Pages

Monday, September 14, 2015

Game Preview - Seton Hill

The Golden Rams (0-2) celebrate Hall of Fame Day and Family Day when they host the Seton Hill Griffins (1-1) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm.

Series History:

West Chester owns a 1-0 lead in the series after defeating Seton Hill 45-10 last year.

Last Meeting:


09/20/2014 West Chester 45 - Seton Hill 10

The Golden Rams rode a strong defensive effort and shrugged off a sluggish offensive start to handle the Griffins in Greensburg, PA in the first ever meeting between the two teams. Seton Hill gained a total of 236 yards with over half of that coming on their final three possessions. Pete Galiano, Andrew Cohen and Josh Ganzelli all registered tackles for loss. Brandon Pepper registered five total tackles as did Galiano. Meanwhile, the offense rolled up 546 total yards with Brandon Monk eclipsing 100 yards to go along with a touchdown. Jarel Elder picked up 49 yards on the ground and Eddie Elliott had 21 rushing and 39 receiving. Seton Hill was also hurt by 13 penalties for 100 yards.

Scouting the Opponent:
Seton Hill opened the season with a 64-14 loss at Shippensburg before defeating Lock Haven 27-10 last week. Quarterback Dan Pietrangelo has taken over the position full time this season after splitting time last year. Against the Golden Rams last year, Pietrangelo was 7 of 13 for 75 yards and took two sacks. So far this season, he's 46 of 82 for 438 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. His top target is wide receiver Jarvis McClam who has 13 catches for 122 yards and is also dangerous as a kick returner. Senior Eric Brown and freshman Ardell Brown each have seven receptions. Running back Brandon Stout is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has amassed 185 yards over the first two games of the season. The Griffins have surrendered five sacks during the first two games, so it might be a good opportunity for the front four or a blitzing linebacker.

Defensively, Seton Hill already has four interceptions with two of them by safety Richardo Housen. Linebacker Nicholas Boynton may only be 5'9", but he leads the team in tackles with 20 including two tackles for loss. Cornerback Phillip Moreland was All-PSAC West last season and has seven tackles and three pass breakups so far this year. Defensive end Daniel Gonzalez is a force up front with 2.5 tackles for loss.

Analysis:
Upon winning the opening coin toss, most teams elect to defer the choice to the second half while West Chester almost always takes the ball. But hold your breath on the opening kickoff. Two weeks ago, the Golden Rams were whistled for a personal foul and last week there was an altercation although no flag was thrown. Saturday starts a string of three games against opponents that went a combined 6-27 last season and 5-28 the year before that. So it certainly seems like this is the time for the Golden Rams to right the ship. But the Golden Ram defense has shown vulnerabilities against both the run and the pass, and Seton Hill is fairly balanced in their approach. Offensively, the Golden Rams moved the ball quite well at Mercyhurst before the rain came in. As long as they eliminate turnovers, points should not be a problem.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Previewing Week 3 in the PSAC

No comments: