Game Preview - Cheyney

The #10 Golden Rams (8-0, 5-0) play their third consecutive road contest when they travel to Cheyney (0-8, 0-5) on Saturday. Among Cheyney's eight decisions are losses to Lincoln (1-7), Millersville (1-7) and Kutztown (1-7).

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 44-2-1. In general, this game is hardly a contest with the average score over the past ten years being 53-8. During that span, the Golden Ram offense has been held under 50 points only three times while the defense has pitched four shutouts. The last time Cheyney defeated West Chester was in 1979, when the Wolves finished 9-2 and won the PSAC East.

But it hasn't always been easy. In 2010 on a chilly and breezy Family Night at West Chester, the Golden Rams had no answer for Cheyney running back Marcus Jones. Jones ran the ball for 211 yards and Cheyney held the ball for over 35 minutes in their 48-34 setback to the host Rams. The Wolves held a 21-13 lead midway through the second quarter and drew to within one score, 41-34, with twelve minutes left in the game. But after Cheyney fumbled away a punt at their own five, West Chester tacked on another touchdown for the final score.

And the last time the two teams met at Cheyney, the Wolves trailed only 9-7 in the third quarter and were driving when Bob Sabol intercepted a pass at the West Chester 16. After a Golden Ram touchdown, the Wolves fumbled away the ensuing kickoff which led to another West Chester touchdown and the final score of 23-7.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2003	Home	Win	62-0	2008	Home	Win	60-6
2004	Away	Win	70-0	2009	Home	Win	59-0
2005	Home	Win	64-0	2010	Home	Win	48-34
2006	Home	Win	53-12	2011	Away	Win	23-7
2007	Away	Win	35-13	2012	Home	Win	59-14

Last Meeting:

10/27/2012 West Chester 59 - Cheyney 14

In a game nothing like the previous two meetings, West Chester scored touchdowns on the first seven times they touched the ball including a 70-yard interception return for touchdown by safety John O'Donnell. The quick scoring offense meant that the defense was on the field for over 36 minutes, but that, combined with the lopsided score, gave the opportunity for a lot of guys to play. A total of 25 different Golden Rams tallied at least one tackle in the contest including 11 tackles for loss.

Scouting the Opponent:

There's no secret who Cheyney's best player is. Linebacker Isaiah Fleming was All-PSAC last season and was the D2football.com Defensive Player of the Week after the Kutztown game. Against the Golden Bears, Fleming tallied 21 total tackles including 5.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. On the season he has 60 solo tackles, 93 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.

Fleming is flanked in the middle by linebacker Javier Garcia (46 tackles, 8.5 TFL's, 5 pass breakups). The line is led by defensive end Ariene Gardner (38 tackles, 6.5 TFL's). In the secondary are free safety Tristan Dillon-McCallum (23 tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups) and cornerback Rahmier White (25 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups).

The offense is primarily a ground game led by running back Nahum Purdie (75 carries, 411 yards, 4 TD's) and All-PSAC in 2011 running back Marcus Jones (95 carries, 365 yards, 5 TD's). After starting the season with two quarterbacks, the Wolves seem to have settled on Adler Thony (52-107, 628 yards, 3 TD's, 8 interceptions) over freshman Darrell Cosby (24-58, 260 yards, 0 TD's, 4 interceptions). Primary targets are receivers Marquis Garcia-Palmer (19 catches, 242 yards, 1 TD) and Khalif Dandy (26 catches, 240 yards, 1 TD).

The Cheyney return specialist is Eugene Moten who averages 14.2 yards per punt return and 24 yards per kickoff return.

Analysis:

The Cheyney offense struggles to move the ball and score. They're averaging under 240 yards per game which is 15th in the PSAC and score only 12 points per contest. Behind Purdie and Jones, the Wolves will most likely look to move the ball on the ground as their passing game is dead last in the conference.

