Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The Golden Rams (3-3, 2-1) travel to Bloomsburg to take on the Huskies (4-2, 2-1) in a pivotal PSAC East matchup. Kickoff at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium for Bloomsburg's homecoming game is scheduled for 2:00 pm. The game will be televised by SPORTSfever Television Network and be broadcast live on ESPN3.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 48-26 and these two schools often play big games. Bloomsburg head coach Paul Darragh is in his fourth season and is 2-2 against the Golden Rams.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2008	Away	Win	24-21	2012	Away	Loss	24-23
2008	Away	Loss	28-21	2013	Home	Loss	31-28
2009	Home	Win	30-14	2013	Away	Win	40-38
2010	Away	Loss	45-21	2014	Away	Loss	41-10
2011	Home	Loss	55-42	2015	Home	Win	33-22

Last Meeting:

10/25/2015 West Chester 33 - Bloomsburg 22

In front of over 6,000 fans, West Chester ran out to a 19-0 first quarter lead, only to see Bloomsburg score the next 22 points for a 22-19 lead heading into the final period. Eerin Young scored to reclaim the lead for the Golden Rams 26-22 with less than two minutes to play. The Huskies then drove to the WCU 23 before Shaquille James had a 92-yard pick six with just 19 seconds left to seal the victory.

Jarel Elder had 93 all-purpose yards (22 rushing, 15 receiving, 56 in kick returns) and Pat Moriarty was 17 of 26 for 181 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Defensively, George Shipp, Kavon Johnson and Josh Ganzelli each has six tackles. In addition to James' heroics, Ted Patton and Kevin Malone also had interceptions with long returns.

Scouting the Opponent:

All PSAC-East running back Lawrence Elliott Jr. (121 carries, 589 yards, 14 TD's) is finally a senior as is his backfield mate Joe Parsnik (54 carries, 278 yards, 1 TD). And don't be surprised to hear a familiar last name in redshirt freshman Qmac Quiteh ( carries, 38 yards, 2 TD's). Controlling the offense is quarterback Chris Palubinsky (80 of 154 for 1,269 yards, 3 TD's, 5 interceptions). His top receivers are Chad Hoffman (22 catches, 305 yards, 1 TD), Michael Allen (19 catches, 358 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Aaron Allison (10 catches, 153 yards). The most noticeable aspect of this year's Husky offense is that they don't have that dominant line and no returning all conference players.

Linebacker Andrew Harris (53 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups) is third in the PSAC in tackles and leads the conference in fumbles forced with three. Pressure up front comes from All PSAC-East defensive end Joe Wetty (28 tackles, 1 sack, 5 QB hurries). And don't be fooled by 5'9" defensive end Chris Gary (16 tackles, 7 sacks, 5 QB hurries) who tops the PSAC in sacks despite not being a starter.

In the secondary, cornerback Dexter Jordan (19 tackles, 3 interceptions) leads the PSAC in interceptions while the other corner Marquis Seamon (15 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups) and free safety Jerrin Toomey (33 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups) are among the leaders in picks. Seamon is sixth in the PSAC with 1.4 passes defensed per game.

Elliott averages almost 19 yards per punt return including a 65-yard return for touchdown at Cheyney. Seamon and Allen are the primary kick returners, but Elliott also takes on that role as well. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Abbott (22-24 PAT's, 5-6 on field goals) handles PAT's and short field goals while freshman Kyle Butts (4-6 on field goals) handles kickoffs and long field goals. Senior Will Wagner (29 punts, 10 inside the 20, 3 50+ yards) was All PSAC-East last season.

Analysis:

Despite Bloomsburg being 4-2, their opponents' combined record is just 12-24. The Huskies' four wins came against teams with losing records (Stonehill, Clarion, Cheyney and Millersville) and their two losses came to teams that are .500 (Gannon and Kutztown). So the level of competition has to be considered when analyzing any of the team statistics. Bloomsburg still runs the ball well and Elliott and Parsnik deserve a lot of attention. Their passing offense is in the bottom quarter of the PSAC in both yards and efficiency.

Defensively, the Huskies are defending the pass very well, however none of their conference opponents are know for their prolific aerial attack. Last week, Kutztown really controlled the ball, rushing for 295 yards and passing for 247 yards. Plus they held Bloomsburg to just 32 net yards rushing. It's homecoming for Bloomsburg, so the crowd will likely be large and lively. However this game will come down to how West Chester plays. If the Golden Rams play like they did in the first half against Shippensburg, a win is probable. But if the team that was on the field in the second half against Shippensburg shows up, it'll be a long ride home.

Atomic Football favors the Golden Rams by five while Massey Ratings likes West Chester by three.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video (also WPHL17)  

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes - Week 7

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Football Game Against West Chester To Air On SPORTSfever

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Football To Battle West Chester On Homecoming Saturday

KYW Newsradio - West Chester Travels To Bloomsburg For Key PSAC Battle

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week 7 Preview