Game Report: Warriors Roll Past Saint Anselm For First Win
The Warriors opened their home slate in emphatic fashion, beating Saint Anselm 31-6 on Saturday afternoon at Duane Stadium.
The win evens Merrimack’s record at 1-1. The Warriors will now turn their attention to next week’s trip south, where a tougher test awaits at Kennesaw State. The Owls will be Merrimack’s second FBS opponent of the season. They’re still searching for their first win of the season (0-2). They were dismantled earlier today by No. 23/21 Indiana, 51-9, after a narrow 10-9 setback against Wake Forest in their opener. Saturday will also mark Kennesaw State’s home debut.
Warriors Set the Tone Early
The Warriors wasted no time gaining control of the game, and quite frankly, despite the 25-point margin, the game never felt as close as the scoreboard suggested — that feels strange to say about a 20+ point margin, but it’s true.
Merrimack owned the first half from start to finish. The Hawks scraped together just one first down, going three-and-out on four of their five possessions. In total, they mustered only 17 yards on 18 plays, while the Warriors dictated the tempo by holding the ball for 22 of the game’s opening 30 minutes.
On the other side of the ball, the Warriors’ offense was relentless. Quarterback Ayden Pereira strung together streaks of eight and nine consecutive completions, keeping the chains moving and the Hawks’ defense on its heels.
By the final whistle, Pereira had delivered a crisp 20-for-27 performance, piling up 239 yards through the air with a touchdown — the kind of efficiency that underscored Merrimack’s complete dominance.
Turnovers Could Have Cast a Shadow Over the Warriors’ Victory
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Warriors.
Merrimack put the ball on the ground twice, a problem that will need to be addressed moving forward. The Warriors got away with it Saturday because of the talent gap, but that margin won’t exist in many of the games that lie ahead. In fact, Merrimack is likely to be an underdog in some of these upcoming matchups, and most margins appear razor-thin on paper.
Turnovers could easily swing those contests. One fumble came late in the fourth quarter with the outcome already decided, but the other occurred early in the second half and had the potential to shift momentum to the Hawks. Fortunately for Merrimack, the defense held firm, and Sean Hurley missed a 25-yard field goal that kept the miscue from costing points.
There was good news in the ground game. Brendon Wyatt ripped off a 39-yard touchdown run and finished with 74 yards on eight carries, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt. DeMarcus McElroy lost a fumble late but still provided steady production, gaining 61 yards on 14 carries at 4.4 yards per attempt.
Warriors Spread the Wealth in Passing Game
One of the keys to Merrimack’s offensive success was the Warriors’ ability to spread the ball around. Pereira utilized a variety of options, with Seth Sweitzer leading the way with 81 yards on four receptions and Hayden Fisher pacing the team with five catches.
In all, Merrimack completed 21 passes to nine different receivers, with five recording multiple catches.
Target share:
Hayden Fisher, 5
Seth Sweitzer, 4
Jalen McDonald, 4
Stephon Patrick, 3
DeMarcus McElroy, 3
Cade Callahan, 3
Brendon Wyatt, 2
Austin Palmer, 2
Ty Yocum, 1
Through two games, the Warriors have already completed passes to 11 different receivers, underscoring the balance and depth in their aerial attack.
Notebook: Warriors Efficient on Third Down
The Warriors converted 9 of 13 third-down opportunities.
Penalties were a concern, as Merrimack was flagged 12 times for 115 yards.
Nasir Maryland capped the win with a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Deandre Ricks, Garry Rosemond Jr., and Kendal Sims shared the team lead with four tackles apiece.
Carlton Thai converted his only field-goal attempt of the day, a 29-yarder in the first quarter, and went 4-for-4 on PATs.