There is no question that Bloomsburg is led by their offensive running game. Their 335 yards per game is good for third best in Division II and they have the nation's top runner and scorer, Franklin Quiteh 1,618 yards and 17 touchdowns. Over his first two seasons (that's right, he's only a junior), he's garnered several accolades including: PSAC East Freshman of the Year, first team All-PSAC East, Division II All-Super Region One team, Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-American team, the list goes on and on. Not to be overlooked is his backfield running mate, Eddie Mateo who's picking up 111 yards per game on the ground and is also a Don Hansen All-Super Region One team and All-PSAC first team selection.
While Bloomsburg's passing game doesn't post a lot of yards, it is very efficient behind Tim Kelly. The redshirt freshman is 95-184 for 1,501 yards, 19 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a passer rating of 145.5 which is good enough for 31st in the country. His primary targets are Ryan Dickerson (27 catches, 492 yards, 6 TD's), pro prospect Kyle Fisher (23 catches, 439 yards, 5 TD's) who missed three mid-season games due to injury, and Glenn Hutton Jr. (15 catches, 215 yards, 2 TD's). When Bloomsburg gets close to the goal line, look for big Larry Webster who only has two catches, but both were touchdowns. More on Webster later.
Dan Fisher handles all of the Bloomsburg kicking duties averaging 58 yards on kickoffs and 39 yards on punts. But Fisher is best known for his kick scoring. On the season, he's 44-47 on PATs and 8-12 on field goals with a long of 52. He's been named to the Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-American team, Don Hansen All-Super Region One team, Pre-Season All-American by D2Football.com, first team Daktronics, Inc. Division II All-Super Region One and All-PSAC first team. He's among the PSAC career leaders in several kicking categories and is only a junior.
Bloomsburg's defensive numbers - 29th in the country against the run and 138th against the pass - may be more a product of their opponents than it is of their team. Edinboro, Kutztown, East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg and even Stonehill, are all more passing than rushing teams. And it's worth noting that Bloomsburg held a slim 14-13 lead over Cheyney midway through the fourth quarter. They are led in the middle by Jarrett Pidgeon (71 total tackles, two interceptions and two sacks). The senior linebacker was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week for his accomplishments against Shippensburg last week which included nine solo tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown. Alongside him in the middle is Justin Shirk (57 total tackles, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries).
In the secondary, the Huskies are guided by 5'8" cornerback Terrell Oglesby (33 total tackles, three interceptions, five pass breakups, one forced fumble) and safety Dan Haverstock (51 total tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups). But one of the most intriguing stories for Bloomsburg this year is 6'7" defensive end Larry Webster. After earning PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year honors in his last year of eligibility for the Huskies' basketball team, Webster turned to Danny Hale to play football for the first time since high school. All he's done thus far, besides the aforementioned two receiving touchdowns, is registered 28 total tackles, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry. Most impressive is his PSAC leading 10.5 sacks which is good for fifth in the country.
Notes - The weather forecast for Bloomsburg shows a high of 46°, but expect it to feel much colder with a 11 mph wind out of the north...West Chester travels to Clarion next week...quarterback Mike Mattei ranks 7th in the country in passing efficiency...running back Rondell White ranks 16th in rushing with 123 yards per game and is 7th among all-purpose performers with 183 yards per game...linebacker Ronell Williams is 6th in total tackles with 11.3 per game...keep in mind that neither White nor Williams participated in the second half against Cheyney...The Rams will seek to dash the memory of blowing a 35-point lead last year against the Huskies in what turned out to be a 55-42 homecoming loss...This season, WCU is 5-0 when they don't throw an interception. They're also 5-0 when they score 30 or more points...Bloomsburg leads the PSAC in third down conversions; the Golden Rams are second.
PSAC Site - Football - Week 10 Notes
Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Huskies Return Home for Senior Day Against West Chester
KYW Newsradio - West Chester With Big Test At Bloomsburg
D2football - PSAC Columnist - Final Week of Divisional Play in the PSAC
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