Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The Golden Rams (2-2, 0-1) host the Bloomsburg Huskies (1-3, 0-1) on Saturday in a PSAC East matchup. Kickoff for is scheduled for 2:00pm in a game that marks both homecoming and family day for West Chester University.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 52-28 and these two schools often play big games. The two schools have met twice in playoffs - in 2008 and again in 2013 - with both postseason games played in Bloomsburg. The Huskies took the 2008 contest while the Golden Rams won in 2013 en route to the NCAA Division II semi-finals. There was the homecoming debacle in 2011 when West Chester took a 35-0 second quarter lead only to see the Huskies rattle off 55 straight points and steal a 55-42 win. Last year's five-point Bloomsburg win was the largest margin for either team since 2016.

Former Bloomsburg All-American linebacker Frank Sheptock is in his third season as head coach at his alma and sports a 8-18 record. Bloomsburg is coming off a 7-0 loss at Shippensburg.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2013	Home	Loss	31-28	2017	Home	Loss	20-19
2013	Away	Win	40-38	2018	Away	Win	17-14
2014	Away	Loss	41-10	2019	Home	Win	20-17
2015	Home	Win	33-22	2021	Home	Win	21-20
2016	Away	Win	27-7	2022	Away	Loss	21-16

Last Meeting:

10/01/2022 Blooomsburg 21 - West Chester 16

The Huskies leveraged three big first half touchdowns - a 58-yard pass, a 43-yard punt return and an 88-yard fumble return - to grab a 21-3 halftime lead. The Golden Rams clawed back with two touchdowns in the second half, but ultimately fell 21-16. Except for the 58-yard touchdown pass, the West Chester defense was dominant and held the Huskies to a total of 169 yards, seven first downs, 0 for 12 on third-down conversions and a total of 45 offensive plays. Khalib Slaughter made five tackles while Daniel Hicks, Kaleb Brown, and Ayyub Dail all had tackles for loss.

Offensively, quarterback Ethan Kohler had 185 yards passing and 14 yards rushing, but unfortunately turned the ball over twice, including the costly fumble. He did complete a 15-yard scoring pass to tight end Thatcher Miller and Rahiem Bowens had two catches.

Scouting the Opponent:

Bloomsburg's best player is running back Kaleb Monaco (63 carries, 393 yds, 2 TD's). He was All-PSAC East last season and he's currently second in the conference in rushing with almost 96 yds/game. Quarterback KJ Riley (50 of 82, 585 yds, 2 TD's) doesn't put up big numbers, but he also hasn't thrown an interception. Receiver Jerry Griffen-Batchler (19 catches, 235 yds, 1 TD) and tight end Nas Jones (14 catches, 184 yds, 1 TD) are top targets. Tight end Matthew Bowes was All-PSAC East last year, but has not played this season.

Defensively, linebackers Ryan D'Ambra (27 TKL, 2 PBU, 3 QBH), Tom Goetz (27 TKL, 4.5 TFL, 2 int), and Brady Thompson (23 TKL, 1.5 TFL) lead the Huskies in tackles. Safety Quentin Gaskill (18 TKL, 1 int, 1 PBU) was All-PSAC East last season, but missed last week's game. Defensive back Nate Capers (15 TKL, 2 PBU, 2 QBH) is also troublesome in the secondary. Defensive end Kenny Yurkonis (16 TKL, 1 sack) and tackle Giovanni Cancro (9 TKL, 2 TFL) are charged with applying pressure up front.

Kicker Brendan McGonigle (1 of 3 FG) has converted a 40-yd field goal. Punter Kevin Carrigan averages 40 yds per punt and has 2 touchbacks on 12 kickoffs. Bloomsburg has had both a field goal and a punt blocked already this season.

Analysis:

With West Chester allowing over 200 yds/game rushing, expect to see a lot of Kaleb Monaco. And if the Golden Rams start to slow him down, there will be plenty of opportunity for Bloomsburg to run play action passes to the tight end. The Huskies aren't afraid of going for it on fourth down (5 of 7). The Golden Ram defense really needs to step up.

Bloomsburg leads the conference in defensive passing efficiency, has seven interceptions and has allowed just one passing touchdown, so it might be another tough day for West Chester's aerial attack. The Huskies defense only has three sacks, so if they drop everyone in coverage, it might give Cooper Jordan some opportunities to run. The Golden Rams might need big plays to score as Bloomsburg is second in the PSAC in red zone defense. Special teams favors West Chester.

Massey Ratings is expecting a 27-17 West Chester win and Versus Sports simulates a similar 28-16 West Chester victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - Homecoming and Family Weekend Arrive Along With Bloomsburg on Saturday

Coach Zwaan Podcast - Inside the Huddle with Coach Bill Zwaan: Episode 4

PSAC Site - PSAC Week 5 Football Notes

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Five Preview