NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (Interstat) — Matthias Latham rushed 27 times for 176 yards and a touchdown, and Merrimack defeated New Haven 17-10 in an NCAA Football Championship Division game Saturday at Duane Stadium. The Warriors improved to 2-3, while the Chargers fell to 0-2. Merrimack’s defense limited New Haven down the stretch, and the Warriors did enough on offense to secure the home result. Latham also caught one pass for 40 yards, giving him a team-high 216 yards from scrimmage. The Warriors scored in multiple phases and held off a New Haven offense that found some footing through the air and on special teams.

AJ Hairston Jr. of Merrimack, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback from Pompano Beach, Florida, passed for 85 yards, rushed for 34 yards on nine carries and accounted for a touchdown. DeMarcus McElroy added 64 yards on three carries. Galamama Mulbah ran 16 times for 42 yards. Andrew Korkosz caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, Austin Palmer had two receptions for 30 yards, Cooper Lehman caught one pass for 11 yards, Kenyon Massey had a 2-yard reception and Kellen Fraser ran once for 2 yards. Guytano Bartolomeo missed a 35-yard field goal attempt and made a 26-yard field goal. Tylor Hunter returned a punt 3 yards. Merrimack’s ground game produced key chunks, with Latham, McElroy and Mulbah combining to keep the Chargers off balance. Latham’s 64-yard touchdown run in the first quarter came on a no-huddle play and gave the Warriors an early lift.

New Haven got a 1-yard touchdown run from Jake Tripptree and a 32-yard field goal from Liam Quigley. Nate Burleson II caught one pass for 40 yards and returned a kickoff 45 yards. Matt Chandler had three receptions for 36 yards. Dominic Grguric ran once for 3 yards and caught three passes for 16 yards. Tommy Troy caught one pass for 20 yards, Jonathan Lawson had an 11-yard reception, and Shaun Jackson ran three times for 16 yards while adding a 2-yard catch. Zaon Laney ran 12 times for 21 yards and caught one pass for 3 yards. LaSalle Rose Jr. returned a kickoff 23 yards. Joe Fragale punted five times for 205 yards. The Chargers moved the ball in spots but were held to 10 points.

Defensively for New Haven, Ricky Encarnacion recorded 14 tackles. Brodie Williams finished with seven tackles. Kenny Seymour, Frederick Borkey, Irv Briggs, Abdoul Bah and Tyler Hammel each had five tackles. Myles Hansford and Nikkem Reynolds each recorded four tackles. Mason Taylor and Chris Hudson added three tackles apiece. Dre Kirton returned a kickoff 17 yards and made two tackles. Lucas Theriaque, JT Krivinskas, Pete Melle, Sir Hezekiah Ragland, Israel Bey and Tyler Owens each had two tackles. Tyler Raphino, Nehemiah Johnson and Joseph Sondah each made one tackle. Geoffrey Galloway also appeared for the Chargers. The defensive effort kept New Haven within range, but Merrimack made more plays in critical moments.

Merrimack’s defensive effort was led by Bertin Placide, who had four tackles and an interception. Micah Green recorded four tackles and a quarterback hurry, while Will Claude and Rajahn Cooper each made four tackles. Brian Guerrero had one tackle and one sack. Bryce Ricks, Kamden Wyatt and Xavier Maple each finished with two tackles. The Warriors also got production from their special teams and rushing attack, with Latham’s 64-yard touchdown run in the first quarter setting the tone. Merrimack added a passing touchdown to Korkosz and a field goal from Bartolomeo. New Haven answered with Tripptree’s short scoring run and Quigley’s field goal, but the Chargers could not complete the comeback. Merrimack’s defense forced an interception and made enough stops to protect the lead. Placide’s interception was one of the game’s biggest defensive plays.

The game was played at Duane Stadium in North Andover. Merrimack’s win moved the Warriors to 2-3 on the season, while New Haven dropped to 0-2. New Haven is next scheduled to visit Robert Morris. Merrimack is next scheduled to visit Yale. Both teams will continue NCAA Football Championship Division play. The Chargers’ offense had some explosive moments through Burleson and Chandler, but Merrimack’s defense forced enough stops and the Warriors’ ground game controlled key stretches. Latham’s 176 rushing yards were the top individual total of the afternoon, and Hairston managed the offense with 85 passing yards, 34 rushing yards and a touchdown. McElroy’s 64-yard rushing effort gave Merrimack another big-play threat out of the backfield.

New Haven’s defensive front was busy throughout. Encarnacion’s 14 tackles led all defenders. Williams added seven stops. The group of Seymour, Borkey, Briggs, Bah and Hammel each reached five tackles. Reynolds and Hansford each had four. Taylor and Hudson each had three. Kirton contributed on defense and in the return game. Theriaque, Krivinskas, Melle, Ragland, Bey and Owens each had two stops. Raphino, Johnson and Sondah each had one. Fragale’s punting helped New Haven manage field position with five punts for 205 yards. Rose’s 23-yard kickoff return and Burleson’s 45-yard kickoff return gave the Chargers some starting position, but the offense finished with 10 points.

Merrimack’s offense spread the ball around. Hairston’s 85 passing yards and 34 rushing yards complemented Latham’s 176-yard rushing performance. Latham also had a 40-yard reception. McElroy averaged more than 21 yards per carry on his three attempts. Mulbah handled a larger workload with 16 carries for 42 yards. Korkosz’s 2-yard touchdown catch was a key scoring play. Palmer, Lehman and Massey also contributed receptions. Fraser added a short rushing attempt. Bartolomeo’s 26-yard field goal gave Merrimack additional points, and the missed 35-yard attempt kept New Haven within reach. The Warriors’ ability to run the ball and avoid turnovers helped them close out the home win.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected New Haven with a 52.7 percent probability to win before the game. The projection did not hold, as Merrimack’s rushing attack and defensive stops produced the home victory. New Haven will look to rebound in its next matchup against Robert Morris. Merrimack will aim to build on the win when it visits Yale. The Warriors’ record now stands at 2-3, while the Chargers are 0-2. The game remained a one-possession contest into the final minutes, and Merrimack’s defense made the necessary plays to preserve the win. Latham’s 176-yard rushing performance and Hairston’s combined 119 yards passing and rushing gave Merrimack enough offense to complement a defense that recorded an interception and a sack.