Defensively Cheyney is #8 in PSAC, less than 30 yards behind the Golden Rams. Although they only yield 199 yards passing per game which is fifth in the conference, they are 14th in pass efficiency defense. The Wolves lead the PSAC in punt return average.

A few weeks ago, this game looked benign, but after the quarterback situation incurred at Shippensburg, Saturday takes on new significance. If healthy enough to play, this game will be used to determine how well Sean McCartney's ankle really is. If he can't go, Andrew Derr may get an opportunity to hone his skills with the Golden Ram offense. It may be worth noting that in the first three games this season, McCartney's quarterback rating was a blistering 196, but over the last five contests, it has only been 145. Although his season rating of 164 is 13th in the nation, the Golden Rams need the best from everyone in the next few weeks. It's hard to imagine Rondell White not having a big game regardless of who the West Chester signal caller is.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio  

PSAC Site - Football - Week 9 Notes

KYW Newsradio - West Chester Visits Cheyney Saturday, Looks To Stay Perfect

Daily Local News - Cheyney hopes to spring trap against heavily favored West Chester

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Week 9 In The PSAC

Club News - October 31 Meeting

The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:45 pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. The meeting will begin immediately following the Bill Zwaan Football Show which is also held at Timothy's starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM. The meeting will not be broadcast.

According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show facebook page, kicker Shawn Leo will be the special guest on Coach Zwaan's show. Leo has broken several West Chester University kicking records including some that had stood for almost 30 years. He is poised to capture two more career marks after this season. On Saturday he kicked the game winning field goal in West Chester's 32-29 win at Shippensburg with just 1.1 second left on the clock.

Shawn Leo kicks the game winning field goal out of the hold
of Rich Bruno against Shippensburg (Photo Bert Garbutt)

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00 pm to participate in the show live.

Player News - White Honored by ECAC

For his effort in West Chester's 32-29 victory over Shippensburg, running back Rondell White was named ECAC Offensive Player of the Week. White carried the ball 29 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns, led the team with eight catches for 87 yards and returned a kickoff for 14 yards for a total of 274 all-purpose yards. He accounted for 41 of the 52 yards on the Golden Rams' game-winning drive, including a key 25-yard reception on third and 6. White was also honored with the PSAC Offensive Player of the Week for this game. This is his third ECAC player award this season.

Rondell White (Photo Bert Garbutt)

ECAC Site - Corvias ECAC Football Players of the Week - Oct 27, 2013

Team News - NCAA Regional Rankings

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has released its first official regional rankings of the 2013 season. The West Chester University Golden Rams are currently ranked number #1 in Super Region I. The regional rankings determine the playoff participants with the top six teams from each region qualifying for the postseason.

Ranking	School	Division II Record	Overall Record
1.	West Chester	8-0	8-0
2.	Shepherd	7-0	7-0
3.	Bloomsburg	8-0	8-0
4.	Winston-Salem St	6-1	7-1
5.	Slippery Rock	7-1	7-1
6.	Virginia St	7-1	7-1
7.	Stonehill	6-2	6-2
8.	California	6-2	6-2
9.	Urbana	6-2	6-2
10.	Concord	6-2	6-2

NCAA Division II Regional Rankings

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Football Ranked No. 1 In Initial Super Region One Poll; No. 10 Nationally In AFCA Coaches' Poll

Team News - Third 2013 Lambert Poll

The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has released the third Lambert Meadowlands football poll of the 2013 season. The West Chester University Golden Rams remain on the list at #2, behind Bloomsburg at #1. West Chester has defeated four teams that appear in this week's poll (California, New Haven, Shippensburg and East Stroudsburg) while Bloomsburg has beaten two of the top ten (Stonehill, East Stroudsburg). The Huskies and the Golden Rams will square off on November 9 at Farrell Stadium. The Lambert Meadowlands Trophy recognizes supremacy in Eastern college football.

