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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Game Preview - Cheyney

The West Chester Golden Rams (7-1, 6-1) celebrate senior day when they host the Cheyney Wolves (0-8, 0-7) on Saturday at noon. The final regular season home game will also serve as Military and Veterans Appreciation Day.

Series History:

West Chester leads the series with Cheyney 45-2-1 with Cheyney's last win coming in 1979 by a score of 36-34. The Wolves score 34 against the Golden Rams in 2010, but West Chester tallied 48 in that game. Usually the Wolves' offense is limited to no more than two touchdowns. Cheyney is under the direction of interim head coach Anthony Johnson who previously served as the team's offensive coordinator.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year
H/A
W/L
Score
Year
H/A
W/L
Score
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
2008
Home
Win
60-6
2013
Away
Win
66-14

Last Meeting:


11/02/2013 West Chester 66 - Cheyney 14

The Golden Rams got off to a slow start and Cheyney, moving the ball fairly well, trailed only 10-7 early in the second quarter. But quarterback Andrew Derr, starting for the injured Sean McCartney, got the offense rolling and West Chester scored the next 35 points in route to the big victory at Cheyney. Erick Brundidge had four catches for 104 yards and Eddie Elliott had 132 all purpose yards and a score. Defensive lineman Shaquil Ryder had an interception and Brandon Pepper had two pass breakups to accompany his three tackles.

Scouting the Opponent:
The Wolves haven't won a PSAC game since October of 2010 when they defeated Millersville who finished that season winless. The Cheyney offense has scored 65 points this season while West Chester scored 62 in the game against Millersville. Their passing offense and total offense rank last in the conference. Quarterback Michael Campbell (65-136, 799 yards, 4 TD's 8 interceptions) is a true freshman. His top receiver is Khalif Dandy (43 catches, 572 yards, 3 TD's) who is also Cheyney's leading scorer. The running game that averages 86 yards per contest is led by another true freshman Khalil Rodgers (77 carries, 310 yards, 1 TD). The offensive line has only allowed 20 sacks this season, however the team ranks last in the PSAC in third-down conversion rate, fourth-down conversion rate and first downs per game.

The defense is led by linebacker Isaiah Fleming (91 tackles, 10.6 tackles for loss, 1 interception) who is a two time All-PSAC East performer and leads the conference this season in tackles per game. Strong safety Marvin Morris (45 tackles) is the teams' second leading tackler as a true freshman. Linebacker Joseph Bryant (34 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss) and freshman linebacker Daryll Ellison (30 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss) are among the PSAC leaders in tackles for loss. Cheyney is among the top teams in the conference in interceptions led by defensive backs Jamil Williams (36 tackles, 3 interceptions) and Gary Brown (12 tackles, 2 interceptions).

Look for Eugene Moten to handle punt and kick returns. True freshman punter Brendyn Van Demark has forced 18 fair catches and landed 8 of his 48 punts inside the 20 and has converted four PAT's.

Analysis:
Cheyney's offensive and defensive woes should give West Chester an opportunity to recover from last week's loss and prepare for the final two roads games of the regular season. The Golden Rams got off to a slow start last year against the Wolves and starting fast would go a long way to re-establishing the team's confidence.

Game Coverage:


D2football - PSAC Columnist - Week 9 Preview for PSAC and MEC

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