Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The Golden Rams (0-3, 0-0) open PSAC East play at long-time rival Bloomsburg (2-1, 0-0) on Saturday. Kickoff at Danny Hale Field at Redman Stadium is scheduled for 2:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 53-28 and these two schools historical have played 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. The past six games have been decided by a total of 16 points.

Former Bloomsburg All-American linebacker Frank Sheptock entered his fourth season as head coach at his alma with a record of 12-24.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
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
2017	Home	Loss	20-19	2023	Home	Win	24-21 OT

Last Meeting:

09/30/2023 West Chester 24 - Blooomsburg 21 OT

Connor Noble registered a game-high 11 tackles, including a sack on the final play of the game to preserve a West Chester 24-21 overtime victory. Golden Ram kicker Sean Henry missed the potential game-winning 30-yard field as time expired in regulation, but redeemed himself by converting a 34-yarder in the extra session.

D'Shaun Seals had a big game with 6 catches for 61 yards and a 60-yard punt return for touchdown. Cooper Jordan threw for 100 yards and ran for 66 yards and a score.

Scouting the Opponent:

Offensively, true freshman running back Jake Williams (44 carries, 230 yards, 1 TD) is fifth in the PSAC in rushing while redshirt freshman Riley Parker (14 carries, 87 yards, 5 TD's) is second in the conference in scoring. Graduate student Ben Ries (23 of 40, 342 yards, 2 TD's, 4 int's) has started the first three games at quarterback, but junior KJ Riley (16 of 21, 278 yards, 2 TD's, 0 int's) brought the Huskies back from a 12-6 halftime deficit to a 32-27 win over Edinboro last week, so it would be surprising not to see Riley running things on Saturday. Wide receivers Gabe Brower (14 catches, 219 yards, 1 TD) and Jerry Griffen-Batchler (11 catches, 203 yards, 2 TD's) are the primary targets, although tight end Matthew Bowes (4 catches, 106 yards) also has to be covered.

Defensive tackle Giovanni Cancro (13 TKL, 1.5 TFL, 1 PBU) and linebacker Tom Goetz (13 TKL, 1.5 sacks) were both All-PSAC East selections after last season. Linebackers Ryan D'Ambra (25 tackles, 1.0 sack) and Brady Thompson (26 tackles, 3.5 TFL) are among the conference leaders in tackles. Up front, the Huskies are getting significant contributions from defensive end John Aston (11 tackles, 1.5 sacks). In the secondary, Cole Turner (17 TKL, 1 int, 3 PBU), Nate Capers (17 TKL, 2 PBU) and Ryan Woertz (10 TKL, 2 PBU) lead the way.

Analysis:

This game appears to be another major challenge for the Golden Ram defense which is last in the PSAC in yards allowed. The Huskies are second in the PSAC in rushing (187 yards/game) and in third-down conversion rate (45.7%) which gives them an advantage in time of possession. And the Bloomsburg passing game may be equally difficult if they stay with the more effective Riley. Meanwhile, all of West Chester's running backs combined have fewer carries than their quarterback, and only two teams in the PSAC have thrown more interceptions than the Golden Rams, so points may be at a premium for the visitors. West Chester does have an advantage in the kicking game as Bloomsburg is 0 for 1 in field goals, 9 of 11 in PAT's, had a punt blocked for a touchdown and have yet to have a kickoff for a touchback. Can the Golden Ram defense contain Bloomsburg and the West Chester offense limit turnovers enough for special teams to matter?

Massey Ratings is expecting a 24-23 West Chester win while Versus Sports simulates a 27-19 Bloomsburg victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Hits the Road Again for PSAC East Opener at Bloomsburg

PSAC Site - 2024 PSAC Football Week 4 Notes

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Game Notes Week 4: Bloomsburg vs West Chester

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Four Preview