Ranking	School	Overall Record
1.	Bloomsburg	8-0
2.	West Chester	8-0
3.	Slippery Rock	7-1
4.	American International	6-2
5.	Stonehill	6-2
5.	California	6-2
7.	New Haven	6-2
7.	Shippensburg	5-3
9.	Indiana	6-2
10.	East Stroudsburg	5-3

ECAC Releases Third Lambert Meadowlands Football Poll of 2013

Team News - Golden Rams Enter Top 10 of AFCA Poll

After West Chester's thrilling 32-29 win at Shippensburg on Saturday, the Golden Rams (8-0) rose three spots to #10 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll. #4 Missouri Western St, #8 North Carolina-Pembroke, and #11 Valdosta St all lost clearing the way for West Chester to enter the top ten of the coaches' poll. The Golden Rams moved up two positions to #15 in the D2football.com poll.

The Golden Rams are now fifth in the nation in net punting and 15th in kickoff returns with a 24.9 yard average. Offensively, West Chester is sixth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed with 0.63 per game, 19th in the country in total offense with 497 yards per game, 15th in team passing efficiency and 13th in the red zone. The Golden Ram defense now stands at tenth in the country in rushing yielding 95 yards per game and sixth in pass sacks with 3.86 per game.

Reigning PSAC Offensive Player of the Week Rondell White continues to lead the nation in all-purpose yards with 251.6 yards per game and fourth in the country in rushing with 164 yards per game. White is also fourth in the nation in scoring with 12.8 points per game. Quarterback Sean McCartney is 13th in the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 163.9.

The Golden Rams travel to Cheyney this Saturday for a noon kickoff.

American Football Coaches Association - Division II Coaches’ Poll – October 28, 2013

Player News - White Named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week

For his efforts in West Chester's 32-29 thrilling victory over Shippensburg, running back Rondell White was named PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week. White carried the ball 29 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns, led the team with eight catches for 87 yards and returned a kickoff for 14 yards for a total of 274 all-purpose yards. He accounted for 41 of the 52 yards on the Golden Rams' game-winning drive, including a key 25-yard reception on third and 6. This is White's second PSAC player award this season.

Rondell White streaking for his 67-yard touchdown (Photo Geoff Ruth)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - 8

West Chester Athletic Site - Rondell White Named PSAC East Offensive Player Of The Week

Reader Question - Playoff Possibilities

This question came in from one of our readers:

Q - GRFC, Can you provide some insight to the Golden Rams and the playoffs? Coach Zwaan seemed reluctant to discuss the topic on his radio show.

A - Coach Zwaan was right to be reluctant to discuss the topic, although that’s not to say he isn’t thinking about it. His primary goal is to prepare the team to win their next football game regardless of the week or the opponent. But prior to yesterday, it was really too early to evaluate the Golden Rams’ playoffs prospects. Now that eight games have been completed, Golden Rams fans can discuss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. First some background.

Almost every sports fan is familiar with the NCAA’s biggest tournament: Division I basketball. It has several publications and television shows that discuss the selections and seedings both prior to their release as well as afterwards. But forget everything you hear about how teams are selected to that tournament. That is, in Division II football, there is no automatic qualification for winning a team’s conference, and there’s no consideration for such thing as “quality losses”, “wins against top 20 teams” or “bad losses”.

For Division II football, the NCAA selects six teams from each of four geographical regions. West Chester is in Super Region I, which is comprised of four conferences:

• Northeast-10 Conference (NE10)
  
• Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
  
• Mountain East Conference (MEC)
  
• Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
  

Rankings are based mainly on each team’s:

• Division II win/loss percentage and total number of Division II wins
  
• Strength of schedule which is comprised of opponents’ winning percentage and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage
  
• Head-to-head competition and record against common opponents
  

Rankings are performed by a national committee with input from each region’s advisory committee. So although West Chester appears in the AFCA, the D2football.com and the Lambert Meadowlands polls, those lists have NO bearing on the postseason.

