Nov 6, 2009

Football Hosts Pace with Possible Share of Championship on the Line

MERRIMACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Game 10 vs. Pace University, Saturday, November 7, 2009, 1 p.m., Warrior Field

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

WARRIORS CONCLUDE REGULAR SEASON VS. PACE ON SENIOR DAY

UPDATE
A Merrimack victory over Pace, combined with a Bentley loss to Stonehill will give the Warriors a share of the Northeast-10 Championship.

SERIES
The Warriors are 8-0 lifetime against the Setters, including a 31-28 win last season at Pace and a 31-0 victory in 2007 at Warrior Field.

WIN AND SCOREBOARD WATCH
A win today by the Warriors, combined with a loss by Bentley to Stonehill, will give Merrimack a share of the Northeast-10 Championship. Merrimack had a share of the 2006 Northeast-10 title, tying with Southern Connecticut and Bryant.

WATTS SETS PAIR OF RECEIVING RECORDS IN WIN OVER SCSU
In the 52-42 victory over Southern Connecticut, senior wideout Jeremiah Watts set the school record for receptions in a game and a career. Watts totaled 19 catches for 212 yards, breaking the record of 18 in a game set by Elfren Quiles in 2004. He passed Quiles’ all-time mark of 134 receptions and enters today’s game with 140 catches. His 212 receiving yards were 17 shy of Quiles’ record for a single-game and rank third all-time in program history. For his efforts, Watts was named the Co-Northeast-10 Player of the Week and the Boston Herald Offensive Player of the Week.

SUOZZO HAS ANOTHER MONSTER DAY
James Suozzo totaled a career-high 467 yards in the win over SCSU, rushing for 103 on 19 carries and two scores, while throwing for 364 yards and four touchdowns on 36-of-48 passing. Suozzo leads the Northeast-10 with 3,054 total yards (339.3/game). He now holds the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,193. Suozzo ranks sixth in total offense in the country.

WARRIORS SET SCHOOL RECORD FOR OFFENSIVE YARDS IN A SEASON
With 619 total yards against SCSU, the Merrimack offense set the school record for total yards for the second straight season, passing last year’s mark of 4,234. With today’s game remaining, they have 4,318, 479.8/game, tops in the conference by 90 yards.

THANK YOU SENIORS
Merrimack will honor its 13-member class of 2010 before today’s game.

FIRST DOWN!
The 36 first downs against SCSU are a school record, breaking the old mark of 34 set against AIC on October 10, 2008.

HILL GOES OVER 100 YARDS IN SECOND START
Freshman Jimon Hill recorded his first 100-yard game against SCSU, rushing for 139 yards on 24 carries.

LOISEAU SETS TACKLES RECORD
Sophomore linebacker Shawn Loiseau picked up 10 tackles against the Owls, breaking the school record of 105 set in 1999. With one regular season game remaining, Loiseau has 111 tackles and is tied for the conference lead in tackles and tackles per game.

TONY JOHNSON RETURNS TO DEFENSIVE LEADERBOARD
Tony Johnson leads the conference in tackles for a loss per game with 1.83, fumbles forced with three and is tied for second in sacks with 7.5. Johnson, who set the school record for sacks with 11.5 last year, returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown in the win over SCSU.

LAHAM GETS ANOTHER SCHOOL RECORD, NEARS 2 MORE
Chris Laham broke yet another school record against New Haven as he is now the all-time school leader for career receiving yards with 2,382. Laham needs three receptions Saturday to tie Quiles for the second-most receptions in school history with 134. His classmate, Jeremiah Watts, is now the all-time leader with 140. Laham needs one receiving touchdown to tie Quiles’ record of 14 in a season.

SCHOOL RUSHING RECORD IN SIGHT
The Warriors have 2112 rushing yards this year and need 358 Saturday to tie the school mark of 2470, set in 1999.

SUOZZO LEADS MERRIMACK HOMECOMING VICTORY
The Warriors returned to its winning ways, racking up 48 points and 483 yards in a 48-20 win over New Haven. James Suozzo was named the NE-10 Player of the Week for the second time this year, as he rushed for three TDs and passed for two more.

POSSIBLY TWO 1,000 YARD RUSHERS
Tailback Anthony Smalls is 26 yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing for the season, while James Suozzo needs 139 yards to become the first quarterback with 1,000 rushing yards in school history. Calvin Bryant (1,547 yards, 1999) is the only player in school history to reach that 1,000 mark.

OFFENSE RANKED FIFTH IN THE COUNTRY
Through the first nine games, the Merrimack offense is averaging 479.8 yards per game, tops in the conference and fifth in the country. They average 90 more yards per game than anyone else in the conference. The Warriors average 41.5 more yards rushing (234.7/gm) than second-ranked SCSU (193.2/game) and rank ninth in the nation.

OFFENSIVE LINE LEADS TOP-RANKED OFFENSE
The Merrimack offensive line, led by tackles Jacob Bradley and David Bellmont, has allowed just 11 sacks this season, fewest in the conference. They have paved the way for Anthony Smalls’ and James Suozzo’s offensive success, as the Warriors’ record-setting offense leads the conference in rushing and total yards. Merrimack’s offensive line allowed just 15 sacks last season, fewest in the NE-10.

HIGH-SCORING AFFAIR
The 94 combined points in the Merrimack-SCSU game were the most scored in a Northeast-10 game since Southern Connecticut and Bryant combined for 112 points during the 2005 season. Earlier this year, Merrimack and AIC combined for 92 points.

ROAD STREAK SNAPPED
The Warriors saw their five-game road winning streak dating back to September 13, 2008 snapped in the loss to Assumption.

LATE COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AT ASSUMPTION
Trailing 30-7 early in the third quarter, Merrimack fought back hard, only to suffer its first conference loss, 39-36 to Assumption on October 10. Merrimack had 354 of its 454 total yards in the second half.

LOISEAU NAMED NE-10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shawn Loiseau posted a game-high 17 tackles against Bentley, earning NE-10 weekly honors.

LAST UNBEATEN TEAM IN CONFERENCE
Starting 3-0 in conference play for the first time in school history, the Warriors were the last team to stay perfect in NE-10 conference play before falling to Assumption.

SMALLS AMONG NATIONAL RUSHING LEADERS
Sophomore Anthony Smalls, who was named the Northeast-10 Player of the Week on September 28, rushed for a career-high 219 yards in the 41-31 win over Saint Anselm. He has 974 yards in seven games, second in the conference and first in yards per game. He averages 139.1 yards per game, fifth nationally. Smalls exceeded 100+ yards rushing in the first five games of the season and has done so in six of seven games this year.

OFFENSE EXPLODES IN 42-21 WIN OVER STONEHILL
In a 42-21 win over Stonehill, the offense totaled 630 offensive yards, including 227 in the first quarter and 260 in the first 16 minutes. The 630 yards were just 17 yards shy of the school record, set last season against Saint Anselm. Chris Laham caught nine passes for 211 yards, finishing just 18 yards shy of the single game school receiving record.

SUOZZO GETS THE GOLD HELMET, NE-10 HONORS
James Suozzo was named the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Gold Helmet Award winner and the Northeast-10 Player of the Week for his outstanding play in leading the Warriors to a 42-21 win over Stonehill. Suozzo, who had 227 total yards in the first quarter, passed for 324 yards and three scores and rushed for 114 yards and two TDs. He is the first Merrimack player to earn a Gold Helmet since Colin Temple in 2005.

LAHAM BREAKS TOUCHDOWN RECORD
Chris Laham set the all-time school record for career touchdowns against Stonehill with his 29th career touchdown in the first quarter, breaking Calvin Bryant’s (1997-99) old mark. Earlier this season, Laham set the school mark for career TD receptions with 26 against AIC. On his career, he has 36 receiving and two special teams touchdowns.

SNAPPING THE ROAD STREAK
The victory against Stonehill marked the first time since 1999 (10 meetings) that the home team won in the MC-Stonehill series.

