Preview: Merrimack returns home to face Stonehill at Duane Stadium
Merrimack football returns home on Saturday to take on Stonehill at Duane Stadium.
The Warriors (2-4) are coming off a win over Morgan State on the road last week. Stonehill (1-4) lost to Long Island on the road, 31-7, last weekend.
The Skyhawks beat Sacred Heard on Sept. 21. Merrimack is 2-2 against FCS opponents with two FBS losses against UConn and Air Force.
Merrimack vs. Stonehill
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN+
Venue: Duane Stadium (4,000)
Location: North Andover, Mass.
History: The Warriors lead the all-time series 14-12, with the bulk of those meetings coming in the D-II era when both programs were members of the Northeast 10. The Warriors have won the last three meetings, including a 45-34 win over the Skyhawks at Duane Stadium last season.
The series dates back to 1996. In last year’s meeting, the Warriors were led by running back Tyvon Edmonds Jr. and Donovan Wadley. Edmonds Jr. ran for 169 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns. Wadley rushed for 63 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns and also caught three passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Oddly, the road team has had a big advantage in this series. Stonehill is 9-4 all-time at Merrimack and the Warriors are 10-3 in games at Stonehill.
Scouting the Skyhawks
The Skyhawks have struggled offensively, averaging 13.0 points per game. They’ve been held to 10 points or less in four out of five games (all four losses).
The run game has been split among three primary backs. Jarel Washington (63-345, 2 TD), Zavion Woodard (62-249, 2 TD), and Ashur Carraha (37-260, 1 TD) have handled the bulk of the work.
Carraha, who started four games as quarterback for the Skyhawks, is 47 for 98 for 517 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.
Jack O’Connell started for Stonehill last week and went 8 for 13 for 112 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Carraha is listed as the starting quarterback on its two-deep this week.
Three Things for the Warriors
1. Can Corbett have a big day against his former team?
Jermaine Corbett didn’t play in the game against the Warriors last season, but he was one of Stonehill’s primary weapons. He’ll face his former team today and has been Merrimack’s best offensive weapon so far this season.
Corbett is currently ranked No. 19 in FCS football with 584 rushing yards on 94 carries and five touchdowns. Corbett is averaging 97.3 yards per game on the ground for the Warriors.
Corbett was also a weapon on special teams last week against Morgan State, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
2. Merrimack should be able to pressure the quarterback
Defensively, the Warriors should be able to continue a promising trend of pressuring the quarterback.
Last week against Morgan State, the Warriors had 3.5 sacks and three QB hits. Nicholas Lenon had 1.5 sacks, and Jay Thompson and Danny Sims recorded a sack. Tyler Leavy, Lenon, and Malek Sabri had QB hits.
The Skyhawks have allowed six QB hits and seven sacks over the last two weeks, and they’ve allowed three or more sacks in three out of five games this season.
3. Stop the run
Stonehill’s offense has primarily come on the ground, but the Skyhawks’ run game has been flattened over the last two weeks.
Against LIU last week, the Skyhawks gained just 23 yards on 23 carries. Against Wagner on Oct. 5, the Skyhawks gained 52 yards on 34 carries.
That’s 75 yards on 58 carries over the last two weeks.
That’s resulted in Stonehill getting outscored 59-14 over those two games.