Game Preview - Kutztown

West Chester (2-2, 1-0) looks to remain undefeated in PSAC East play when they travel to Kutztown to take on the Golden Bears (1-3, 1-0). Kickoff on Family Day at Andre Reed Stadium is slated for 6:05 pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 50-9-1. Head coach Bill Zwaan is 10-3 against the Golden Bears in his 13 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 head coach Jim Clements is in his third year with the Golden Bears which went 7-4 last season.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
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
2010	Away	Loss	45-23	2015	Home	Win	44-14

Last Meeting:

10/10/2015 West Chester 44 - Kutztown 14

West Chester shot out to a 27-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 44-14 win in West Chester. The Golden Ram defense held the Golden Bears to just 13 first downs, 280 yards of total offense, 2 of 11 on third downs and 20 minutes of possession time. Ralph Reeves led the way with nine tackles and a tackle for loss while Josh Ganzelli contributed 3 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Brendan Paulison landed all three of his punts inside the Kutztown 20, converted his only field goal attempt and five of six PAT's. Pat Moriarty sparkled at quarterback, completing 30 of 40 passes for 438 yards and five touchdowns. Tyler Karpinski had four catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns while Shannon Mayer had four catches for 54 yards and a score.

Scouting the Opponent:

The Golden Bear offense is led by consensus All-American left tackle Jordan Morgan. Kutztown has the third best rushing offense in the PSAC, led by reigning PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week Craig Reynolds (69 carries, 528 yards, 8 TD's) and Darrell Scott (38 carries, 188 yards). Kutztown has started three different quarterbacks in their first four games, initially calling on Rutgers transfer Terence Scanlon (41 of 68, 371 yards, 4 TD's, 1 int), then Brennan Scott (7 of 19, 60 yards, 0 TD's, 1 int), before seemingly settling on redshirt freshman Collin DiGalbo (30 of 50, 395 yards, 2 TD's, 2 ints). Regardless of who's throwing, catching are Troy Parton (28 catches, 230 yards), two-time All-PSAC East receiver Kellen Williams (16 catches, 215 yards, 4 TD's) and Nathan Hollander (14 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD).

Scott handles Kutztown's kickoffs and punting, and, as a quarterback, would seem to pose a threat on a fake punt. Kutztown has yet to attempt a field goal and a trio of kickers has only made half of their 10 PAT attempts. Look for Reynolds on punt returns and redshirt freshman Abdul-Hassan Neblett on kickoff returns.

The defense is led by linebackers Zack Delp (35 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception) and Tajier Jeffereson (33 total tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss). Delp is a two-time All-PSAC East selection and Jefferson is the reigning PSAC East Freshman of the Year along with being All-PSAC East First Team. Up front is tackle Chris McMonagle (22 total tackles, 4.5 sacks) and reigning PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week end Steve Plousis (19 total tackles, 4.0 sacks). The secondary is quite active with free safety Jake Perry (28 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups), whip and former Golden Ram Kenny Williams (28 total tackles, 2 pass breakups) and cornerback Lance Deane Jr. (20 total tackles, 3 pass breakups).

Analysis:

With Kutztown playing quarterback roulette, it's obvious they've had issues in the passing game. If the problem is solved, then it may be an additional concern for the WCU defense. The Golden Bear running game will be the best West Chester has faced so far this season. Offensively, the Golden Rams should be able to move the ball, especially through the air. However, most of Kutztown's statistics were accumulated last week in their shellacking of Millersville, including nine sacks by the defense. As with almost any game, penalties and turnovers can be a significant impact to the outcome and, as West Chester fans are all too well aware, this has been an Achilles heel for the Golden Rams.

West Chester is receiving only a slight edge in the game - Atomic Football by five and Massey Ratings by a single point. So add kick conversions to the list of critical factors.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes Week - 5

Kutztown Athletic Site - Football Aims to Build Momentum When it Welcomes West Chester Under the Lights on Family Day

KYW Newsradio - West Chester Visits Kutztown Saturday In PSAC Action

Allentown Morning Call - Kutztown looking to continue upward trend vs. West Chester

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Previewing Week 5 in the PSAC