As of today, there are three undefeated teams in Super Region I:

• West Chester (8-0) PSAC
  
• Bloomsburg (8-0) PSAC
  
• Shepherd (7-0) MEC
  

There are then three one-loss teams:

• Winston-Salem St (6-1) CIAA
  
• Slippery Rock (7-1) PSAC
  
• Virginia St. (7-1) CIAA
  

Then there are eight teams with two losses. Although there are no automatic qualifications, the selection criteria does include some exceptions to help ensure, but not guarantee, that each conference in a region is represented. So the four NE10 teams with two losses are still in the running.

With West Chester currently sitting at 8-0, let’s evaluate the possibilities for the remainder of the season from best to worst:

• Defeat Cheyney, defeat Bloomsburg, win PSAC Championship game – Golden Rams finish 11-0 and likely top seed in the region and a first-round bye
  
• Defeat Cheyney, defeat Bloomsburg, lose PSAC Championship game – Golden Rams finish 10-1, qualify for the playoffs, likely #4 seed (if Shepherd remains undefeated, Winston-Salem wins out and PSAC Champion)
  
• Defeat Cheyney, lose to Bloomsburg, defeat Clarion – Golden Rams finish 10-1, qualify for the playoffs, seed likely no better than #4
  
• Lose two of last three games – playoffs unlikely, but not impossible
  
• Lose last three games – no playoffs
  

The NCAA will release their first official rankings on Tuesday and will be posted here.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or ideas for topics, please e-mail them to GoldenRamFootballClub@comcast.net and be sure to follow us on twitter @GoldenRamFC

Game Report - West Chester 32 - Shippensburg 29

To be honest, all of the interesting aspects of this game would not be nearly as interesting if West Chester didn’t remain unbeaten after their 32-29 victory over Shippensburg. Consider:

• Shippensburg’s quarterback punted twice
  
• Both teams had wide receivers throw passes
  
• West Chester used four quarterbacks in the game
  
• The Golden Rams punted more in the game than against New Haven Millersville, California, and Lock Haven games combined
  
• The best kicker in West Chester history missed two field goals in one game for the first time in his career before booting the game winning 26-yarder with 1.1 second left
  

The contest started very ominously. With a strong wind in their faces, the Golden Rams needed to minimize the impact of the weather by establishing the run game and consume some of the clock. But on their first two possession, they only had three plays that went for positive yards and two of them were negated due to holding penalties. Meanwhile, Shippensburg was effective through the air and on the ground, scoring two touchdowns in the first five minutes. Even though West Chester got a first down on their next possession, they still only managed 12 yards and Rich Bruno punted for the third time. Aided by a personal foul penalty on the Shippensburg sideline, the Golden Ram defense held and after the Shippensburg punt, Rondell White broke a second down run 67 yards to put the Golden Rams on the scoreboard.

Rondell White on his 67-yard touchdown run (Photo Geoff Ruth)

The inspired West Chester defense forced a three-and-out and the offense started to move the ball. Unfortunately, this included a 4-yard scramble by starting quarterback Sean McCartney who got hurt on the final play of the first quarter. He would not return. Drew Loughery came in and completed a couple of passes to Shannon Mayer and White finished off the drive with another touchdown run to tie the game at 14.

Drew Loughery led the offense in the middle of the game (Photo Geoff Ruth)

After the two teams traded two punts each, the Golden Rams got a break when Shippensburg fumbled the ball and Eric Edwers landed on it at the Shippensburg 39. West Chester made short work of it as Loughery connected with White for 22 yards on one play and White took it in on the next play. The only problem is they left Shippensburg’s offense with almost a minute left in the first half. The Raiders drove 75 yards in 28 seconds with the touchdown coming on a 53-yard catch and run. However, similar to East Stroudsburg, the final PAT of the first half failed. West Chester took a 21-20 lead into the locker room.