DESJARDINS LEADS NE-10 IN FUMBLE RECOVERIES
Nick DesJardins recovered his fourth fumble of the season against Bentley and ranks tied for tops in the conference in fumbles recovered.

DEFENSE BLANKS THE EAGLES; STOPS FALCONS
The Warriors defense forced three turnovers and limited Husson to just 218 total yards in the 23-0 victory. It marked their first shutout since October 27, 2007, when they blanked Pace 31-0. Merrimack’s defense did not allow a touchdown against Bentley.

FISCHER PICKS A PAIR
Sophomore Jason Fischer totaled two interceptions against Husson, marking the first two picks of his career. Fischer added another interception and his first career sack against New Haven.

SUCCESSFUL DEBUT AT DEFENSE FOR R. JOHNSON
After playing running back in his first three seasons at Merrimack, Richard Johnson successfully made the switch to defense, leading the Warriors with eight tackles in the season opener against AIC. Johnson also returned a kick for 50 yards.

FRESHMEN MAKING AN IMPACT
Numerous freshmen have seen playing time this season, having an immediate impact, especially on defense and special teams. Michael Wiggins has 13 tackles while Justin Marsan (7), Michael Jones (7), and Pat McGrath (7) have also seen time. Jimon Hill and Michel Wheeler have seen time at running back, with Hill getting his first career touchdown against New Haven and rushing for over 100 yards against SCSU. Cornerback Jesse Fowler got his first career interception at Assumption.

SCORING STREAK: 94 GAMES AND COUNTING
Merrimack has scored in 94 consecutive games, which is the 20th-longest active streak in Division II football. Valdosta St. holds the current record having scored in 222 straight games while Bentley (114) and Southern Connecticut (106) are among the top-20.

CAPTAINS
The Warriors will have four captains for 2009, led by Chris Laham. Laham, who got a medical redshirt and a 5th year of eligibility, enters his second straight season as captain. Joining him as captains are Jeremiah Watts, Bernard Cooper, and Shane Brown.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Jeremiah Watts and David Bellmont were both named preseason All-Americans by Consensus Draft Services. They are the second and third players in school history to earn that honor after Andrew Jackson became the first preseason and postseason All-American in 2008.

CHICAGO CONNECTION
The 2009 Warriors feature eight players from the Chicago-area, including five freshmen, most notably running back Jimon Hill. Senior captain Bernard Cooper also hails from Illinois. Freshman Michael Wiggins (Dolton, IL) registered his first career sack against AIC.

REPLACING AN ALL-AMERICAN
The graduation loss of Andrew Jackson, who became the first first-team All-American in program history last season, left some giant shoes to fill. Richard Johnson is ready to step up and fill the cornerback and kick returning positions while Chris Laham takes over for Jackson on punt returns. Peter Early, Anthony Taylor, and Jason Fischer will also see significant time in the secondary. Tony Johnson, another All-American candidate, will wear Andrew Jackson’s No. 24 this season.

OTHER DEFENSIVE NOTABLES
Although there will be many new faces on defense this season, a lot of experience returns at the linebacker position. Shane Brown, Rhandy Audate, Tony Johnson and Marc Benjamin, linebackers who either started or saw significant playing time, all return, while Shawn Loiseau inherits a more prominent role as a sophomore. Up front, Garrett Boyd and Bernard Cooper anchor the line, with Anthony Taylor directing the secondary.

LAST MEETING
Making his first collegiate appearance, James Suozzo threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 59 yards and a score, as Merrimack defeated Pace 31-28. 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, 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, allowing zero sacks on the day.

WARRIORS ON THE AIR
The Merrimack Athletics Department has teamed up with B2 Networks to deliver live broadband broadcasts for the second straight season. 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.


