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LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football will face Merrimack on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 12 p.m. to determine the 2022 Northeast Conference Champion. Both teams enter the game 6-0 in conference play, so there will be no share of the title.
 
Offense
Quarterback Cole Doyle earned his second NEC Player of the Week selection after he threw for 241 yards and four touchdowns in one half against Duquesne. He leads the NEC with a 66.3 completion percentage and 16 passing touchdowns. His 167.2 passing efficiency is sixth in the FCS. Elijah Sarratt scored two touchdowns against Duquesne and has seven in the past three games. He has 11 receiving touchdowns this season, which leads FCS freshmen and is tied for fourth in program history. His two shy of tying E.J. Jenkins' program record of 13 set in 2019. Makai Jackson ranks sixth in the FCS with 7.4 receptions per game and continues to pace FCS freshmen with 80.4 receiving yards per game. Tight end Hunter Brown had a career-high 71 receiving yards and two touchdowns to earn him an NEC Prime Performer honor. He has 138 receiving yards in the past two games after he had 71 combined in the first eight. The Saint Francis offensive line remains in the FCS top-10 with one sack allowed per game. The Red Flash have already set new single-season program records with 45 touchdowns and 362 total points scored this season. The Red Flash are 12th in the FCS with 36.2 points per game.
 
Defense
Willie O'Hara and Marcel Mami are both top-five in the NEC with 72 and 63 total tackles, respectively. Travell Cook and Kerry Galloway have seven pass breakups each and Al-Ma'Hi Ali has five, which all rank in the NEC top-10. Cook is tied for third in the conference with three interceptions. Donnell Brown is third in the NEC with 11.5 tackles for loss and eighth with 4.5 sacks, while Sebastian Benjamin is second with 6.5 sacks. Saint Francis has allowed less than 100 passing yards twice this season and is ranked seventh in the FCS with 171.2 passing yards allowed per game. The Red Flash defense held its opponent to less than 100 yards rushing yards three times this season and allowed only 104 against Duquesne. Saint Francis is eighth in the FCS with 17.9 points against per game.
 
Special Teams
Kicker Alex Schmoke converted a 42-yard field goal against Duquesne, his third made field goal of at least 40 yards this season. His 16 converted field goals are tied for second in single-season program history and two behind Lance Geesey's record of 18 set in 2014. He is already second in career program history with 31 field goals made. Kameron Blevins recorded the first blocked punt of the season for Saint Francis against Duquesne. In rainy second half conditions against Duquesne, Saint Francis suffered its first blocked punt for a touchdown of the season.
 
Last Time Out
Saint Francis defeated Duquesne 51-14, its largest margin of victory over the Dukes by 20 points – previous high was a 17-point win in 2009. Saint Francis kicker Schmoke converted a 42-yard field goal that put the Red Flash up 3-0 midway through the first quarter. A Sarratt and Jackson touchdown in the final four minutes of the quarter gave Saint Francis a 16-0 lead. In the second, Brown scored both of his touchdowns and gave Saint Francis a commanding 30-0 lead at halftime. In the third, Duquesne scored its first touchdown after a mishandled punt snap put the Dukes at Saint Francis' one yard line. Saint Francis responded with a Courtney pick-six and took a 37-7 lead. Duquesne and Saint Francis traded touchdowns in the third quarter before Jordan Jackson scored in the fourth quarter to expand the Saint Francis lead to 51-14. With a scoreless final 13 minutes of the game, Saint Francis clinched its eighth straight win.  
 
Scouting Merrimack
The Warriors enter Saturday's NEC title match with a 6-0 and 8-2 overall record this season. Merrimack suffered one loss against then-No. 16 Holy Cross 31-17 on Sept. 2 and Harvard 28-21 in overtime on Sept. 16. Five of Merrimack's six conference wins were settled by one score, its only victory by more than one score was a 54-17 win over Wagner on Oct. 15. Merrimack running back Victor Dawson and Tyvon Edmonds, Jr. are both top-seven in the NEC with 68 and 53.3 rushing yards, respectively. Quarterback Gavin McCusker has appeared in nine games with a 47.6 completion percentage, 904 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, while Jack Zergiotis has appeared in four games with a 49.5 completion percentage, 667 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. Jacari Carter leads the wide receivers with 29 catches, 464 yards and Pat Conroy leads with five touchdowns. Defensively, Rodney Samson is second in the NEC with 73 total tackles. James Nyamwaya is fourth with 5.5 sacks and Brandon Roberts is fifth with 10.5 tackles for loss. Garry Rosemond, Jr. is second in the conference with four interceptions, which all came in the first three games of the season. Kicker Lliam Davis is 7-of-9 on field goals this season with a season-long of 39 yards. Punter Cole Peterson leads the NEC with a 39.5 yards per punt average.

All-Time vs. Merrimack
Saint Francis holds a 2-0 all-time advantage over Merrimack since the Warriors became a Division I FCS program in 2019. Both games were played at DeGol Field. The Red Flash won the first matchup 42-14 in 2019 and won 22-6 last season. In the 2021 game, Schmoke tied a single-game program record with five converted field goals.  

Around the NEC
After Saint Francis defeated Duquesne 51-14 and Merrimack defeated Central Connecticut 20-14, the two teams both improved to 6-0 in conference play. The programs will face off for the NEC title on Nov. 19 at 12 p.m. on ESPN3. LIU defeated Stonehill 34-28 and moved to 3-3 in conference play, its best record in program history. Sacred Heart defeated Wagner 38-28 and moved to 3-3, while Wagner dropped to 1-5. Wagner visits Duquesne, Central Connecticut visits Stonehill and LIU visits Sacred Heart in the final week of the regular season.
 
Doyle Named NEC Offensive Player of the Week, Brown Adds NEC Prime Performer
Quarterback Doyle earned his second NEC Offensive Player of the Week and fourth NEC Prime Performer honor this season. He is a Prime Performer selection in all-four of his starts this season. Tight end Brown earned the first weekly honor of his career with a Prime Performer selection.
 
Next
Saint Francis prepares for the FCS Playoffs with its opponent and time to be determined during Sunday's selection show at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.