Game Preview - Shepherd

The #12 Golden Rams (5-2, 3-1) travel to Shepherdstown, WV to take on the #11 Shepherd Rams (6-1, 3-1) on Saturday. Kickoff for Shepherd's homecoming in beautiful Ram Stadium is set for noon.

Series History:
Since Shepherd just joined the PSAC in 2019, these two teams have faced each other just two times with both games played in West Virginia. The first meeting was in 2013 in the NCAA Division II Regional Championship when the Golden Rams came away with a 28-7 victory. The only regular season meeting was in 2019 and Shepherd captured that contest by a score of 35-23 en route to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Last Meeting:

10/20/2019 Shepherd 35 - #12 West Chester 23

The Golden Rams surrendered over 400 yards passing while the offense committed four turnovers, so the final score doesn't look that bad, thanks in large part to five Shepherd turnovers. Without their starting quarterback, West Chester relied on freshman running back Ja'Den McKenzie (33 carries, 179 yards, 2 TD's) for most of its offense. Tight end Dan Neuhaus did register an 18-yard touchdown catch. But the defense didn't lay a hand on the Shepherd signal caller, and other than two picks, he had a big day. Defensively, linebacker Cole Zapf and tackle Joe DeSanto each had five tackles while Shamar Edwards had an interception.

Scouting the Opponent:

Shepherd is led by long-time assistant and fourth year head coach Ernie McCook and has a record of 23-7 entering Saturday's game.

Entering the season, quarterback Tyson Bagent (178 of 253, 2,432 yards, 28 TD's, 6 int's) was one of the top candidates for the Harlon Hill award and he has only improved that position as the season has progressed. He leads the country in passing yards, passing touchdowns and is second in passing efficiency. And he's being sacked less than once per game.

But it gets better. Ten different Shepherd Rams have caught touchdown passes this season and seven of them have double-digit catches. Redshirt freshman Ryan Beach (47 catches, 559 yards, 8 TD's) is a top target, but Clarion transfer Greg Leonard (21 catches, 298 yards, 5 TD's), Shippensburg transfer Josh Gontarek (22 catches, 481 yards, 2 TD's), and sophomore running back Ronnie Brown (11 catches, 304 yards, 3 TD's) all play a big part. Brown (55 carries, 563 yards, 5 TD's) averages a first down every time he runs the ball while Lock Haven transfer Chantz Swartz (53 carries, 393 yards, 6 TD's) averages "only" 7.4 yards per carry. Right tackle Joey Fisher was All-PSAC East in 2019 as a freshman.

The Shepherd defense touts four All-PSAC East players from 2019. Linebacker Chrys Lane (46 tackles, 1 sack, 4 QB hurries) and strong safety Ponce DeLeon (31 tackles, 1 int, 4 pass breakups) are the team's top two tacklers. Free saftey Antonio Fox (21 tackles, 5 pass breakups), tackle Juwan Addison (20 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss) are having great seasons again this year. Linebacker tackle Kyle Smith (27 tackles, 6.0 sacks) gets after the quarterback.

Since Shepherd scores so many touchdowns, they've only attempted three field goals. Gontarek is averaging ten yards per punt return. Against Shepherd, Shippensburg returned a kick off for a touchdown while Millersville returned a punt for a touchdown.

Analysis:

The approach doesn't change much this week from any of the past weeks. The Golden Rams need to successfully run the ball to both score points and keep the ball out of Bagent's hands. The Shepherd receivers are not big, but they are fast, which doesn't bode well for a West Chester secondary that often has receivers past them. It could be a long day for the Golden Rams, especially in front of a large and raucus Shepherd homecoming crowd. Root for wind.

Massey Ratings is projecting a nine-point Shepherd win.

Notes:
General admission tickets are $15 and are available online or at the gate.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes - Week 8

Shepherd Athletic Site - Shepherd Parking Map

Shepherd Athletic Site - 2021 Ram Press Box Report - Week 8

Martinsburg Journal - Shepherd entertains West Chester

Martinsburg Journal - Rams' Brown piles up yardage