Cross Country (M) Cross Country (W) Field Hockey Football Soccer (M) Soccer (W) Volleyball Basketball (M) Basketball (W) Ice Hockey Baseball Lacrosse (M) Lacrosse (W) Softball Tennis (M) Tennis (W) Lawler Completion Project Athletic Staff Directory Blue Line Club Cheerleading Compliance Composite Calendar Directions Facilities From the AD's Desk Intramurals Marketing & Promotions Merrimack Championships Quick Facts Recruiting Questionnaires SAAC SID Downloads Sponsorship Sports Medicine Strength and Conditioning Visitors Guide	Home \| Roster \| 2009 Schedule \| Standings \| Statistics \| News \| Coaches \| All-Time Letterwinners \| All-Time Records \| All-Time Results \| 2009 Season Tickets \| Career Stats \| Watch Home Games Live! \| Archives [Printer Friendly] Nov 6, 2009 Football Hosts Pace with Possible Share of Championship on the Line MERRIMACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL Game 10 vs. Pace University, Saturday, November 7, 2009, 1 p.m., Warrior Field Watch Live / Live Stats / Game Notes (.pdf) WARRIORS CONCLUDE REGULAR SEASON VS. PACE ON SENIOR DAY UPDATE A Merrimack victory over Pace, combined with a Bentley loss to Stonehill will give the Warriors a share of the Northeast-10 Championship. SERIES The Warriors are 8-0 lifetime against the Setters, including a 31-28 win last season at Pace and a 31-0 victory in 2007 at Warrior Field. WIN AND SCOREBOARD WATCH A win today by the Warriors, combined with a loss by Bentley to Stonehill, will give Merrimack a share of the Northeast-10 Championship. Merrimack had a share of the 2006 Northeast-10 title, tying with Southern Connecticut and Bryant. WATTS SETS PAIR OF RECEIVING RECORDS IN WIN OVER SCSU In the 52-42 victory over Southern Connecticut, senior wideout Jeremiah Watts set the school record for receptions in a game and a career. Watts totaled 19 catches for 212 yards, breaking the record of 18 in a game set by Elfren Quiles in 2004. He passed Quiles’ all-time mark of 134 receptions and enters today’s game with 140 catches. His 212 receiving yards were 17 shy of Quiles’ record for a single-game and rank third all-time in program history. For his efforts, Watts was named the Co-Northeast-10 Player of the Week and the Boston Herald Offensive Player of the Week. SUOZZO HAS ANOTHER MONSTER DAY James Suozzo totaled a career-high 467 yards in the win over SCSU, rushing for 103 on 19 carries and two scores, while throwing for 364 yards and four touchdowns on 36-of-48 passing. Suozzo leads the Northeast-10 with 3,054 total yards (339.3/game). He now holds the school record for passing yards in a season with 2,193. Suozzo ranks sixth in total offense in the country. WARRIORS SET SCHOOL RECORD FOR OFFENSIVE YARDS IN A SEASON With 619 total yards against SCSU, the Merrimack offense set the school record for total yards for the second straight season, passing last year’s mark of 4,234. With today’s game remaining, they have 4,318, 479.8/game, tops in the conference by 90 yards. THANK YOU SENIORS Merrimack will honor its 13-member class of 2010 before today’s game. FIRST DOWN! The 36 first downs against SCSU are a school record, breaking the old mark of 34 set against AIC on October 10, 2008. HILL GOES OVER 100 YARDS IN SECOND START Freshman Jimon Hill recorded his first 100-yard game against SCSU, rushing for 139 yards on 24 carries. LOISEAU SETS TACKLES RECORD Sophomore linebacker Shawn Loiseau picked up 10 tackles against the Owls, breaking the school record of 105 set in 1999. With one regular season game remaining, Loiseau has 111 tackles and is tied for the conference lead in tackles and tackles per game. TONY JOHNSON RETURNS TO DEFENSIVE LEADERBOARD Tony Johnson leads the conference in tackles for a loss per game with 1.83, fumbles forced with three and is tied for second in sacks with 7.5. Johnson, who set the school record for sacks with 11.5 last year, returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown in the win over SCSU. LAHAM GETS ANOTHER SCHOOL RECORD, NEARS 2 MORE Chris Laham broke yet another school record against New Haven as he is now the all-time school leader for career receiving yards with 2,382. Laham needs three receptions Saturday to tie Quiles for the second-most receptions in school history with 134. His classmate, Jeremiah Watts, is now the all-time leader with 140. Laham