Football Concludes Season at Assumption Saturday

MERRIMACK FOOTBALL GAME NOTES

Game #10 at Assumption College, 1 p.m., November 8, 2008

Watch Live / Listen Live / Live Stats / Game Notes (.pdf)

WARRIORS WRAP UP SEASON AT ASSUMPTION COLLEGE

Game 10 - Merrimack College Warriors (5-4) at Assumption College Greyhounds (1-8)
Saturday, November 8, 2008, Multi-Sport Stadium

UPDATE
Merrimack wraps up the 2008 season with a non-conference game at Assumption College Saturday. The Warriors defeated the Greyhounds 30-28 on September 19 at Warrior Field.

SERIES
The Warriors are 11-2 against Assumption since the football program was reinstated in
1996. They are 14-3-1 dating back to 1986. Merrimack has won seven of the last eight meetings including a 33-20 victory in Worcester last season.

JACKSON A TRIPLE THREAT ON SENIOR DAY
In his final home game, preseason All-American cornerback Andrew Jackson left an indeliable mark in Merrimack history as he tallied two non-defensive touchdowns. Jackson returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, his second punt return of the season. Earlier in the game, with the backfield depleted by injuries, Jackson debuted at running back, scampering for a 39-yard touchdown. Jackson led the offense with 64 rushing yards on four carries.

MORE JACKSON: RECORD BOOK EDITION
Jackson became the first player in school history to return two punts for touchdowns in a season and to score on offense, defense, and special teams in a season.

JOHNSON GETS SACK RECORD, SOARS TO TOP OF NE-10 LEADERS
With three sacks against AIC, freshman Tony Johnson set the school record for sacks in a season with 11. Johnson leads the conference in sacks and is tied for first in forced fumbles with four. He has six sacks and three forced fumbles in his last two games.

BENTLEY AND STONEHILL SWEEP
This is the first time in school history the Warriors have beaten both Stonehill and Bentley on the road in the same season. It’s just the third time since joining the Northeast-10 for football in 2001 that they have defeated both teams in the same season. Merrimack finished 3-0 on the road in conference play, marking just the third time ever they finished unbeaten on the road in NE-10 play (2004, 2003).

JOHNSON FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Tony Johnson earned conference Freshman of the Week honors after registering three sacks and forcing two fumbles at Stonehill. This is the second time this season Johnson has won the Freshman of the Week honor, and the fifth time a Warrior has earned the honor in eight weeks.

OUTSTANDING DEFENSE
Merrimack’s defense earned big marks in the Skyhawk victory. In the second half, Stonehill had just two offensive drives of over 30 total yards. Merrimack forced three turnovers and registered five sacks in the game.

WATTS MOVES INTO SECOND ALL-TIME IN RECEPTIONS FOR A SEASON
With nine catches against AIC last week, Jeremiah Watts has 63 receptions on the season, which ranks second all-time in school history for catches in a season. Elfren Quiles owns the single-season record with 88 receptions in 2004.

MORE WATTS
Watts leads the Warriors with 63 catches for 823 yards and nine touchdowns. He is second in the conference in total receptions and receptions per game. He ranks 13th in the nation in receptions per game.

BEATING BENTLEY
Merrimack’s 27-11 win over Bentley was its first win over the Falcons since the 2004 season and its fourth win at Bentley in school history.

OFFENSE EARNING NATIONAL MARKS
Merrimack’s offense, which averages 433.1 yards per game and 282.3 passing yards, ranks 28th and 17th respectively among all Division II schools in the country. The Warriors are ranked first in the conference in both yards per game and passing yards.

O’BRIEN GETS TWO MORE PICKS
Senior defensive back Mike O’Brien intercepted two more passes in the win at Bentley, marking the second time this season he has recorded two picks in a game. His five INTs for the season rank second in the conference. O’Brien earned NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.

OFFENSIVE LINE GETS ITS DUE
Merrimack’s offensive line has allowed just 14 sacks this season, second fewest in the NE-10. The Warriors have tallied 36 sacks, for a differential of +22.

