Fordham Rams at Merrimack Warriors
· NCAA - Football
Ayden Pereira leads fourth-quarter rally and Merrimack edges Fordham 27-26
The Warriors fell behind 26-13 through three quarters, but Pereira caught fire in the fourth period. His 66-yard pass to Austin Palmer made it 26-20 with 9:21 remaining.
On Fordham's ensuing possession, Will Claude intercepted a pass by Gunnar Smith, setting up Merrimack 29 yards away from the go-ahead score, a 5-yard toss from Pereira to Cade Callahan. Carlton Thai added the PAT.
The Rams lost a fumble on their only possession after Merrimack took the lead.
Pereira completed only 11 of 30 passes for 167 yards and led the Warriors (4-8) with 77 yards rushing.
Smith was 17-for-31 passing for 252 yards with one touchdown. He was intercepted twice and also lost a fumble. He had two rushing touchdowns.
Troy Worrell caught six passes for 160 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown that gave the Rams their 26-13 lead.
Fordham (1-11) forced a three-and-out to open the game and cashed in with a safety when Krystian Pothel blocked a punt and the ball went through the end zone. The Rams capitalized on field position after the free kick, driving 50 yards to a 26-yard field goal by Bennett Henderson.
The early 5-0 lead, backed up by two touchdown runs by Smith built a 19-13 halftime lead for the Rams. Merrimack's only touchdown of the first half came on Garry Rosemond Jr.'s 11-yard return of a blocked punt.
How To Watch
How can I watch Fordham Rams vs. Merrimack Warriors?
- TV Channel: Rams at Warriors 2021 College Football, week 13, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
SF | 1st Period 13:15 | Team Safety |
|
FG | 1st Period 8:44 | Bennett Henderson 26 Yd Field Goal |
 |
FG | 1st Period 2:12 | Carlton Thai 27 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 2nd Period 6:12 | Gunnar Smith 1 Yd Run (Bennett Henderson Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 3:14 | Garry Rosemond Jr. 11 Yd Punt Return (Carlton Thai Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 1:48 | Gunnar Smith 26 Yd Run (Bennett Henderson Kick) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 0:25 | Carlton Thai 27 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 3rd Period 5:36 | Troy Worrell 73 Yd pass from Gunnar Smith (Bennett Henderson Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 7:53 | Austin Palmer 66 Yd pass from Ayden Pereira (Carlton Thai Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 2:56 | Cade Callahan 5 Yd pass from Ayden Pereira (Carlton Thai Kick) |
Statistics
 FOR |
 MRMK |
|
|---|---|---|
| 19 | 1st Downs | 10 |
| 6-16 | 3rd down efficiency | 5-17 |
| 1-2 | 4th down efficiency | 0-1 |
| 424 | Total Yards | 266 |
| 252 | Passing | 167 |
| 17/31 | Comp/Att | 11/31 |
| 8.1 | Yards per pass | 5.4 |
| 172 | Rushing | 99 |
| 38 | Rushing Attempts | 32 |
| 4.5 | Yards per rush | 3.1 |
| 2-10 | Penalties | 4-37 |
| 3 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 1 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 2 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 32:15 | Possession | 27:45 |
Game Information
Location: North Andover, MA
Attendance: 1,964 · Capacity:
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