After coming agonizingly close to a comeback win two weeks ago in Pittsburgh against Duquesne, the football team finished the job last weekend, defeating Merrimack, 28-21, after trailing by 15 through three quarters.
The Red Flash offense scored 22 unanswered in the fourth quarter and the defense kept the Warriors out of the end zone in the waning moments to push the team’s NEC mark to 3-2 with two games to play.
SFU’s offense was led by redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Whitfield, who started in place of the injured Cole Doyle. Whitfield took full advantage of the opportunity, completing 10 of 18 passes for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns in his first collegiate start. He even caught a 2-yard pass for a score on a trick play.
Whitfield was named FCS National Freshman Player-of-the-Week by Stats Perform for his efforts. The biggest play he made in the Homecoming Game was a 71-yard deep ball that deflected off of the hands of a Merrimack defender, sailed straight up into the air, and then landed into the hands of Jayden Ivory, who raced to the end zone to give SFU a 28-21 lead with 5:49 remaining.
Another player who turned in a strong afternoon for the SFU offense was running back Deondre Scott, who ran for 71 yards on 11 carries (6.5 yards per carry). He had a 29-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
“It means a lot,” said Scott about his team rebounding following the game at Duquesne. “To bounce back from a loss like that, it keeps the spirits and energy up for the rest of the season.”
The Merrimack game continued a streak of dominant fourth quarters for SFU. The Flash have outscored their last four opponents, 68-10, in the fourth quarter.
On the defensive side, redshirt freshman linebacker Carter Glassmyer made 11 tackles in the win. Fellow linebacker Will Middleton made nine stops and broke up a Merrimack fourth down pass attempt in the end zone in the final moments of the game.
SFU will host LIU this Saturday in the home finale of the 2023 season. The game starts at noon and will be streamed on NEC FrontRow. The seniors on the team will be honored after the game.