UPDATING THE RECORD BOOK
Merrimack set a school record with 647 total offensive yards in the 48-42 loss to Saint Anselm. The Warriors tallied 358 yards rushing and 289 passing. The 358 rushing yards rank fourth all-time in school history for a single game.

SUOZZO A DOUBLE THREAT
Freshman James Suozzo threw for 289 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 132 and three scores against Saint Anselm. Against Pace, the freshman threw for 246 yards and scored three touchdowns while rushing for 59 yards and an additional score. For his efforts against Pace, he was named the Northeast-10 Freshman and Player of the Week. In five games, Suozzo has scored nine passing and four rushing touchdowns. Suozzo also earned Freshman of the Week honors after leading the Warriors to a 27-11 win over Bentley. Merrimack is 3-2 in his starts.

SURPASSING LAST YEAR’S OFFENSE
With one game remaining, the Warriors have already rushed for more yards than they did all of last season. They have 1,323 rushing yards this season compared with 950 last season in 10 games. Last year’s team recorded 3,576 total yards. This year’s team already has 3,800 yards.

JOHNSON AND SUOZZO RACK UP THE RUSHING YARDS
Richard Johnson and James Suozzo rushed for 160 and 132 yards respectively against Saint Anselm, getting 292 of the team’s 358 total rushing yards. Against Stonehill, Johnson rushed for 114 yards and caught eight passes for 52 yards. Johnson has a team-high 601 rushing yards this season, third in the conference, while Suozzo has 345 in five games.

NUMEROUS PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
Through eight weeks, Merrimack players have received ten Northeast-10 weekly awards, five ECAC awards, and two D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week honors. See Honor Roll Watch for details.

O’BRIEN D2 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mike O’Brien became the second Warrior to be named the D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week this season, joining J.D. Wild. O'Brien posted two interceptions in the fourth quarter win over Pace. His second interception came on Pace's final drive and halted their progress with 28 seconds left.

RANKINE, WILD, AND BROWN RACK UP THE TACKLES
Jordan Rankine leads the Warriors with 82 tackles (tied for 5th in NE-10) and has added one fumble recovery. Right behind him is J.D. Wild who has 78 tackles (7th in NE-10) and Shane Brown with 76 tackles (8th in NE-10).

DEFENSE, DEFENSE
Merrimack’s defense was very instrumental in the win over Pace. The Warriors notched eight sacks, led by 2.5 from Daniel Sherr and two from Chuck Manthei. They also forced two interceptions, both by Mike O’Brien. O’Brien’s second pick came in the game’s final minute with Pace driving on a possible game-winning drive. The Warriors are first in the conference with 36 total sacks.

JACKSON A TRIPLE THREAT
Preseason All-American Andrew Jackson has emerged as a triple threat. He has excelled on defense, tallying 50 tackles, four interceptions, one fumble recovery and one sack and was named the NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week after getting two INTs at Bryant. On special teams, Jackson has returned two punts and one kick off for touchdowns this season. Against Southern Connecticut, he made his 2008 debut on offense, catching five passes for 31 yards. Against AIC, he rushed for 64 yards, including a 39 yard touchdown.

SMALLS IS BIG
Freshman tailback Anthony Smalls rushed for a career high 135 yards on 25 carries in the 30-28 win over Assumption. Smalls scampered to the end zone from 32 yards out for his first collegiate touchdown. The Natick native was named the Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week for his efforts.

TRI-CAPTAINS
Seniors J.D. Wild, Jackson and Laham will serve as the captains for the 2008 season. Jackson was also a captain last season as a junior.

CAUSING TURNOVERS
The Warriors forced four turnovers at Bryant on September 13. In addition to Jackson’s two interceptions, captain J.D. Wild forced two fumbles, which were recovered by Anthony Taylor and Jordan Rankine.

LEONE ATTACKS THE RECORD BOOKS
Taking advantage of the no-huddle, shotgun offense, sophomore QB Kurt Leone has thrown for over 300 yards twice in three games, moving into fourth and fifth place in Merrimack history for passing yards in a game.

