SPRINGFIELD, Mass. American International College junior safety Daquan Holmes (Troy, N.Y.) recorded his program best 15th career interception, but football fell to Merrimack in Northeast-10 action at Abdow Field Saturday, 20-3.
With the loss AIC falls to 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the NE-10, while with the win Merrimack improves to 5-4 and 5-3 in conference action.
Down 13-3 in the third quarter, Holmes jumped a route on the Merrimack 47-yard line and picked off Nick Davis for his 15th career interception, passing Bob Parker for first all-time in AIC history. The pick was Holmes fifth of the season. Earlier this season, he set the NE-10 record for career interceptions returned for touchdowns with four.
For the second straight week, the Yellow Jackets allowed an opening drive score, but held Merrimack to a 33-yard field goal. Prior to last week's first quarter touchdown given up to Assumption, AIC had held opponents scoreless in the first frame for eight straight games.
Each team added a field goal in the second quarter in a half full of punts. After missing a chip shot in the first, junior kicker Chris Boteler (Manassas, Va.) redeemed himself in the opening seconds of the second quarter, drilling a 28-yarder through the uprights to knot the score at three all.
On the ensuing possession, the Warriors marched down the field, capping a 12-play, 76-yard drive with yet another Stephen Camarro field goal, this time a 30-yard boot. AIC went into the half down 6-3. Both sides punted the ball seven times in the first half as the defenses stood their ground.
Merrimack made it 13-3 with a 75-yard drive midway through the third and used a short 35-yard field to add their second of the day to end the quarter up 20-3.
After an AIC offensive three-and-out, Yellow Jacket senior linebacker Tyrone Mans (Newark, N.J.) picked off his second pass of the season in Warrior territory, setting up a short field for the offense.
The Jackets made their way into a first-and-goal scenario, but Kwame Jarvis (Schenectady, N.Y.) was picked off in the end zone.
Jarvis finished the day 20-41 for 257 yards. Junior wide receiver Ryheime Moore (Windsor, Conn.) caught nine balls for 99 yards. Senior running back Maurice Easterling (Yonkers, N.Y.) had 86 yards receiving amplified by a 49-yard reception set up by a great cut to get free and add yards up-field.
The seventh ranked nationally Yellow Jacket defense held Merrimack to 286 yards and only 37 yards on the ground. Senior linebacker Demetrius Steed (Boston, Mass.) led the defense with 10 tackles and assisted a sack on senior day. Junior linebacker Jerrod Shelby (Brockton, Mass.) was all over the field, registering nine total tackles. Mans added a forced fumbled and a half sack to his interception in his final game at home. Senior defensive back Malik Copper (Bloomfield, N.J.) also had six tackles.
AIC returns to action next Saturday at Pace. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. from Pleasantville, N.Y.