needs one receiving touchdown to tie Quiles’ record of 14 in a season. SCHOOL RUSHING RECORD IN SIGHT The Warriors have 2112 rushing yards this year and need 358 Saturday to tie the school mark of 2470, set in 1999. SUOZZO LEADS MERRIMACK HOMECOMING VICTORY The Warriors returned to its winning ways, racking up 48 points and 483 yards in a 48-20 win over New Haven. James Suozzo was named the NE-10 Player of the Week for the second time this year, as he rushed for three TDs and passed for two more. POSSIBLY TWO 1,000 YARD RUSHERS Tailback Anthony Smalls is 26 yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing for the season, while James Suozzo needs 139 yards to become the first quarterback with 1,000 rushing yards in school history. Calvin Bryant (1,547 yards, 1999) is the only player in school history to reach that 1,000 mark. OFFENSE RANKED FIFTH IN THE COUNTRY Through the first nine games, the Merrimack offense is averaging 479.8 yards per game, tops in the conference and fifth in the country. They average 90 more yards per game than anyone else in the conference. The Warriors average 41.5 more yards rushing (234.7/gm) than second-ranked SCSU (193.2/game) and rank ninth in the nation. OFFENSIVE LINE LEADS TOP-RANKED OFFENSE The Merrimack offensive line, led by tackles Jacob Bradley and David Bellmont, has allowed just 11 sacks this season, fewest in the conference. They have paved the way for Anthony Smalls’ and James Suozzo’s offensive success, as the Warriors’ record-setting offense leads the conference in rushing and total yards. Merrimack’s offensive line allowed just 15 sacks last season, fewest in the NE-10. HIGH-SCORING AFFAIR The 94 combined points in the Merrimack-SCSU game were the most scored in a Northeast-10 game since Southern Connecticut and Bryant combined for 112 points during the 2005 season. Earlier this year, Merrimack and AIC combined for 92 points. ROAD STREAK SNAPPED The Warriors saw their five-game road winning streak dating back to September 13, 2008 snapped in the loss to Assumption. LATE COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AT ASSUMPTION Trailing 30-7 early in the third quarter, Merrimack fought back hard, only to suffer its first conference loss, 39-36 to Assumption on October 10. Merrimack had 354 of its 454 total yards in the second half. LOISEAU NAMED NE-10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Shawn Loiseau posted a game-high 17 tackles against Bentley, earning NE-10 weekly honors. LAST UNBEATEN TEAM IN CONFERENCE Starting 3-0 in conference play for the first time in school history, the Warriors were the last team to stay perfect in NE-10 conference play before falling to Assumption. SMALLS AMONG NATIONAL RUSHING LEADERS Sophomore Anthony Smalls, who was named the Northeast-10 Player of the Week on September 28, rushed for a career-high 219 yards in the 41-31 win over Saint Anselm. He has 974 yards in seven games, second in the conference and first in yards per game. He averages 139.1 yards per game, fifth nationally. Smalls exceeded 100+ yards rushing in the first five games of the season and has done so in six of seven games this year. OFFENSE EXPLODES IN 42-21 WIN OVER STONEHILL In a 42-21 win over Stonehill, the offense totaled 630 offensive yards, including 227 in the first quarter and 260 in the first 16 minutes. The 630 yards were just 17 yards shy of the school record, set last season against Saint Anselm. Chris Laham caught nine passes for 211 yards, finishing just 18 yards shy of the single game school receiving record. SUOZZO GETS THE GOLD HELMET, NE-10 HONORS James Suozzo was named the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Gold Helmet Award winner and the Northeast-10 Player of the Week for his outstanding play in leading the Warriors to a 42-21 win over Stonehill. Suozzo, who had 227 total yards in the first quarter, passed for 324 yards and three scores and rushed for 114 yards and two TDs. He is the first Merrimack player to earn a Gold Helmet since Colin Temple in 2005. LAHAM BREAKS TOUCHDOWN RECORD Chris Laham set the all-time school record for career touchdowns against Stonehill with his 29th career touchdown in the first quarter, breaking Calvin Bryant’s (1997-99) old mark. Earlier this season, Laham set the school mark for career TD receptions with 26 against AIC. On