DEFENSE IN THE RED ZONE
Facing a Division I Bryant offense that racked up 35 and 39 points in its first two games of the season, Merrimack limited the Bulldogs to just 20 points. Bryant was just 4-for-7 in red-zone opportunities, scoring a touchdown twice. Andrew Jackson had two interceptions in the end zone.

LAHAM MAKES HISTORY
With his 69-yard TD reception on the first play of the game against Assumption, senior captain Chris Laham tied Elfren Quiles for the school record for career TD receptions with 23. Laham is second all-time for most career TDs at Merrimack with 25. He posted 13 scores in 2007, one short of Quiles’ record for a single season.

RECORDS WATCH
Laham tied Elfren Quiles for the school record of 23 career TD receptions. Right behind Laham and Quiles is Chris McNeill who has 16 career TD catches. Laham also needs 24 more points, which equals four touchdowns, to tie Calvin Bryant’s record of 168 career points. He needs three touchdowns to tie for the most total scores in school history.

LEONE DEBUTS IN STYLE

Making his first collegiate start, sophomore quarterback Kurt Leone debuted in style, as he was 25 for 34 with 362 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-7 win over Husson. For his efforts, Leone was named the Northeast-10 Player of the Week. Running the no-huddle offense, Leone threw for 334 yards in the first half. Leone’s 362 passing yards rank fifth all-time in Merrimack history for yards in a game. Leone replaced Colin Temple, who was the first quarterback in school history to appear in every game in each of his four seasons.

RESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Defensive back/kick returner Andrew Jackson was named to the Consensus Draft Services Preseason Division II All-American first team as a kick returner. Jackson, who has two INTs and an 81-yard kick return for a touchdown already this season, was a Northeast-10 Conference first team selection, an All-Region second team honoree, a New England Football Writers selection, and an ECAC all-star in 2007. Jackson is one of only five Northeast-10 Conference players to be named to the CDS squads and is the lone first team selection. Southern Connecticut State had three players named to the team, led by second team selection Jermon Freeman, while Assumption’s Dustin Zitzmann was an honorable mention.

LAST MEETING
Jeremiah Watts caught a career-high 12 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown leading Merrimack to a 30-28 win over Assumption College. The Warriors started the game with a bang as the offense ran a double reverse, pitched it back to Kurt Leone and the quarterback found Chris Laham downfield for a 69-yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the game. The Greyhounds responded immediately as Herbert Woodard rushed 53 yards on their third play of the ensuing drive evening the score at seven. Following a 40-yard field goal from Sean Garvey, freshman tailback Anthony Smalls scampered 32 yards to the end zone as he reversed fields at the 20 extending the Warriors’ lead to 16-7. Woodard continued his excellent day returning a punt 85 yards for the score, setting the Greyhound record for the longest punt return in school history. With the second quarter winding down and the Warriors leading 16-14, Leone executed a third and long pass to Ryan DiGregorio for a gain of 26 and a first down inside the Assumption 15. Two plays later, the sophomore connected with Watts for a 14-yard touchdown pass, sending Merrimack to the locker room up 23-14 at the half. The Warriors began the second half with an eight-play, 88-yard drive capped off with an eight-yard touchdown rush from Richard Johnson. Assumption did not quit as Woodard added his third score of the game, rushing in from three yards out to cap off a 14-play drive and cut the lead to 30-22 after a two-point conversion. That set the stage for Assumption’s final drive as they had the ball at their own 30 with 2:54 remaining. On third and 11 at their own 29, Batacik found Gately, who broke numerous tackles and eventually was forced out of bounds after a 48-yard gain. Batacik executed another third down as he found Fabiano in the end zone bringing Assumption within two of the tie and overtime. The Warriors prevented a game-tying two point conversion as Shane Brown and Tony Johnson took advantage of the defensive blitz and hurried quarterback Josh Ratacik, forcing his throw to be wide of the intended receiver eliminating any chance of an extra period. The Greyhounds went for the onside kick but Merrimack’s Jawara Loftis recovered it, securing Merrimack’s first conference victory of the season. Leone finished 21-for-35 for 364 passing yards and two touchdowns. Smalls rushed for a career-high 135 yards on 25 carries.