The Golden Rams took the wind in the third quarter, but without positive results. They were held to two three-and-outs and their only scoring chance was a 53-yard Shawn Leo field goal attempt that went wide left. Meanwhile the Raiders were moving the ball well into the wind, but the Golden Ram defense held their two 70-yard drives to just field goals. Shippensburg would tack on a 40-yard field goal to extend their lead to 29-21 with under 11 minutes to play. And that’s when West Chester made a key personnel change.

Redshirt freshman Andrew Derr entered the game and completed four passes for 59 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown strike to Adam Dempsey. After a timeout, a little trickery entered the game as Mayer completed a pass to Jared Bonacquisti for the tying two-point conversion.

On their ensuing possession, Shippensburg tried some trickery of their own as Shannon Mayer’s brother, Sheldon, a wide receiver for the Raiders, took a lateral and threw a long pass. However, it was picked off by Golden Ram safety Brandon Pepper who returned it 34 yards to the Shippensburg 31. The West Chester offense couldn’t move the ball and Leo’s 42-yard field goal attempt into the wind fell short.

The Golden Ram defense forced a three-and-out keyed by a quarterback hurry by Andrew Cohen and a sack by Kayo Bakare. But the Raiders’ high punt bounced off the chest of Brandon Monk and right into the arms of the Shippensburg coverage team. The Raider offense moved the ball to the West Chester 29, but a third-down holding penalty pushed them back to the 39. After an incomplete pass and a timeout, Shippensburg’s 56-yard wind-aided field goal attempt fell short.

With two and a half minutes left, West Chester took over at their own 39. After a couple of short White runs, Derr connected with White on a 25-yard pass. An 11-yard completion to Dempsey got the Golden Rams to the Shippensburg 21, still not close enough for a field goal attempt into the stiff wind. But White rushed the ball for another 12 yards setting up a 26-yard field goal attempt. Leo’s kick was good to put West Chester in front 32-29 with 1.1 second left. Ronell Williams got his 10th and final tackle on the ensuing kickoff to finish the game.

Shawn Leo converts the game winning field goal (Photo Geoff Ruth)

Notes- In the second quarter, Shippensburg ripped off a 56-yard run, but cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz ran it down and made a touchdown saving tackle at the West Chester 17. The Raiders failed to score on that possession…Besides McCartney, West Chester also lost true freshman and special teams player Brandon Spatz, nickel back Byron Cooper, and starting right guard James Colivas to injuries. Mayer and Mike Labor both left the game due to injuries, but both returned…Chris DiValentino also logged a sack in the game…White finished with 173 yards rushing and 87 yards receiving…Derr finished 7 of 9 for 105 yards and a touchdown…After gashing the Golden Ram defense for 134 yards on 10 totes in the first half, Shippensburg running back Blair Brooks was held to just 25 yards on 10 carries in the second half.

Sortable Box Score

West Chester Athletic Site - Leo's Last-Second Field Goal Lifts West Chester Over Shippensburg, 32-29

Daily Local News - WCU survives on Leo field goal

DelCo Times - WCU's Zwaan no stranger to comebacks

The Sentinel- Shippensburg falls in final seconds to No. 13 West Chester

Public Opinion - West Chester edges Shippensburg on last-second FG

Bert Garbutt - Photo Collage WCU Football vs Shippensburg

Shippensburg Athletic Site - Red Raider Football Valiant on Homecoming But Falls to No. 13 West Chester, 32-29

WHAG - Your4State - Shippensburg Falls to West Chester, 32-29

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week 8 Headlines

Event News - Team to Walk Now for Autism Speaks

The West Chester University Golden Ram football team will be participating in the 2013 Philadelphia Walk Now for Autism Speaks event on Saturday, November 2 at Citizens Bank Park. Registration begins at 9:00 am with the one-mile walk starting at 11:00 am. For more information or to donate to the cause, please see the West Chester Football team page.

