Game Preview - Kutztown

West Chester (3-2, 2-0) looks to remain undefeated in PSAC East play when they host the Golden Bears of Kutztown (3-2, 2-0). Kickoff at Farrell Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 49-9-1. Head coach Bill Zwaan is 9-3 against the Golden Bears in his 12 years at West Chester. In 2003 in Kutztown, West Chester shot out to a 16-0 first quarter lead, but the failed point after touchdown conversion came back to haunt West Chester when Kutztown made a 38-yard field goal with 50 seconds left in the game handing Zwaan his first Division II loss. Kutztown's other two wins came in 2010 and 2011, the two years in the past ten that West Chester was under .500 and Kutztown qualified for the NCAA playoffs.

Kutztown is under second year head coach Jim Clements. Clements went 6-5 in his first season at the helm of the Golden Bears.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2005	Away	Win	48-21	2010	Away	Loss	45-23
2006	Away	Win	49-47	2011	Home	Loss	24-0
2007	Home	Win	21-0	2012	Away	Win	45-24
2008	Away	Win	49-8	2013	Home	Win	22-21
2009	Home	Win	37-17	2014	Away	Win	29-7

Last Meeting:

10/09/2014 West Chester 29 - Kutztown 7

The Golden Ram offense sputtered, getting three field goals and a defensive touchdown to account for 15 of their 29 points. But the West Chester defense stifled Kutztown to 224 total yards and one late touchdown. Brandon Monk rolled to 129 yards on 21 carries and Eddie Elliott had 89 yards on four catches. Nine different Golden Rams registered at least one reception on the day. Drew Formica led the West Chester defense with five tackles and an interception while George Shipp notched two sacks in the game. Andrew Cohen had four tackles, including a sack, to go along with a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup.

Scouting the Opponent:

The big man for the Kutztown offense is tackle Jordan Morgan. The team MVP from a year ago, the 6'4" 300 lb junior has received several All-American accolades as well. His protection goes to quarterback Chad Barton (111 of 178, 1,291 yards, 10 TD's, 7 int's) who is third in the PSAC in passing efficiency. Barton's two favorite targets are Kodi Reed (32 catches, 503 yards, 6 TD's) and Kellen Williams (30 catches, 500 yards, 5 TD's). Another Williams, Terry Williams (64 carries, 386 yards, 5 TD's) handles the running duties.

Kicker Alec Rosenfeld was All-PSAC East last season and has made his two field goal attempts this year, but he's also missed five of his 26 PAT's. Punter Andrew Deutsch (35.1 yard average, 8 fair catches, 9 inside the 20 on 22 punts) also received all-conference honors a season ago.

The Golden Bear defense is spearheaded by All-PSAC East linebacker Zack Delp (46 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss). The front four is led by tackle Tajier Jefferson (23 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss) and California transfer end Zameer McDowell (26 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss).

Analysis:

This is an intriguing matchup of two very similar teams. Both are 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC East. Both of those division wins came against winless opponents. Kutztown coughed up a late lead to Assumption, but also managed a comeback win at Indiana, much the way West Chester lost to Mercyhurst and defeated upstart Seton Hill. The Golden Bears are third in the PSAC in offense while the Golden Rams are fourth and both are fairly balanced between running and passing. West Chester appears to have the edge on defense, especially in the passing game, but that is primarily due to Lenoir-Rhyne skewing those statistics. Overall this should be a good matchup of two similar teams and will serve as measuring stick for the remainder of the season.

But if you want to know something about Kutztown, think about this. Leading Millersville 40-14 with about 30 seconds left to play, the Golden Bears had a third and two at their own 38. Rather than take a knee and end the game, they only lined up that way and ran it 62 yards for the final touchdown.

Notes - There will be a Beef and Beer fundraiser immediately following the Kutztown game at Barnaby's . The cost is $35 for adults, $15 for those under 21, and current players are free. It will be open bar and food until 7:30 pm. Come out and help raise some money for WCU football scholarships. Hope to see you all there.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

PSAC Site - Football Notes Week 6

Kutztown Athletic Site - Kutztown and West Chester Carry 2-0 PSAC Records into Weekend Matchup

KYW Newsradio - West Chester Looks To Continue Surge Vs. Kutztown

Reading Eagle - Kutztown (2-0 PSAC, 3-2) vs. West Chester (2-0 PSAC, 3-2)

Daily Local News - Tough stretch for WCU begins

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Previewing Week 6 in the PSAC

HERO Sports - What to Watch For in Week 6

WFMZ - Golden Bears eyeing third-straight win