Golden Ram Football Club: Game Preview

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Game Preview - Lock Haven

The Golden Rams (1-2) open PSAC East play when they host the Lock Haven Bald Eagles (0-3). Kickoff on Family Day at John A. Farrell Stadium is scheduled for 6:00pm Saturday.

Series History:
West Chester holds a 22-6-1 lead in the series. Current WCU head coach Bill Zwaan is undefeated in his previous five meetings with the Bald Eagles. Head coach Dave Taynor is in his second season at Lock Haven. He finished last season with a record of 2-9 and is 0-3 so far this year after losing to Slippery Rock last week. This year's Lock Haven team is quite different than 2015 as Taynor signed 40 new players during recruiting.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
1952	Home	Win	74-7	2008	Home	Win	37-6
1954	Home	Win	32-0	2009	Away	Win	43-0
1955	Away	Win	20-0	2013	Away	Win	34-13
1990	Away	Win	28-27	2014	Home	Win	41-6
1991	Home	Loss	13-7	2015	Away	Win	33-9

Last Meeting:

10/04/2015 West Chester 33 - Lock Haven 9

West Chester overcame a mistake-filled first half and scored the final 27 points of the game en route to a 33-9 win in a rain soaked affair in Lock Haven. Offensively, quarterback Pat Moriarty threw for 185 yards and three touchdowns while Jarel Elder picked up 72 yards on 17 carries and added another 18 yards on five catches. Receiver Jim Hurley hauled in four catches for 62 yards.

The defense was led by Nydair Rouse who had seven tackles, an interception, and two pass breakups. Linebacker Zack Hockman had three tackles including a sack, defensive end John Dubyk also had a sack, and Pete Galiano had three tackles and an interception. Brandon Paulison converted on field goals of 31 and 32 yards and landed three of his five punts inside the Bald Eagle 20-yard line.

Scouting the Opponent:

After two weeks, Lock Haven had the top ranked passing offense in the country, but two losses to show for it. After last week's loss to Slippery Rock, the Bald Eagles dropped to third in the PSAC in passing yardage. Quarterback Caleb Walton (71 of 134 for 1,083 yards, 6 TD's, 1 INT) is third in the PSAC in passing yardage, primarily targeting Kutztown transfer Shawn Seif (25 catches, 550 yards, 4 TD's) who's the top receiver in the conference. Tight end Del'Vaughn Dennis (19 catches, 265 yards 1 TD), a former West Chester recruit and Urbana transfer wide receiver Dan Krupko (8 catches, 101 yards) are also among the conference leaders. At running back, Albright transfer Malyk Harris (51 carries, 154 yards, 2 TD's) was All-PSAC East last season, although the running game isn't the Bald Eagles' strong suit.

On special teams, true freshman Nysir Minney-Gratz handles the returns while classmate Ethan Harroz handles all of the kicking chores.

The 3-5-3 defense is led by Urbana transfer linebacker Kevin Chapple (32 total tackles, 7.0 TFL) is third in the PSAC in tackles and tackles for loss while free safety Isaiah Flamer (19 total tackles, 2 INT's) is sixth in the conference in tackles. Nose guard freshman Allen McCloud (5 total tackles, 3.5 TFL's) is among the leaders in tackles for loss despite missing last week's game. Defensive end Brandon Clements (11 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss) anchors the defensive line. Besides Flamer, in the secondary, look for cornerback Carlos Balkcom (19 total tackles, 5 pass breakups).

Analysis:

Out 16 teams in the PSAC, the Lock Haven defense ranks 15th in points allowed (48.0), total yards allowed (566.3) and passing yards allowed (445.0), so this game would look to be a field day for Andrew Derr and whatever receivers are available to him so long as interceptions are minimized. However, as seen above, Lock Haven's passing offense is potent in its own right, so the Golden Ram secondary will be tested similarly to last week at Edinboro. West Chester only has four sacks on the season, but putting pressure on Walton may be the best way to thwart their aerial attack and force some picks. On paper, this game looks to put a strain on the scoreboard lights.

Both Massey Ratings and Atomic Football are projecting a 20-point West Chester victory.