September 14, 2007
GAMBLE'S CAREER-HIGH 177 DEFEATS MERRIMACK 37-34 IN OT
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Sophomore running back Lindsey Gamble
(Roxbury, Mass.) rushed for a career-high 177 yards including a
game-winning 12 yard touchdown run in overtime to lead the Bryant
University football team to a thrilling 37-34 come-from-behind win
Friday night at Warrior Field.
The win improves Bryant's record to 2-0 (2-0 Northeast-10)
marking the first 2-0 start for the Bulldogs in the program's
history. But the win didn't come easy as the Warrior running
back Mike Young equaled a school record with 255 yards rushing for
Merrimack. The Bulldogs, trailing 31-14 after three quarters,
put the clamps on Young in the fourth quarter and outscored
Merrimack 21-0 to tie the game 31-31.
Two years ago, the last time Bryant visited Merrimack, both
teams engaged into a high scoring matchup with the Bulldogs
eventually falling in overtime after missing a PAT at the end of
regulation that would have won the game. Friday's matchup was
eerily very similar. But this time, the Bulldogs would come
out on top, but not before some last second drama.
The Bulldogs, behind the running of Gamble, moved the ball
effectively down field to get into field goal range. Charlie
Granatell's pass to Jarrett Solimando to the Merrimack 24 set up a
potential game-winning field goal by Christopher Bird with six
seconds left. His kick was wide left and both teams headed to
overtime.
On Merrimack's first possession in the extra period, the Bulldog
defense held the Warriors to only a field goal. On Bryant's
ensuing possession, the Bulldogs moved the ball to the Warrior 12
yard line where Gamble sliced through the Warrior defense for the
game winner.
The two teams combined for more than 800 yards of offense on the
night as Granatell played well in the second half in running the
offense as the senior signal caller finished the night 16 of 31
passing for 199 yards and 3 TDs.
The first half was a tell tale sign of things to come as both
teams scored on their first possessions. Bryant struck first
as Bird connected on a 27 yard field goal to cap a 10-play, 44 yard
drive by the Bulldogs.
But Merrimack would answer right back, putting together a
nine-play drive, mixing up the offense with a balance rush by Young
and the passing of Colin Temple. With the ball on the Bryant
37 yard line, Temple floated a pass down the middle high enough for
Chris Laham to circle under it in the end zone to put the Warriors
on top 7-3.
Bryant would come right back as the Bulldogs mustered together
another time consuming 10 play drive. Quarterback Charlie
Granatell (Franklin Lakes, NJ) connected with Joey Brito
(Pawtucket, RI) down the left sideline for a 26 pass play to the
Merrimack 17 yard line. One play later, Granatell rolled to
his right and hit Sean Bergin (New Windsor, NY) who scampered into
the end zone untouched to make it 10-7.
But from there, the Bulldog defense settled in, forcing
Merrimack to punt and in the process giving Bryant excellent field
position on the Warrior 45. But the ensuing drive would come
to an abrupt halt as Granatell's 30-yard pass to Chris Arnold
(Wyckoff, NJ) appeared to have been complete for a Bryant
touchdown, but Jordan Rankine wrestled the ball away from Arnold
for a Merrimack touchback.
Bryant's defense would again come up big as Marcus Lindsey
(Bridgeport, Conn.) intercepted a Temple pass and returned it to
the Merrimack 39. But Bryant would cough the ball up as
Gamble fumbled on the Merrimack 10.
The Bulldogs will travel to Assumption College next Saturday for
a 1 p.m. Northeast-10 Conference game in Worcester, Mass.
POST GAME NOTES ...
* This was the ninth meeting all-time between Bryant University
and Merrimack College on the gridiron. It was Bryant's first
win in four games at Merrimack.
* Senior running back Chris Peaks, who did not play in the
opener against AIC, was back in the lineup. Peaks carried the
ball 10 times for 29 yards.
* Bryant donned their new Nike away uniforms tonight. The
new look features all-white jerseys with Bryant stretched across
the front with black numbers and matching black on the
shoulders. The design is very similar to the new home
uniforms unveiled last week, which features all-black jerseys and
gold numbers and gold on the shoulders.
* Former Bryant defensive coordinator Marc Klaiman is in his
first season as an assistant at Merrimack. Klaiman, who
served as coach Fine's defensive coordinator from 2004-06, met with
the Bryant coaching staff at midfield during warmups before heading
to the Warrior sideline.
* Merrimack opened the season last week with a 45-7 loss at
Central Connecticut, marking the second year the team opened the
year against a higher level opponent. Last season, Merrimack
traveled to the University of Rhode Island before playing at Bryant
a week later. Bryant won that game 34-7.
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