Series History:
West Chester has won all four meetings in this series which started in 2016. The Golden Rams had dominating wins in 2017 and 2018, but needed late game heroics to win in both 2016 and 2019. Bentley head coach Bill Kavanaugh, the reigning Northeast-10 Coach of the Year, enters his seventh season at the helm with a record of 31-32. Meanwhile, Golden Ram head coach Bill Zwaan starts his 18th season at West Chester with an overall record of 144-62, including 11-3 against Northeast-10 opponents and 4-0 against Bentley.
Last Meeting:
09/07/2019 West Chester 14 - Bentley 7
Bentley dominated the line of scrimmage and therefore the time of possession, but West Chester managed to pull out the win. After trailing for almost three quarters of the game, the Golden Rams pulled even when Dan Neuhaus hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass. And it wasn't until there were just 23 seconds left in the game when Ja'Den McKenzie ripped off a 30-yard touchdown run to give West Chester the victory. McKenzie finished with 112 yards rushing while Neuhaus had three catches for 66 yards.
While West Chester's defense did not register a sack, they did have four quarterback hurries including two by Fulani Freeman. Safety Jordan Burney had 8 tackles including 2 tackles for loss, linebacker Jackson Taylor had 8 tackles and a pass breakup, and cornerback Sterlen Barr had 7 tackles and a pass breakup.
Scouting the Opponent:
Perkiomen Valley product Stephen Sturm was a first-team All-NE10 selection after 2019 and is in his final season for the Falcons, however he is still in search of his first touchdown pass against West Chester. In two and a half games against the Golden Rams (he entered midway through the contest in his freshman year), Sturm is 33 of 64, 51.6%, for 242 yards and two interceptions. He finished the 2019 season 186 of 299, 62.2%, for 2,221 yards, 14 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Sturm also averages 8 carries per game and netted 297 yards rushing in 2019. Academic All-American running back Andrew Brazicki (96 carries, 541 yards, 4 TD's) returns as a graduate student.
Right tackle Tim Leonard, a second-team All-NE10 performer in 2019, anchors the line which will be bolstered by Harvard transfer Gavin Olsen.
The Falcons' top returning receivers are Austin Ryan (36 catches, 423 yards, 3 TD's), Noah Neville (24 catches, 389 yards, 5 TD's), and NE-10 All-Rookie team member Tajon Vassar (12 catches, 110 yards).
On defense, cornerback Jailen Branch (49 tackles, 6 pass breakups) is Bentley's top returning tackler from 2019 when he earned third-team All-NE10 honors. Senior Manny Resto (51 tackles, 7 tackles for loss) will also patrol the secondary. Bentley added UMass transfer Cole McCubrey and Western Michigan transfer Roy McCree at linebacker.
Up front, first-team NE-10 defensive end Cedric Dashiell II (36 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles) will have to blocked as will his counterpart Steven Paulino (29 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble) who was on the Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team in 2018.
Analysis:
Massey Ratings projects a six-point West Chester victory.
Game Coverage:
PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 1
Bentley Athletic Site - After Missing 2020, Bentley Football Returns to Campus Sunday
Bentley Athletic Site - Parking Information for Visitors to Bentley Football Games
Bentley Athletic Site - Bentley Athletics Spectator Policy-Fall 2021
Bentley Athletic Site - Bentley Returns to the Gridiron Friday vs. West Chester
Noontime Sports - Noontime’s New England D2 Top Five Poll
D2football - Northeast-10 Columnist - NE10 Week One Preview
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