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