Golden Ram Football Club: Game Preview

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Game Preview - Lock Haven

Last season, West Chester (8-0, 5-0) opened PSAC East play by traveling to Lock Haven for their homecoming. This year, the #11 Golden Rams conclude PSAC East play by hosting the Bald Eagles (1-8, 1-4) in their homecoming. Kickoff is set for 2:00pm Saturday in John A. Farrell Stadium.

Series History:
West Chester holds a 23-6-1 lead in the series. Current WCU head coach Bill Zwaan is undefeated in his previous seven meetings against the Bald Eagles. Lock Haven moved from the PSAC West to the PSAC East prior to the 2013 season when they replaced LIU Post in the division. Head coach Dave Taynor holds a record of 9-33 in his fourth season at Lock Haven. After opening 2016 with five straight losses, they finished by winning four of their last six games including knocking off Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
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
2008	Home	Win	37-6	2016	Home	Win	37-7
2009	Away	Win	43-0	2017	Away	Win	35-14

Last Meeting:

09/23/2017 West Chester 35 - Lock Haven 14

Quarterback A.J. Long had a career day, accounting for 379 yards and four touchdowns as West Chester rolled to a 35-14 win to spoil the Bald Eagles' homecoming. Long scored on runs of two and 25 yards and tossed touchdown passes of 44 and six yards to tight end Dan Neuhaus.

West Chester got the scoring started when Nydair Rouse blocked a Lock Haven field goal attempt and Shaquille James returned it 64 yards for a touchdown.

The defense uncharacteristically allowed 388 yards, but limited Lock Haven to just 4 of 13 on third down and 23 minutes on time of possession. Linebacker Tyler Morrissey led the way with 16 tackles including two tackles for loss. Shane Griffin and Diquan Gilbert each registered sacks for the Golden Rams.

Scouting the Opponent:

Senior quarterback Cameron Tobias (104 of 180, 1,239 yards, 8 TD's, 11 int's) gets the bulk of the snaps, but freshman Ethan Persa (34 of 76, 495 yards, 2 TD's, 6 int's) has seen action in eight games this season. Top targets are Bryan Greene (32 catches, 419 yards, 1 TD), Nysir Minney-Gratz (22 catches, 278 yards, 2 TD's) and tight end Jalen Jackson (33 catches, 361 yards, 4 TD's). The running game is led by Chantz Swartz (106 carries, 715 yards, 4 TD's) and Ralph Hyland (76 carries, 297 yards, 1 TD).

Freshman Austyn Carson does all of the kicking. He averages 33 yards per punt, is 5 of 9 on field goals with a long of 36 yards and 13 of 16 on PAT's. Minney-Gratz is the primary return man and has returned a punt for an 84-yard touchdown.

Linebacker Obadiah Asare (71 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss), free safety Dontae Mason (68 tackles, 5 interceptions), and safety Javon Whitfield (62 tackles, 3 interceptions) are the Bald Eagles' top tacklers. Lineman Tony Dressler (15 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and nose guard Rashawn Williams (13 tackles, 2.5 sacks) lead the team in sacks.

Analysis:

This game appears to be a mismatch in almost every sense of the word. West Chester outscores its opponents by an average of 24 points per game while Lock Haven gets outscored by 29 points per game. The Bald Eagles offense can move the ball okay, but they've turned the ball over 28 times this season. Defensively, they allow a lot of yards through the air, but they do have ten interceptions, so it's not totally a free ride there. On special teams, this might be the game where Jarey Elder returns a punt for a score.

Both Atomic Football and Massey Ratings project the Golden Rams winning by at least five touchdowns.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats Audio Video

Note:

There will be a fan bus going to the Slippery Rock game. For more information and to register, click here