FOOTBALL HOSTS MERRIMACK SATURDAY 1 PM KICKOFF FOR HOMECOMING WEEKEND

LIVE STATS / Video / Audio Broadcast

Game Notes (pdf)
Date:  Saturday, September 16, 2006
Time: 1:00 p.m. kickoff
Location: Smithfield, RI
Stadium: Bulldog Stadium (natural grass / 4,.400)
Radio: www.BryantBulldogs.com (John McCarthy play by play, Patrick Sullivan color)
TV: www.NE10.tv
Series: Merrimack leads 6-1
Last Meeting: Merriack 41-40 (ot), Sept. 10, 2005  at North Andover, Mass.
Coaches:  Bryant - Marty Fine, 3rd year (12-9)
 Merrimack - Jim Murphy, 4th year (19-12)

WELCOME TO TODAY'S GAME
The Bulldogs return home this afternoon, hosting the Warriors of Merrimack College for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend on the Bryant campus.  Bryant (1-1, 1-1 NE-10) will look to rebound from last Saturday's 20-7 loss to American International last weekend in Springfield, Mass.  Today's game is the first of two straight home conference games as the Bulldogs host Assumption College next Saturday afternoon.  Merrimack opened the season with a win over Stonehill but fell to the University of Rhode Island, 42-7 last Saturday in Kingston, RI. 

BULLDOGS FALL FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON AT AIC
American International's special teams and defensive unit were the stars of the game as the Yellow Jackets held Bryant to just 188 yards of offense and scored the game's first points on a punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter.  Lorenzo Perry led the way for Bryant with 132 yards rushing, but the Bulldogs were held scoreless throughout the contest before Perry scored on a 25-yard run down the left sideline with just over 2 minutes remaining in the contest.  The Bulldogs battled tough field position the entire game and only crossed midfield twice. Charlie Granatell had 100 yards passing (14 of 24) but was sacked four times.  Justin Kix caught eight passes for 57 yards while Sean Bergin hauled in four passes for 47 yards.  Freshman Paul Polomski had eight tackles - including three for a loss.  The Franklin, Mass. linebacker led the defensive charge with a sack and interception at the goal line on the day.

THE BULLDOGS VS. MERRIMACK
This will be the eighth meeting all-time between Bryant and Merrimack with the Warriors holding a 6-1 all-time series lead.  Bryant's only win in the series came back in 2000 when the Bulldogs pulled out a 17-14 win in Smithfield.  The Bulldogs came up just short last season, falling to the Warriors 41-40 in overtime in North Andover, Mass. Bryant battled back to tie the game 34-34 on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Granatell to Alex Chapparo with only two seconds left in regulation. However, Bryant missed the ensuing extra point attempt and would fall in overtime.  Granatell set school records for completions (29), attempts (49) and yards passing with 296.  The Bulldogs were without tailbacks Perry and Chris Peaks, both of whom were injured in the opener the week before. 

All-Time Series History
Year Location Result
1999 Smithfield, RI 10-20 L
2000 Smithfield, RI 17-14 W
2001 Smithfield, RI 3-17 L
2002 North Andover, MA 14-20 L
2003 North Andover, MA 19-34 L
2004 Smithfield, RI 7-20 L
2005 North Andover, MA 40-41 L (ot)

Statistical Comparison
Category              Bryant    Merrimack
Scoring 28.0 11.5 
Scoring Defense 20.0 22.5
Rushing Offense 147.5 43.5
Rushing Defense 158.5 139.0
Passing Offense 152.5 132.5
Passing Defense 137.0 74.5 
Total Offense 300.0 213.5

THE WARRIORS OF MERRIMACK
Merrimack, under the direction of fourth-year coach Jim Murphy, bring a 1-1 record into the season following last Saturday's 42-7 loss at the University of Rhode Island.  Merrimack was held to just 13 yards rushing on 21 carries in the game Saturday and 144 yards passing as quarterback Colin Temple was intercepted three times.  Chris McNeill had 31 yards receiving on three catches. In the season opener back on September 1, Merrimack's Andrew Jackson returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in leading the Warriors to a 16-3 win over Stonehill College.  Murphy, a former quarterback with the New England Patriots in 1998, led the Warriors to an 8-2 record in 2004.    This will be the third-straight road contest for Merrimack to open the season.  The Warriors will travel to Bentley before returning to North Andover, Mass. on September 29 for its home opener against Southern Connecticut.

