The fact that the passing game struggled is puzzling. Shippensburg allowed 411 yards to Slippery Rock and 336 yards to California. Sure they held Clarion to 104 yards and Bloomsburg to 147 yards through the air, but West Chester's passing game is considered to be more on par with the first two teams rather than the latter two.
In the first quarter, quarterback Paul Dooley (11 of 21, 167 yards, 1 TD, 3 int) hit Gabe Schappell in stride for a 67-yard catch-and-run touchdown. And when trailing 14-10 in the second quarter, Dooley made a perfect 37-yard pass to Kenny Edelin, followed by a 12-yard connection on third-and-ten to tight end Cody Boozel and a 24-yard strike to Dan Neuhaus to convert a third-and-nine. But for the remainder of the contest, Dooley struggled as he threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. Fans wondered that if he wasn't relieved in a game like that, what would it take. Sure Yahmir Wilkerson got his usual token snaps, but at no time were other quarterbacks loosening up on the sideline.
Midway through the third quarter, trailing 21-16, the Golden Rams took to the running game. Play after play was McKenzie and Phil Poquie, usually around the left side for chunks of yards. Wide receiver Lex Rosario, although held without a catch in the game, had numerous blocks that contributed to the effort.
Meanwhile, despite giving up 21 points, the defense had another solid game. Due to the turnovers, Shippensburg had great field position for the first three quarters, and two of their touchdown drives were from 22 and and 19 yards. But at the start of the fourth quarter, when the Raiders attempted a fourth-and-two from midfield, linebacker Jackson Taylor threw down Ship's big fullback for a four-yard loss. In Ship's next possession, Nyeem Jones and Ch'aim Smith teamed up on a tackle for loss and Smith registered a solo sack on the next play. Shippensburg's ensuing possession resulted in a three-and-out when linebacker Rashon Wiggins thwarted a third-and-one run. And later Jones forced a punt when he registered a solo nine-yard sack on a third down pass play.
But with West Chester holding a 29-21 lead (one WCU PAT was blocked while a two-point conversion failed), Shippensburg had 1:39 and three timeouts to navigate 75 yards. The Raiders chipped away and moved the ball to the West Chester 27 on a fourth-down conversion, but their only pass into the end zone got knocked down as time expired and the Golden Rams moved to 5-0. Former receiver Jalik Smith had a team-high seven tackles and freshman defensive back Shamar Edwards notched six stops.
Safety Jordan Burney didn't even make the trip, and the game took its toll on the Golden Rams' health as well. Before the end of the afternoon, Edelin was in a sling, cornerback Izaiah McPherson had to be helped off the field, defensive tackle Omar Peterkin was on the sideline without a helmet and defensive end Fulani Freeman, who applied good pressure despite not registering a sack, had ice wrapped around his groin. Kicker Andrew Chegia handled the second half kickoffs since George Lambritsios' kickoffs were noticeably short in the first half, however Lambritsios had another effective day punting.
West Chester Athletic Site - No. 14 West Chester Escapes Shippensburg With 29-21 Win
Shippensburg Athletic Site - Football Goes Toe-to-Toe With No. 14 West Chester But Falls Late, 29-21
Daily Local News - West Chester University overcomes 5 turnovers to avoid upset at Shippensburg
Shippensburg News-Chronicle - Shippensburg University football loses close game to West Chester despite strong defensive performance
The Slate Online - Red Raiders drop heartbreaker to No. 14 West Chester on final snap
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