WARRIORS ON THE AIR
The Merrimack Athletics Department has teamed up with B2 Networks to deliver live broadband broadcasts. Warrior games that will be streamed online include all home football, basketball and hockey broadcasts. Games can be purchased on a season or single game basis.

WEEK 1 RECAP - MERRIMACK 42, HUSSON 7
Making his first career start, Kurt Leone threw for 334 yards in the first half as Merrimack routed Husson College 42-7 Saturday afternoon at a humid Warrior Field. The win is head coach John Perry’s first as Merrimack’s head coach. Using a no-huddle attack, Leone connected with six different receivers in the first half, including four for passing touchdowns, two of them to Chris Laham. The Warriors took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field as Leone connected with Jawara Loftis on a 24-yard pass to cap off an eight play, 63-yard drive. Moments later, Leone found Jeremiah Watts in the end zone from 25 yards out, and it was quickly 14-0 Merrimack just 5:54 into the first quarter. Leone then found Laham for two scores, one for 22 yards and the other for 29 yards, before Richard Johnson raced 79 yards down the right sideline to give the Warriors a 35-0 lead heading into halftime. After Justin Lindle got Husson on the board with a one-yard rush, preseason All-American Andrew Jackson answered right back returning the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for the touchdown. Laham finished with 153 yards receiving on 11 catches. He tied Elfren Quiles on the Merrimack all-time scoring list with 23 career touchdowns. Johnson rushed for 99 yards on 11 carries, while freshman Anthony Smalls debuted with 78 rushing yards. Loftis finished with five catches for 85 yards.

WEEK 2 RECAP - BRYANT 20, MERRIMACK 7
Seven turnovers doomed the Merrimack football team as Division I Bryant handed the Warriors their first loss 20-7 Saturday afternoon in front of 5,530 fans at Bulldog Stadium. Down 20-0 in the fourth quarter, J.D. Wild forced his first of two fumbles off a Jerrell Smith carry, which was recovered by Jordan Rankine. On the ensuing play, backup quarterback Mike Sarnese connected with Chris Laham in the end zone from 31 yards out to get Merrimack on the board. On Bryant's next drive, Wild forced a fumble off a Lindsey Gamble carry and Anthony Taylor returned it all the way to Bryant's 11-yard line. But Sarnese was picked off in the end zone by Andre Whyte, ending Merrimack's hopes of a comeback.
Merrimack's defense was excellent all day, limiting Bryant to just four scores (two touchdowns) in seven red-zone opportunities while forcing four turnovers. Preseason All-American Andrew Jackson had two interceptions and nine tackles, while Shane Brown tallied 13 tackles. Rankine (12 tackles) and Mike O'Brien (11 tackles) also were in double figures. Merrimack's downfall was on offense, as Kurt Leone and Sarnese were a combined 17-for-50 for 227 yards and four interceptions. Against a Bryant defense that has forced 14 turnovers in its last two games, the running game managed just 51 yards on 21 attempts. With today's touchdown, Laham is one receiving score shy of tying the all-time school record of 23 touchdown receptions.

WEEK 3 RECAP - MERRIMACK 30, ASSUMPTION 28
Jeremiah Watts caught a career-high 12 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown leading Merrimack to a 30-28 win over Assumption College. Merrimack led 30-14 midway through the third quarter, but Assumption stormed back to get within two with under a minute left after Joey Fabiano sprawled out in the end zone for a 19-yard diving touchdown catch. Trailing 30-28, the Greyhounds went for two to tie it, but the Warriors prevented a possible game-tying two point conversion as Shane Brown and Tony Johnson took advantage of the defensive blitz and hurried quarterback Josh Ratacik forcing his throw to be wide of the intended receiver. The Warriors started the game with a bang as the offense ran a double reverse, pitched it back to Leone, and the quarterback found Chris Laham downfield for a 69-yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the game. Following a 40-yard field goal from Sean Garvey, freshman tailback Anthony Smalls scampered 32 yards to the end zone as he reversed fields at the 20 extending the Warriors’ lead to 16-7. Woodard continued his excellent day returning a punt 85 yards for the score, setting the Greyhound record for the longest punt return in school history. The Warriors began the second half with an eight-play, 88-yard drive capped off with an eight yard touchdown rush from Richard Johnson. Assumption (0-3, 0-1 NE-10) did not quit as Woodard added his third score of the game, rushing in from three yards out to cap off a 14-play drive and cutting the lead to 30-22 after a two-point conversion. That set the stage for Assumption’s final drive as they had the ball at their own 30 with 2:54 remaining. On third and 11 at their own 29, Batacik found Gately, who broke numerous tackles and eventually was forced out of bounds after a 48-yard gain. Batacik executed another third down as he found Fabiano in the end zone bringing Assumption within two of the tie and overtime. But the Warriors’ defensive blitz eliminated any chance of an extra period. Leone finished 21-for-35 for 364 passing yards and two touchdowns. Smalls rushed for a career-high 135 yards on 25 carries.

