Bryant Football Set to Open Season vs. Merrimack

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Bryant Football Set to Open Season vs. Merrimack

Brenden Femiano PHOTO: Bryant
The Bryant University football team is set to open up their 2017 season on Saturday at home against Merrimack.

The game will mark the first game as a collegiate head coach for Bryant’s James Perry. Perry was hired as the third head coach in program history back in January.

"I look forward to guiding the program and to bringing a new energy to the way our student-athletes attack this great game of football," said Perry, at the time of his hiring. 

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Kick off is set for 3 p.m.

Bryant Last Season

In 2016, the Bulldogs went 5-6 overall and 4-2 in conference.

The Bulldogs finished in a tie for third in the Northeast Conference.

Merrimack

The Warriors are coming off a season in which they went 3-8 overall and 2-7 in NE-10 play.

They will be led by new quarterback CJ Scarpa, who made 17 starts in three years at Bentley. He is attending Merrimack as a graduate transfer.

Bryant vs Merrimack

The two teams will be meeting for the 15th time in school history.

The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 7-6, and have won the last six meetings.

The most recent meeting between the two teams came in 2016 when Bryant cruised past Merrimack 41-20 in Smithfield.

Leading the Way for Bryant

The Bulldogs will be led by defensive linemen Dillon Guthro and Kevin Lazo.

Guthro recorded 48 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss last season, starting all 11 games.

Lazy also started all 11 games for Bryant last season, posting 46 tackles, one sack and 1.5 tackles for a loss.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs will look to Portsmouth’s Matt Sewall. Sewell was one of Bryant’s top receivers in 2016 and the top kick returner.

Both Guthro and Sewall were named to the Northeast Conference Preseason All-Conference team.


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