Game Preview - East Stroudsburg

The Golden Rams (6-0, 3-0) travel to the Poconos to take on the East Stroudsburg Warriors (1-6, 0-4). Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 60-22 and Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan is 13-3 against the Warriors, including two wins in the Poconos in 2004. In the first matchup that season, the Golden Rams blocked a PAT in overtime, then scored a touchdown and won the game on Dan Wilbourne’s converted PAT to hand then #7 East Stroudsburg their first loss of the season in front of a homecoming crowd of almost 6,000. The second game came on a frigid and blustery November afternoon in the NCAA regional finals. With a crowd of over 7,200 on hand, current West Chester running backs coach Osagie Osunde ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns as the Golden Rams handed East Stroudsburg their second loss of the season.

The following year, West Chester tipped the #6 ranked Warriors, 18-17, in muddy Farrell Stadium. 2005 was the last season that Farrell Stadium had natural grass. In 2009, East Stroudsburg ruined West Chester’s homecoming 21-20. The Golden Rams failed to convert a PAT early in the game and a 35-yard field goal late in the game. It's the only time that East Stroudsburg has won at West Chester in the past dozen years and the last time that the Warriors have reached the playoffs. The Warriors are led by head coach Denny Douds who is in his 45th season at the helm.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2008	Away	Win	34-24	2013	Home	Win	34-20
2009	Home	Loss	21-20	2014	Away	Win	35-24
2010	Away	Win	35-31	2015	Home	Win	41-27
2011	Home	Win	37-26	2016	Away	Win	41-14
2012	Away	Loss	35-28	2017	Home	Win	31-26

Last Meeting:

10/28/2017 West Chester 31 - East Stroudsburg 26

West Chester held a comfortable 31-6 lead after three quarters. But the Warriors scored three touchdowns in the final quarter and were in Golden Ram territory when the final clock expired, and West Chester held on for a 31-26 win at Farrell Stadium.

Linebacker Tyler Morrissey had a team-high 13 tackles and a sack while Jarey Elder had six tackles and a pass breakup. West Chester held an almost ten-minute advantage in time of possession.

Scouting the Opponent:

Historically, the Warriors are known for chucking the ball around, but this season, the offense is led by All-PSAC East running back Jaymar Anderson (139 carries, 912 yards, 9 TD's). When East Stroudsburg does throw the ball, it could be either Ben Moser (86 of 178, 1,306 yards, 9 TD's, 13 int's) or Jake Cirillo (29 of 58, 374 yards, 3 TD's, 3 int's). Either way, the ball often finds its way into the defense's hands as the Warriors lead the PSAC in interceptions thrown. Their top receivers are Jylil Reeder (29 catches, 558 yards, 5 TD's), Devante Robinson (20 catches, 210 yards) and 6'3" RJ Sarajian (17 catches, 288 yards, 4 TD's). The line is anchored by All-PSAC East left tackle Michael Fleming.

On special teams, Rece Bender is averaging almost 12 yards per punt return, kicker Jordan Walters (6 of 7 on field goals, 20 of 22 on PAT's) has converted a 45-yard field goal this season, and Sam O'Brien (36 punts, 38 yard average, 13 inside the 20, 3 50+ yards) handles the punting.

Free safety Billy Inge III (49 tackles, 2 int) and strong safety Joshua Taylor (48 tackles, 1 int) are the team's top tacklers in their 4-2-5 scheme. Linebackers Dylan Murphy (43 tackles, 1 sack) and freshman Jacob Keane (29 tackles, 1.5 sack) man the middle. Sophomore lineman Keanan Baines (16 tackles, 3 sacks) leads the Warriors in sacks while tackle Andre Eldridge (24 tackles, 2.5 sacks) clogs the middle.

Analysis:

East Stroudsburg's defense always struggles against the run and this season is no different as they are last in the entire PSAC. So this should be a game where the Golden Rams rack up a lot of yards on the ground by their running backs. A good matchup should be how West Chester's top ranked run defense stops one of the best runners in the conference, and not over committing which could leave East Stoudsburg's receivers open. Even after last week's bye, the Golden Rams lead the PSAC in sacks and should have fun against the Warriors which are near the bottom in sacks allowed. The biggest concern for West Chester in this game is to not look past East Stroudsburg in anticipation for next week's showdown at Kutztown.

Both Atomic Football and Massey Ratings are expecting West Chester to win by 20+ points.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - No. 12/13 West Chester Travels To East Stroudsburg For Saturday Tilt

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes - Week 8

East Stroudsburg Athletic Site - ESU Football Game Notes vs. West Chester

KYW Newsradio - Fresh off bye week, West Chester travels to East Stroudsburg Saturday

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Week 8 in the PSAC