WEEK 4 RECAP - SO. CONNECTICUT 40, MERRIMACK 26

Merrimack saw its two-game home winning streak snapped by Southern Connecticut State 40-26 Saturday afternoon at a rainy homecoming Saturday at Warrior Field. Southern Connecticut built a 20-0 lead in the first 11:38, as John Wiechman picked up two one-yard touchdown runs for the 14-0 lead. After a Richard Johnson fumble which was recovered by Jerome Pinckney, Chris Roberts found Chris Bergeski from 18-yards out giving the Owls the quick 20-0 lead after the extra-point failed. After Merrimack’s next drive was stalled, the Warriors forced the Owls to punt for the first time and preseason All-American Andrew Jackson went untouched, returning the punt 75-yards for Merrimack’s lone score of the first half. It was Jackson’s second punt return for a score this season. Following a field goal from Chris Hazelton and another Johnson fumble, the Warriors went into the locker room at halftime trailing 23-7, as Southern Connecticut racked up 271 yards to just 105 for the Warriors. Following a 58-yard kickoff return from Johnson to start the second half, Kurt Leone connected with Jawara Loftis for an 18-yard touchdown pass, cutting the score to 23-14. After Roberts found Bergeski again in the end zone, this time from 41-yards out, the Warriors responded once again, as Leone and Jeremiah Watts hooked up for a one-yard TD score. Trailing 33-20 in the fourth, Johnson rushed in the end zone from one-yard out, after Leone hit Chris McNeil for a 63-yard pass that got the offense down to the one. The Warriors had one last chance, trailing 33-26 at their own 25, but Leone fumbled on the first play of the drive, ending any possibility of a homecoming victory. Merrimack’s defense had no answer for Wiechman who rushed for 212 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries. Roberts was 20-for-34 for 262 yards, while Bergeski pulled in seven catches for 125 yards and two scores. Leone was 27-for-63 for 284 yards and was sacked four times. The Warriors gained just 56 net yards rushing. Watts continued his excellent season, catching 10 balls for 80 yards. Making his first appearance on offense this season, Jackson totaled five catches for 31 yards.

WEEK 5 RECAP - MERRIMACK 31, PACE 28
Making his first collegiate appearance, freshman quarterback J.D. Suozzo threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 59 yards and a score, as Merrimack defeated Pace 31-28 Saturday afternoon. The Warriors jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the game’s first 20 minutes, behind a 32-yard field goal from Sean Garvey, a 21-yard TD run from Suozzo, and a four-yard TD pass to Jeremiah Watts. Pace wideout Eric Ortega cut the lead to 17-14 as he tallied two receiving touchdowns in the second quarter, the second with 1:25 remaining to halftime. But Suozzo engineered a six-play, 56-yard drive, capped off with a 19-yard touchdown to Quavari Jackson, his first collegiate score, which sent the Warriors to the locker room with a 24-14 advantage. The Setters scored first in the third as Andrew Kulak hauled in a 14-yard TD pass just :54 seconds into the second half, but the Warriors again responded as Suozzo and Watts connected on a 33-yard score with time winding down in the third quarter. Pace cut the lead to 31-28 as Nathaniel Ford rushed in for six from two yards out with 4:40 remaining, but Merrimack iced most of the clock away, giving the ball back to the Setters on their own one-yard line after a excellent 36-yard punt from Pedrom Tand. Pace moved the ball to its own 35-yard line, but Ray Gregg was intercepted by Mike O’Brien for the second time to seal the win for the Warriors. Suozzo was 21-of-42 for 246 yards and three passing touchdowns to go with 59 rushing yards and one score. Watts caught four passes for 60 yards, while Jawara Loftis added a team-best six catches for 63 yards. Merrimack rushed for 119 yards on the ground, led by 61 from Richard Johnson, while the Setters managed just 14 rushing yards. O’Brien had two interceptions while the Merrimack defense tallied eight sacks, led by 2.5 from Daniel Sherr and two from Chuck Manthei. The Merrimack offensive line was outstanding, meanwhile, allowing zero sacks on the day.

