That's kind of been a bit of a trend, which is tough to figure out why, why that happens. We got to continue to find ways to play more complementary football and finish games.

"I think that's the biggest holdup for us – being able to sustain a lead, keep a lead, and play with it, or find ways to make some plays toward the end of the game when we're down. There were a lot of factors," Gennetti continued. "Kids are playing hard, and I know they want to win. But we're just not doing quite enough to make that a reality."

During the first half, the Warriors threw for 170 of their 204 yards of offense. Merrimack held a slight edge in total offense despite Yale possessing the ball for nine minutes longer in the first half. The Bulldogs concluded the day with a 476-322 advantage in total yards while the Warriors finished with 188 passing yards in the contest.

After the Bulldogs took an early lead following a touchdown on their first possession, the Warriors answered right back. 

Hairston faked a run and found Kenyon Massey over the top before the junior receiver took it the rest of the way for a 79-yard touchdown. Claude recorded his defensive touchdown two drives later. Then, after the Merrimack defense forced back-to-back Yale punts, Hairston found receiver Dennis Morgan for a 40-yard touchdown. The highlight-reel play capped a six-play, 92-yard drive which gave the visitors a 21-7 lead with 7:14 left in the first half. 

The Warriors opened the second half with a 10-play possession, which concluded with a 25-yard field goal by Guytano Bartolomeo. It tied the game, 24-24, with 5:16 left in the third quarter. 

Hairston led the team in rushing (10 carries, 69 yards) while Massey (two catches, 89 yards) led the offense in receiving. Linebacker Micah Green finished with 11 tackles while safety Danny Simms added nine tackles and one pass defensed. 

The bye week comes at a good time for the Warriors (2-4), who have now played against three teams in the FCS top-25 and one FBS team. They return to the gridiron when they travel to Dartmouth College on Oct. 17.