his career, he has 36 receiving and two special teams touchdowns. SNAPPING THE ROAD STREAK The victory against Stonehill marked the first time since 1999 (10 meetings) that the home team won in the MC-Stonehill series. DESJARDINS LEADS NE-10 IN FUMBLE RECOVERIES Nick DesJardins recovered his fourth fumble of the season against Bentley and ranks tied for tops in the conference in fumbles recovered. DEFENSE BLANKS THE EAGLES; STOPS FALCONS The Warriors defense forced three turnovers and limited Husson to just 218 total yards in the 23-0 victory. It marked their first shutout since October 27, 2007, when they blanked Pace 31-0. Merrimack’s defense did not allow a touchdown against Bentley. FISCHER PICKS A PAIR Sophomore Jason Fischer totaled two interceptions against Husson, marking the first two picks of his career. Fischer added another interception and his first career sack against New Haven. SUCCESSFUL DEBUT AT DEFENSE FOR R. JOHNSON After playing running back in his first three seasons at Merrimack, Richard Johnson successfully made the switch to defense, leading the Warriors with eight tackles in the season opener against AIC. Johnson also returned a kick for 50 yards. FRESHMEN MAKING AN IMPACT Numerous freshmen have seen playing time this season, having an immediate impact, especially on defense and special teams. Michael Wiggins has 13 tackles while Justin Marsan (7), Michael Jones (7), and Pat McGrath (7) have also seen time. Jimon Hill and Michel Wheeler have seen time at running back, with Hill getting his first career touchdown against New Haven and rushing for over 100 yards against SCSU. Cornerback Jesse Fowler got his first career interception at Assumption. SCORING STREAK: 94 GAMES AND COUNTING Merrimack has scored in 94 consecutive games, which is the 20th-longest active streak in Division II football. Valdosta St. holds the current record having scored in 222 straight games while Bentley (114) and Southern Connecticut (106) are among the top-20. CAPTAINS The Warriors will have four captains for 2009, led by Chris Laham. Laham, who got a medical redshirt and a 5th year of eligibility, enters his second straight season as captain. Joining him as captains are Jeremiah Watts, Bernard Cooper, and Shane Brown. PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS Jeremiah Watts and David Bellmont were both named preseason All-Americans by Consensus Draft Services. They are the second and third players in school history to earn that honor after Andrew Jackson became the first preseason and postseason All-American in 2008. CHICAGO CONNECTION The 2009 Warriors feature eight players from the Chicago-area, including five freshmen, most notably running back Jimon Hill. Senior captain Bernard Cooper also hails from Illinois. Freshman Michael Wiggins (Dolton, IL) registered his first career sack against AIC. REPLACING AN ALL-AMERICAN The graduation loss of Andrew Jackson, who became the first first-team All-American in program history last season, left some giant shoes to fill. Richard Johnson is ready to step up and fill the cornerback and kick returning positions while Chris Laham takes over for Jackson on punt returns. Peter Early, Anthony Taylor, and Jason Fischer will also see significant time in the secondary. Tony Johnson, another All-American candidate, will wear Andrew Jackson’s No. 24 this season. OTHER DEFENSIVE NOTABLES Although there will be many new faces on defense this season, a lot of experience returns at the linebacker position. Shane Brown, Rhandy Audate, Tony Johnson and Marc Benjamin, linebackers who either started or saw significant playing time, all return, while Shawn Loiseau inherits a more prominent role as a sophomore. Up front, Garrett Boyd and Bernard Cooper anchor the line, with Anthony Taylor directing the secondary. LAST MEETING Making his first collegiate appearance, James Suozzo threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 59 yards and a score, as Merrimack defeated Pace 31-28. 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, 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, allowing zero sacks on the day. WARRIORS ON THE AIR The Merrimack Athletics Department has teamed up with B2 Networks to deliver live broadband broadcasts for the second straight season. 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.