WEEK 6 RECAP - SAINT ANSELM 48, MERRIMACK 42
The Merrimack football team was upset by Saint Anselm College 48-42 Friday night at Warrior Field. The victory snapped a 34-game losing streak for the Hawks that began on September 3, 2005. Merrimack trailed by as much as 21, at 42-21 in the third quarter, but they cut the lead to one score as J.D. Suozzo connected with Patrick Easley from 24 yards out in the final minute of the third. Four minutes later, Suozzo dashed into the end zone from nine yards out and just like that, it was a one score game, at 42-35. Saint Anselm responded immediately as Luke St. Marie rushed 45 yards for the touchdown on just the second play of the drive, extending the lead to 48-35 after the extra point failed. Again, Merrimack responded as Suozzo connected with Jeremiah Watts on fourth and 21 for 53 yards, setting up a first and goal, where the freshman quarterback raced into the end zone for his third touchdown rush of the game, this time from five yards out. Merrimack failed to recover the onside kick but got the ball back on its own 20 after the Hawks went three and out, and punted into the end zone for the touchback. The Warriors nearly pulled off the incredible comeback as Suozzo found Omari Mobley for a gain of 13, getting the ball to the Hawks’ 29 with less than three minutes remaining. But after three incomplete passes and an intentional grounding call, Merrimack was faced with a fourth and 25 at the 42. Suozzo launched it to the end zone, but Ryan DiGregorio could not come down with it, ending any hopes of the comeback. St. Marie set the school record for rushing yards in a game with 241 yards on 28 carries. Wilson led the way at quarterback with 181 rushing yards and 114 passing yards. Saint Anselm set a number of single-game records as a team, including most team rushing yards in a game (439), most yards of total offense (553), total offensive plays (98), most team rushing attempts (69) and most points in a game (48). Suozzo rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns, and threw for 289 yards on 23-of-49 passing with one score. Johnson tallied 160 yards on the ground on 20 carries and caught six balls for 60 yards. Watts, who leads the conference in catches, added nine more for 131 yards. There were exactly 1,200 total yards in the game, including 439 on the ground from Saint Anselm to 358 for Merrimack.

WEEK 7 RECAP - MERRIMACK 27, BENTLEY 11
The Merrimack football team spoiled homecoming weekend at Bentley, as the Warriors downed the Falcons 27-11. The Warriors used a balanced offensive attack while intercepting four passes, including two by Mike O’Brien. The visitors jumped out to a 17-0 lead as Richard Johnson capped off a 13-play, 70-yard drive with a seven-yard run for the first score of the day. On Merrimack’s next drive, James Suozzo connected with Jeremiah Watts on a six-yard touchdown pass to give the Warriors the early 14-0 lead. Sean Garvey added a 26-yard field goal after Andrew Jackson intercepted Falcon quarterback John White to put the Warriors in excellent scoring position. Garvey added another field goal, this time from 38-yards out in the third quarter, extending Merrimack’s lead to 20-3. Johnson made it 27-3 with a seven-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the day, with the big play of the drive coming on a 50-yard pass from Suozzo to Quavari Jackson. Jordan Rankine also added an interception, as Bentley used four different quarterbacks, trying to find any spark to its offense. The Warrior defense limited the Falcons to just 30 rushing yards. J.D. Wild posted a team-high 11 tackles, while Tony Johnson and Joe Jolicoeur each picked up a sack. Suozzo passed for 231 yards on 17-of-32 passing, while adding another 43 on the ground. Johnson tallied two rushing touchdowns as well as 75 rushing yards on 25 carries. Watts continued his excellent season with five catches for 66 yards, while Jackson tallied three catches for 86 yards.