West Chester University Football Team, Coaches and Cheerleaders at the 2012 Philadelphia Walk Now for Autism Speaks Event at Citizens Bank Park
(Photo Bert Garbutt)

Game Preview - Shippensburg

The Golden Rams (7-0, 4-0) play their third consecutive homecoming contest when they travel to Shippensburg (5-2, 4-0) on Saturday. Both teams are looking to stay perfect in the PSAC East and both still have yet to face also undefeated Bloomsburg (7-0, 4-0).

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 23-10-1. In his ten years at West Chester, Bill Zwaan is 8-3 against the Raiders. In the final regular season game of the 2004 season, Shippensburg knocked off the Golden Rams at Farrell Stadium in overtime. But two weeks later in the second round of the NCAA playoffs, West Chester avenged that loss in Shippensburg. West Chester took the next four contests during the Golden Rams' run of qualifying for the NCAA playoffs from 2005-2008. Shippensburg won in 2009 and went on to win the PSAC championship that season.

In one of the most memorable games in West Chester football history, current Golden Ram quarterback Sean McCartney made his first collegiate start and threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns to lead West Chester to a 44-43 victory in two overtimes in a nationally televised Thursday night game. Two years ago, West Chester laid a 52-17 loss on the Raiders. But Shippensburg returned the favor last season, beating West Chester 42-24 on homecoming at Farrell Stadium. The Raiders went on to play in the PSAC championship game and the NCAA playoffs last year.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2004	Home	Loss	24-21 OT	2008	Home	Win	25-7
2004	Away	Win	33-28	2009	Away	Loss	24-19
2005	Away	Win	24-16	2010	Home	Win	44-43 2OT
2006	Home	Win	24-0	2011	Away	Win	52-17
2007	Away	Win	34-29	2012	Home	Loss	42-24

Last Meeting:

10/20/2012 Shippensburg 42 - West Chester 24

The Golden Rams raced out to a 21-0 nothing lead over the #13 Shippensburg Raiders and held a 24-21 advantage after a scoreless third quarter, but an undermanned West Chester defense couldn't offset numerous penalties and Shippensburg ripped off 21 unanswered fourth quarter points for the 42-24 win to spoil West Chester's homecoming for the fourth year in a row. West Chester was also hurt by four turnovers, three sacks and 117 yards in penalties.

For West Chester, Rondell White had 119 yards rushing and 56 yards receiving and Jim Kelly had seven catches for 113 yards. Shippensburg was led by Zach Zulli (29-49, 342 yards, 5 TDs, 0 sacks) who would go on to capture the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year and Harlon Hill awards. Jake Baskerville had nine catches for 139 yards and Trevor Harman caught five passes for 81 yards and four touchdowns.

Scouting the Opponent:

It's hard to get a really good read on this Shippensburg team. When they started the season 0-2, everyone thought they had taken a large step back from their playoff run last year. In retrospect, the Raiders lost to two of the best teams in Super Region I in Shepherd (7-0) and Slippery Rock (6-1). They then defeated East Stroudsburg by a score of 41-31. They've since gone 4-0, but their opponents during that stretch are a combined 4-24.

What is known is that they have a potent passing offense. Led by reigning Harlon Hill winner quarterback Zach Zulli (178-296, 2,125 yards, 22 TD's, 9 inteceptionns), the Raiders are posting 325 yards per game through the air. Top receivers are Trevor Harman (PSAC leading 64 catches, 917 yards, 12 TD's), Sheldon Mayer (41 catches, 470 yards, 6 TD's), and Quran Kent (20 catches, 219 yards, 3 TD's). The running game is led by Blair Brooks (84 carries, 600 yards, 5 TD's). Reserve quarterback Chris Lawshe has only attempted 27 passes, but he does contribute to the running game (41 carries, 229 yards, 4 TD's). Their line has allowed 23 sacks already.