BRYANT'S GOLDEN BOY
Senior tailback Lorenzo Perry was named the Northeast-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Week after 190 yards and four rushing touchdowns in the Bulldogs' win over Southern Connecticut in the season-opener. In addition, Perry was named the Boston Globe Gold Helmet winner as the Division II Player of the Week in New England by the New England College Football Writers.  Perry is the first football player at Bryant to win the Gold Helmet Award. 

PLAYER OF WEEK
Junior safety Chris Wohlheter was named the NE-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Week in Week 1 with eight tackles and a school-record 75-yard interception return for a TD vs. Southern Connecticut.

MCLARTY AND GUNTHER GETTING DEFENSIVE
Senior linebacker Andrew McLarty is currently fourth all-time in school history with 156 career tackles prior to Saturday's game at AIC.  McClarty, a native of College Park, Maryland, had 13 tackles in the season-opener vs. Southern Connecticut.  McClarty was second on the team with 61 tackles last season.  Junior defensive end Mark Gunther is third all-time in school history with 11 career sacks. A native of Clarksburg, NJ, Gunther had a career-best 32 tackles in 2005 including eight sacks on the season. 

2006 Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches Poll
     Team  Points  Rec., NE-10
1.    LIU / C.W. Post (6) 96  10-3, 8-1
2.   Southern Conn. (2) 88  8-3, 7-2
3.    Bentley (1)   79  7-3, 7-2
4.    Bryant  71  7-3, 6-3
5.    American Int'l  58  5-4, 5-4
6.    Merrimack 43  4-6, 3-6
7.    Pace (1)                  37   3-7, 2-7
8.    Stonehill  35  4-6, 4-5
9.    Assumption 30  4-6, 3-6
10.  Saint Anselm 13  1-9, 0-9

NOTABLES
*  Bryant is 7 for 7 when inside the opponents red zone (20 yard line).  The Bulldogs scored all six times inside the Southern Connecticut 20 and once inside the AIC 20 last Saturday. Last year, Bryant's red-zone defense was third-best in the conference, holding opponents scoreless 11 times when in the red-zone (26 for 37).  
  * Lorenzo Perry  has 1,657 yards rushing in two-plus seaosns after 190 vs. Southern Connecticut and 132 vs. AIC ... Perry rushed for 1,335 yards in '05.  .... Perry became Bryant's all-time rushing touchdown leader with his 21st career TD on Saturday vs. AIC, passing Andre McLeod's career rushing TD record of 20   ... Senior Justin Kix (7 career) needs seven touchdown receptions to pass Adam Ewing  for the alltime record.  Ewing had 13 from 1999-03. 
* Junior defensive end Mark Gunther (8 sacks in '05) has two sacks this season and 11 for his career.  He needs only needs 8.5 sacks to tie the career record of 19.5 held by Ben Wellington '03. 
*Bryant has won six-straight at home dating back to last seasons 5-0 record in 2005 at Bulldog Stadium.
 
BULLDOGS DRAW A CROWD:
Bryant has led the Northeast-10 Conference in attendance in five of the last six seasons including 2005. In five games last season (all wins), Bryant averaged 2,799 fans.  The Bulldogs drew 2,571 for the Bentley game, despite the cold weather.  The Bulldogs had 4,310 for the AIC game and 4,820 for the Pace game.

2005 NE-10 rankings by average attendance:  
 1. BRYANT  2,799      
 2. Bentley 2,361
 3. CW Post 1,895
 4. Merrimack 1,885
 5. So. Conn. 1,794
 6. Stonehill 1,494
 7. Assumption 1,438
 8. Pace 1,202
 9. St. Anselm 1,028
10. AIC 772