Thai's 3rd FG, with 1 second left, lifts Merrimack to 16-14 win over Central Connecticut

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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) — Carlton Thai kicked a 19-yard field goal with one second left to lift Merrimack to a 16-14 win over Central Connecticut on Saturday night.

Thai's third field goal capped a seven-play, 66-yard drive after the Blue Devils took their only lead on Elijah Howard's 1-yard plunge with 1:32 to play.

Merrimack (2-2) was stymied all day but led 13-0 thanks to its defense. Ayden Pereira scored on a 5-yard run one play after a blocked punt and Thai's first field goal came after an intercept on the next possession.

Thai added a field goal in the middle of the third after a high snap on a punt set the Warriors up on the CCSU 7.

Howard, who finished with 91 yards on 16 carries, got the Blue Devils on the board with a 21-yard run with 9:23 left in the game.

Merrimack responded with a drive to the CCSU 10 but Thai's field-goal attempt was blocked and Christopher scooped it up and returned it close to 100 yards for a score, only to have a block-in-the-back penalty take away the go-ahead touchdown with 3:35 to play. But Howard capped a seven-play, 40-yard drive anyway.

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