WEEK 8 RECAP - MERRIMACK 21, STONEHILL 16
Freshman James Suozzo threw for three touchdowns while junior tailback Richard Johnson rushed for 114 yards as visiting Merrimack defeated Stonehill 21-16. Suozzo threw for 245 yards on 27-of-40 passing, while Johnson rushed 114 yards on 26 carries. Merrimack trailed 10-7 at half but stormed back as Suozzo found Ryan DiGregorio and Jeremiah Watts for third quarter touchdowns to pull ahead 21-10. It was Watts’ second score of the game, as earlier he and Suozzo connected on a 17-yard pass in the second quarter to tie the score at seven. The Warrior defense stymied the Skyhawk offense in the second half as Stonehill had just two offensive drives of over 30 total yards in the final 30 minutes. One of those drives resulted in a late touchdown, while the other was erased on a fumble recovered by J.D. Wild. Bernard Cooper added a first-half interception, which nullified another drive as Stonehill had marched down the field 73 yards after starting at its own seven yard line. Senior All-American Andrew Jackson also picked up an interception, as the Warriors forced four turnovers. Merrimack added five sacks led by three from Tony Johnson. Jeremiah Watts added to his team lead in receptions as he pulled in seven catches for 85 yards and two scores. Richard Johnson contributed eight receptions for 52 yards out of the backfield while DiGregorio totaled five catches for 50 yards. Suozzo added 60 rushing yards, including a 30-yard run. Tony Johnson earned NE-10 Freshman of the Week honors for his three sacks and two forced fumbles.

WEEK 9 RECAP - #17 AIC 34, MERRIMACK 29
The Warriors tallied 26 unanswered points in the second half, but the comeback fell just short, as #17 American International College clinched the Northeast-10 title with a 34-29 win at Warrior Field. Trailing by five with two minutes remaining, the Warriors were in Yellow Jacket territory, but a 25-yard run by Quivari Jackson was negated by an illegal motion penalty. On third-and-five, a James Suozzo fumble was recovered by the Yellow Jackets, ending any hopes of a late comeback. The Warriors trailed 34-3 in the third quarter but stormed back sparked by Tony Johnson’s return of an interception 45-yards for his first collegiate touchdown. On the next drive, preseason All-American Andrew Jackson proved he can play both sides of the ball as the senior scampered into the end zone on a 39-yard rush cutting the lead to 34-15 with 14:44 remaining in the fourth. The Warriors’ defense forced AIC to punt it away after just three plays, and Suozzo led the hosts back to the end zone, capping a five-play, 39-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Watts. Suozzo ran in for the two-point conversion, cutting the score to 34-23 with 11:28 remaining. After both teams traded punts midway through the fourth, Johnson and Chuck Manthei each registered a sack on the visitors’ next drive, forcing AIC to punt away again. Jackson caught the punt at the 25-yard line and returned it 75-yards for the dramatic touchdown, making it a one score game at 34-29. But that was as close as the Warriors got, as their last drive was erased by the Suozzo fumble. Jackson became the first player in school history to return two punts for a touchdown in a season and to score on offense, defense, and special teams in a season. With the running game depleted due to injuries, Jackson was the Warriors’ leading rusher getting 64-yards on four carries. Suozzo was forced to throw on virtually every down, and he racked up 220 yards passing on 23-of-57. Watts pulled in a team-high nine catches for 87 yards, while Ryan DiGregorio added eight receptions for 39 yards. Last week’s Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week Johnson registered his best game of the season, tallying six tackles, three sacks, one interception, and forced one fumble.