Brooks and Shannon Maura serve as Shippensburg's kick returners and both have returned one for a touchdown. Mayer leads the PSAC in punt return average and has also taken one the distance. Drew Newcomer (5-9 field goals, long of 49, 36-39 PAT's) is their kicker while Nate Schmidt handles the punting. Schmidt averages 39.5 yards per boot, and has nailed six inside the 20, and five have gone longer than 50 yards, but he has had two blocked.

The Shippensburg pass defense is sixth in the PSAC, yielding only 203 yards per game. They're tied for tops in the conference with 27 sacks, but only two interceptions. Individually they are led by linebackers Cortlin Dell (52 tackles, 5.5 TFL's, 5 QB hurries), Brian Sourber (48 tackles, 8 TFL's) and Chase Fleming (25 tackles, 7.5 TFL's). The big man up front is 6'7" All-PSAC defensive end Jake Metz (50 tackles, 16 TFL's, 10 sacks, 3 QB hurries). The secondary is led by All-PSAC strong safety Mike Goode (38 tackles, 1 interception, 5 pass breakups).

Analysis:

Under third-year head coach Mark Maciejewski, Shippensburg is 23-8 overall and 14-1 at home, however that one loss came at the hands of the Golden Rams in 2011. With Saturday being homecoming, there should be a large crowd on hand to see the matchup between two undefeated teams in the PSAC East. Zulli to Harman is a lethal connection for their opponents, so limiting their time on the field will be key. With the Raiders being dead last in the PSAC in time of possession, this seems like an achievable task. West Chester needs to maintain their solid running game and eliminate turnovers to control the clock. For the passing game to be successful, the offensive line has to give extra attention to Metz and company. In games where the Raiders fail to register a sack, they're 0-2. Keep McCartney clean and the prospects of a WCU win increase dramatically.

It will be interesting to see how West Chester approaches kickoffs. Since the Raiders have already returned two for touchdowns and the Golden Rams already surrendered one for a touchdown, the squib kick employed at Millersville and the second half against California might be used. This may mean good starting field position for the Raiders and extra pressure on the Golden Ram defense, but it's probably worth the trade of the quick six and a raucous homecoming crowd that a kick return for touchdown would bring. Mayer will be the most aggressive punt returner that West Chester will face this season.

Shippensburg doesn't pose a significant running threat and they are yielding a lot of sacks. Shippensburg is winless when they fail to rush for at least 100 yards and the Golden Rams have the sixth best rushing defense in the country. There's no doubt that putting pressure on the line and Zulli is critical, it's just a question of how this is accomplished. Expect to see several varieties of blitzes to keep their offensive line off balance and maximize the effectiveness of the secondary. Hopefully, Harman gets more attention than he did in last year's game.

Notes:
Besides staying undefeated in the PSAC East, these two team will be playing for bragging rights in the Mayer household in Norristown. Shippensburg receiver and punt returner Sheldon is the older brother of West Chester wide receiver Shannon. Their older brother, Sean, started on the offensive line for the Golden Rams in 2009...Those that want to get a look at the Raiders can watch the rebroadcast of their 41-31 win over East Stroudsburg on The Comcast Network on Thursday, October 24 at 8:00 pm. Take special note of their work in the two-minute drill at the end pf the first half (76 yards in 5 plays and 46 seconds) and the wild fourth quarter including an 81-yard touchdown pass from Zulli to Harman, a 96-yard kickoff return for touchdown by Maura, and a 67-yard touchdown run by Lawshe.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

PSAC Site - Football - Week 8 Notes

Shippensburg Athletic Site - Red Raider Football Hosts No. 13 West Chester Saturday in Pivotal PSAC East Showdown

Public Opinion - Unbeaten West Chester to invade Shippensburg's territory

KYW Newsradio - West Chester Visits Shippensburg In Critical PSAC Showdown

The Sentinel - Stakes high for upstart Shippensburg

The Sentinel - Football Preview: West Chester at Shippensburg

Daily Local News - WCU gets major test against Shippensburg

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Breaking Down Week 8 in the PSAC