Team: Merrimack Warriors
Location: North Andover, Massachusetts
Enrollment: 4,102
Head Coach: Mike Gennetti (13-19)
Record: 4-5
Wins: Maine, New Hampshire, New Haven, Wagner
Losses: Rhode Island, Delaware, Tarleton State, Yale, Dartmouth
Recruiting Rank: N/A
Transfer Portal Rank: N/A
Win Total: N/A
Spread: Wake -47.5
The annual FCS buy game could not have come at a better time for the Deacs this season—with Gio Lopez's injury status up in the air, Wake should be able to give him an extra week to potentially heal up before they head to Dallas for a very important game against SMU. Frankly, the Deacs are probably not going to need him to beat a Merrimack team that is 4-4 in FCS games this season and got blown by FBS Delaware 42-7 earlier in the season.
Points per game: 18.0 (110 out of 124 FCS teams)
Yards per game: 339.6 (74)
Run/pass: 56% run, 44% pass
Rush yards per game: 162.2 (47)
Pass yards per game: 177.3 (93)
3rd down conversions: 32% (106)
Sacks allowed per game: 1.33 (25)
Turnovers: 19 (114)
This probably isn't going to be a super in depth scouting report because Merrimack has one of the worst offenses in the nation at the FCS level, and the Deacs have one of the best defenses in the nation at the FBS level. The Warriors haven't scored more than 25 points in a single game this year, and Wake Forest has given up 31 total points in the last month—this is clearly a colossal mismatch in Wake's favor, and the size, speed, and talent disparity between the two teams is going to be nearly insurmountable for Merrimack.
Merrimack is a run first team that has gone for over 150 yards on the ground in 5 of their 9 games this season. The main rusher for the Warriors is running back Matthias Latham, who has carried the ball 122 times for 626 yards (5.1 ypc) and 3 touchdowns this season. The other threat in the backfield is 6-3, 215 pound UMass transfer QB AJ Hairston, who has run for 295 yards and 5 touchdown. In Merrimack's 1 FBS game this season—against a Delaware team that is allowing 4.2 yards per carry (80th)—the aforementioned duo combined for 11 total rushing yards and the Warriors finished the game with 48 total rushing yards on 25 rushing attempts. The Deacs currently have the 6th best run defense in the nation and have held their last 4 ACC opponents to under 40 yards per game, so stopping Merrimack from moving the ball on the ground should not be an issue at all.
In the passing game, Merrimack hasn't been great. Last season, as a member of the 0-12 UMass Minutemen, Hairston completed 50% of his passes for 957 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He has improved a little this season and is now completing 55% of his passes for 1,362 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. The Warriors have only thrown for over 200 yards 3 times this season. Wake shouldn't have any problems locking down the Warriors through the air either.
This game probably should be a shut out given the way Wake Forest's defense is currently playing. If Merrimack does score, it will likely be in the 2nd half with some of the younger guys in the game for the Deacs.
Points allowed per game: 27.1 (63)
Yards allowed per game: 347.7 (38)
Rush yards allowed per game: 106.4 (11)
Pass yards allowed per game: 241.2 (96)
3rd down defense: 36% (33)
Sacks per game: 1.78 (68)
Turnovers Forced: 12 (63)
The Warriors have been very good against the run this season, holding their opponents to just 3.48 yards per carry, one of the best averages in FCS. They were even able to hold FBS Delaware to just 112 rushing yards on 29 carries (3.8 ypc) in their 42-7 loss to the Blue Hens. Delaware is one of the worst rushing teams in the nation this season with just 110 rushing yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry, but it's still pretty impressive for an FCS team to hold an FBS team to their average. That starts up front with DL Dwayne Green Jr, who has recorded 25 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks this season. The Warriors also have a safety who is very good in run support in Danny Sims—the 6-2 junior leads the team with 57 tackles so far this season.
The secondary has been a different story. Merrimack has one of the worst pass defenses at the FCS level, giving up almost 250 yards per game. Through the air, the Warriors gave up 435 yards against Delaware, 413 yards against Tarleton State, 298 yards against Yale, and 345 yards against New Hampshire. This secondary has likely never played anyone in the same ballpark as Carlos Hernandez or Jack Foley, so the Deacs should have no trouble getting open receivers every time they pass the ball. Whether Gio Lopez or Steele Pizzella is under center, Wake should be able to throw the ball up and the down field at will this weekend.
Wake Forest is the #16 team in the country. Merrimack is an average FCS team. This one should be pretty similar to the Akron game at the beginning of the year, where the Deacs run the score up at halftime and then coast in the 2nd half while letting some of the younger players get some game reps. The only real questions at this point are whether or not Gio Lopez plays and whether nor not Dickert wants to run the score up to send a message to the committee.
Go Deacs!
