Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Oct. 6, 2007) - Freshman quarterback Rob Parent (West Warwick, R.I.) competed 17-of-23 passes for 420 yards and four touchdowns to lead the American International College football team to a 44-21 victory over Merrimack at John Homer Miller Field. The Yellow Jackets improved to 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the Northeast-10, while the Warriors fell to 1-4 on the season and 1-3 in conference play.

Junior running back Adeboyega Akingba (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had 160 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. He had six carries for 65 yards and one touchdown and caught three passes for 95 yards and one score. Junior wide receivers Tyler Scaccia (Webster, N.Y.) and Travis Poole (Brooklyn, N.Y.) caught five passes each for 166 yards and 118 yards, respectively, and two scores. Senior full back Marcus Cameron (Hempstead, N.Y.) rushed for 52 yards on three carries with one touchdown.

The Yellow Jackets scored twice in the first 3:30 of the contest. Akingba opened the scoring with a 55-yard scoring run just 1:12 into the game and Scaccia scored on a 64-yard passing play 1:18 later on the first play from scrimmage after the Warriors went three-and-out on the ensuing drive. Parent then connected with Poole on a 67-yard scoring play to close the first quarter scoring.

Cameron opened the second quarter scoring as he broke several tackles on the way to a 40-yard touchdown run that gave AIC at 27-0 lead. Parent and Akingba connected on a 65-yard scoring pass midway through the period and junior kicker Marek Prezbylek (Olsztyn, Poland) converted on a 31-yard field goal attempt to put the Yellow Jackets ahead 37-0 halftime lead.

Merrimack scored on each of its first three possessions of the second half to cut the AIC lead to 37-19 with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter. Senior quarterback Rob Temple (Rutland, Vt.) found senior tight end Sean McFee (Mattapoisett, Mass.) on a two-yard scoring pass and connected with junior wide receiver Chris Laham (Westwood, Mass.) on a 68-yard touchdown pass midway through the period.

Junior wide receiver Chris McNeill (Burlington, Mass.) caught a 15-yard scoring pass with 3:48 left in the third quarter, but AIC answered on their next possession as Parent hit Scaccia on a 71-yard touchdown pass that put the Yellow Jackets 44-19. The Warriors capped the scoring with a safety in the closing minutes of the game.

Temple finished the game 12-29 with 179 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Laham caught two passes for a team-best 102 yards, while sophomore running back Richard Johnson (Brocton, Mass.) carried 10 times for 55 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Terrence Holley (Bronx, N.Y.) and freshman linebacker George Hudson (Philadelphia, Pa.) led AIC with six tackles each, while junior J.D. Wild (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.) registered a game-high 15 tackles for Merrimack. The Yellow Jackets defense totaled five sacks and seven tackled for a loss of 44 yards, while the Warriors notched four sacks and 13 tackled for a loss of 42 yards.

AIC next hosts Assumption October 13 at 1 p.m. in a Northeast-10 contest.