Preview: Warriors Set for Home Opener against Saint A's
Merrimack opens its home football schedule on Saturday against a familiar Division II opponent, Saint Anselm. Kickoff was moved up to 1 p.m., a proactive adjustment in anticipation of severe weather expected to roll through the Merrimack Valley on Saturday night.
The Warriors enter the matchup looking to rebound from a hard-fought 21–17 loss at Kent State, while Saint Anselm comes in with momentum after a decisive 34–10 win over Pace.
By the Numbers
Merrimack Must Guard Against Overconfidence
The Warriors played the role of hopeful spoiler last week against FBS opponent Kent State. This week, the roles reverse. Saint Anselm comes to Duane Stadium as a Division II program out of the Northeast-10, eager to make its own statement.
The Hawks were a middle-of-the-pack D-II team a year ago, finishing 5–5. Still, the record doesn’t tell the full story. Only one of those losses came by more than a touchdown, and they pushed FCS foe Sacred Heart to the limit before falling 10–3.
For context, Sacred Heart beat Merrimack last season by 11 points, 31–20. So Saint Anselm kept it closer against the Pioneers.
Last week, the Hawks’ offense had its way with Pace, piling up yards and putting up points with ease. On paper, Merrimack has far more talent than Pace. But if the Warriors treat this as a tune-up game simply because the opponent wears a Division II label, the afternoon could take a dangerous turn.
I don’t expect that to happen, but if there’s one concern heading into a matchup like this one, it’s overconfidence.
Warriors Will Look to Clamp Down on Hawks’ Short-to-Mid Range Passing Game
The Warriors will need to find an answer for the intermediate passing attack, an area where Saint Anselm has excelled, dating back to last season. The Hawks averaged 11.3 yards per completion in last week’s win over Pace. Last season, they ranked just No. 145 out of 159 Division II programs in that category at 10.1 yards per completion.
They complete a large percentage of their passes, but they aren’t looking for big plays downfield. It’s a lot of small-chunk plays that add up to possession and first downs.
In the victory over Pace, starting quarterback Drew Forkner posted 11.6 yards per completion, but that number was inflated by a 37-yard strike to Kyle Verriest. His other 13 completions went for a more modest 9.6 yards per completion.
Who Will Ignite Merrimack’s Offense This Week?
Merrimack looked like a team still searching for its offensive identity last week against Kent State. Ayden Pereira provided flashes of brilliance with big plays both on the ground and through the air. But the Warriors didn’t reach the end zone until the fourth quarter, and the offense felt riddled with fits and starts.
This week provides a chance to step on the accelerator and dictate the tempo.
The running game struggled to find traction outside of Pereira and fellow quarterback Aveon Smith. Excluding quarterback runs (designed or scrambles), the Warriors managed just 30 yards on 12 carries.
That has to change. The ground game needs to set the tone. After watching him in spurts last season spelling Jermaine Corbett, I still believe Brendon Wyatt can be an every-down back for the Warriors. Matthias Latham also offers a valuable change of pace. The tools are there—the Warriors just need to establish consistency and confidence in the run game.