NORTHFIELD, Vt. (Sept. 27, 2025) - The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy football team forced three turnovers, blocked a punt very late and held Norwich to just five first downs and 74 total yards of offense in a commanding 49-0 shutout victory on Saturday afternoon in the NEWMAC opener at Sabine Field. The Mariners improved to 3-0 overall (1-0 NEWMAC), while the Cadets dropped to 1-3 (0-1 NEWMAC).
 
Game Link

• Box Score

 
Sophomore Bubba Mustain (Oro Valley, Ariz.) rushed 29 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns and went 4-for-8 passing for 72 yards and a score. Senior Danny Ferris (Andover, Mass.) added 72 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while junior Will Surdez (Colts Neck, N.J.) and senior Gervy Alota (San Diego, Calif.) each rushed for a touchdown.
 
Sophomore Dane Grunder (Towson, Md.) caught a 35-yard touchdown, junior Caleb Callahan (Poulsbo, Wash.) had a 23-yard touchdown reception, and freshman Karson Bye (Liberty Hill, Texas) went 7-for-7 on PATs.
 
Junior Deryk Leverage (Glendale, Ariz.) and sophomore Blayne Shiraki (Honolulu, Hawaii) paced the defense with five and four total tackles, respectively. Shiraki also recorded a sack, dropping the quarterback for a 15-yard loss, and added another tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Senior Marcus Wyman (McCall, Idaho) added a sack along with a forced fumble, and a total of nine players each chipped in with tackles-for-losses on the day.
 
USMMA controlled the first quarter with a 14-play, 75-yard drive capped by Ferris' 1-yard run at 4:52 for a 7-0 lead. On the next Norwich snap, junior Aidan Graham (Allen, Texas) intercepted a pass and returned it 21 yards to the Cadets' 9-yard line, and Mustain scored from a yard out four plays later to make it 14-0 at 3:17.
 
The Mariners pushed the margin to 21-0 early in the second quarter, finishing an 11-play, 80-yard march with another 1-yard touchdown run by Mustain at 12:14. USMMA's defense forced four punts in the half and did not allow a red-zone trip.
 
Merchant Marine opened the third quarter with a short field after a 31-yard kick return by senior Chase Shavey (Mercer Island, Wash.) and a Norwich personal foul. Four plays later, Mustain hit Grunder for a 35-yard touchdown at 13:16 for a 28-0 advantage. Sophomore Chase Laux (Oro Valley, Ariz.) added an interception later in the period to stop a Cadet possession near midfield.
 
USMMA converted three fourth-down attempts on the day, including a 4th-and-3 at the Norwich 19 to begin the fourth quarter. Two snaps later, Alota scored on an 11-yard run at 14:25 to make it 35-0. Freshman quarterback Alexander Hackwelder (Hubbard, Ohio) later found Callahan for a 23-yard touchdown at 8:44, and Surdez closed the scoring with an 11-yard run at 3:08.
 
The defense limited Norwich to 74 total yards and five first downs, holding the Cadets to minus-11 rushing yards and 0-for-9 on third down. Graham and Laux recorded interceptions, while Wyman forced a fumble and Leverage blocked a late punt to preserve the shutout.
 
Team-wise, USMMA outgained Norwich 441-74 and held the ball for 37:56. The Mariners rushed for 346 yards on 74 attempts (five rushing TDs) and finished 10-of-17 on third down and 3-for-3 on fourth down. USMMA went 5-for-5 in the red zone and did not allow a Norwich red-zone trip.
 
Norwich was led by receiver Henri Bourque (five catches, 62 yards). Quarterbacks Landon Beecher (10-for-20, 51 yards, two interceptions) and Aidan Sullivan (3-for-8, 34 yards, one fumble) combined for 85 passing yards. The Cadets finished with 16 rushing attempts for minus-11 yards.
 
Merchant Marine returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 4, for a home NEWMAC game against MIT at Tomb Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 12-noon.

Receive USMMA Football News Right To Your E-Mail!
If you would like to receive all the latest news on the USMMA Football (or any other team at the Academy), including all press releases, delivered directly to your inbox, fill out this form.

Follow USMMA Athletics On Social Media!
Be sure to follow USMMA Athletics on social media to get up-to-the-minute updates on your favorite teams! Start following today on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!