Game Report - West Chester 38 - Millersville 7

The Golden Ram (3-1, 1-0) defense put a stop to the Millersville Marauders (0-4, 0-1) 38-7, to earn the win in the PSAC East opener for both teams.

Nate Desmond and Connor Noble converge on a tackle for loss
(Photo Chuck Greco)

Millersville entered the contest averaging 417 total yards and 288 passing yards per game, and West Chester limited them to just 217 yards and 94 yards respectively. The Golden Rams also picked off four Marauder passes and held Millersville to just four of 12 on third down conversions. Couple that WCU defensive effort with a rejuvinated rushing attack, and the Golden Rams owned a 17 minute advantage in time of possession.

Seamus McCain is facemasked and A.J. Sanders is held (Photo Chuck Greco)

West Chester opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Cooper Jordan took advantage of a Marauder busted coverage and found a wide open Robby Longo for a 46-yard touchdown. Earlier in the possession, Longo made a spectacular one-handed diving catch for 24 yards to convert a third down.

Robby Longo had 3 catches for 81 yards and a TD (Photo Chuck Greco)

In the second quarter, the Golden Rams went on a 14-play, 81-yard scoring drive that consumed eight minutes off the clock. On the possession, Juke Peaker rushed for 45 yards while Khalil Owens picked up seven yards - including the fourth-down, one-yard touchdown plunge.

Khalil Owens emerges from the line for a big gain (Photo Chuck Greco)

Meanwhile, the Golden Ram defense forced punts on Millersville's first four possessions, allowing a total of 47 yards along the way. And when the Marauders later approached the end zone, their pass was intercepted at the one by Jamir Reyes. Unfortunately, it only delayed a Millersville touchdown, but it would be their only one of the day as West Chester took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.

Jamir Reyes had two of WCU's four interceptions (Photo Chuck Greco)

The Golden Ram defense was even better after intermission. They forced a three-and-out, a turnover on downs, and interceptions by Ronnell McCorn, Reyes again, and Shamilyn Joppy. Defensive end Seamus McCain had 6 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and a QB hurry. And the linebackers shined: Connor Noble (9 tackles, 1 TFL), Johnny Pergine (8 tackles, 1 pass breakup), Maurice Beverly (5 tackles, 1 pass breakup).

Maurice Beverly pressures the Ville QB into a mistake (Photo Chuck Greco)

The West Chester offense did its part. Two possessions that ended with touchdown passes from Jordan to tight end Thatcher Miller, a 47-yard Rylan Zuk field goal and a one-yard Future Robertson touchdown run. West Chester's three running backs - Owens (13 carries, 87 yards), Peaker (8 carries, 45 yards) and Robertson (12 carries, 41 yards) - combined for 173 yards on the ground. In the passing game, while Jordan's completion rate wasn't great (15 of 30), he did throw for a season-high 285 yards and three touchdowns. Matthew Iuvara (4 catches, 85 yards) and Ivan Thorpe (5 catches, 60 yards) both made highlight reel catches in the game.

Matt Iuvara makes a leaping grab (Photo Chuck Greco)

The most troubling part of this contest was the Golden Ram penalties - 11 for 128 yards. Of Millersville's 15 first downs, five came via West Chester penalties. Gifting an opponent that many yards is not going to be as easy to overcome against the higher quality opponents remaining on the Golden Rams' schedule.

Zack Gillen had 27 yards on two punt returns.
Another 13-yard return was negated by a penalty. (Photo Chuck Greco)

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Walks Away From Millersville in Second Half, 38-7

Millersville Athletic Site - West Chester pulls away from Millersville with second half surge

Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Millersville

Game Replay

Game Preview - Millersville

The Golden Rams (2-1) open PSAC East play by traveling to Millersville to take on the Marauders (0-3). Kickoff at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium is scheduled for Saturday at noon.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 73-18. J.C. Morgan (Bucknell '04) is currently in his seventh season as head coach of the Marauders and entered 2025 with a 15-51 career record.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2014	Home	Win	62-7	2019	Away	Win	48-7
2015	Away	Win	48-3	2021	Away	Win	42-14
2016	Home	Win	52-0	2022	Home	Win	26-14
2017	Away	Win	27-24	2023	Away	Loss	23-14
2018	Home	Win	42-16	2024	Home	Win	41-23

Last Meeting:

10/27/2024 West Chester 41 - Millersville 23

The Golden Rams scored touchdowns on six of their nine possessions and coasted to a 41-23 homecoming win. Quarterback Cooper Jordan only threw 12 passes, but three of them resulted in touchdowns. Jordan picked up 218 yards and two scores on just 15 carries to advance the offense. The defense was led by Johnny Pergine (10 tackles), Jack Fry (9 tackles), and Seamus McCain (6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QBH, 2 PBU).

Scouting the Opponent:

Quarterback Ryan Zeltt (50 of 90, 654 yards, 5 TD's, 4 int) missed the Marauders' last game due to an injury and was replaced by redshirt freshman Tommy Hunsicker (22 of 39, 211 yards, 1 TD, 2 int). Receivers Colin Hastings (14 catches, 233 yards, 1 TD), Isaac Sines (14 catches, 204 yards, 2 TD's), and Kam Taylor (13 catches, 156 yards, 1 TD) are all among the conference leaders. The running game is distributed among Post transfer Isaiah Emmanuel (27 caries, 150 yards, 3 TD's), Quincy and Concord transfer JQ Brown (28 carries, 112 yards) and Jose Lopez (19 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD).

Millersville's top tacklers are linebackers Bryce Beutler (29 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2 sacks), Ryan Aument (26 tackles), and Christopher Pierce (20 tackles, 3 QBH). Bishop Shanahan's Nick Romano (17 tackles, 1 PBU) patrols the secondary and defensive lineman Max Hostetter (15 tackles, 1 sack, 3 QBH) applies pressure up front.

Trent McDowell handles all of the kicking duties, punting for an average of 36 yards and converting 3 of 7 field goals with a long of 28 yards.

Analysis:

Even with the change at quarterback, the Millersville offense continues to put up points, averaging 28 per game. With 43 pass attempts per game, they're second in the PSAC in passing offense with 288 yards per game, however, they lead the conference in interceptions thrown, so there should be some opportunities in the secondary for the best passing defense in the conference.

The glaring issue is the Millersville defense. They're last in the conference in scoring (an eye-popping 52 points per game), total yards (586 per game) and passing yards (397 per game), and second to last in rushing yards (190 per game). The West Chester passing offense has been less than stellar this season, but it might be hard to get that aspect of the game in order without running up the score.

Massey Ratings is expecting a 38-21 West Chester win, while Versus Sports simulates a wider 53-26 margin for the Golden Rams.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Lifts Lid on Conference Slate at Millersville Saturday

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 4 Notes

Millersville Athletic Site - Marauders return home to start PSAC East action

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Four Preview

Player News - Cooper Jordan Named PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week

For his efforts in West Chester's 34-16 win over Seton Hill, senior quarterback Cooper Jordan has been named PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week.

Jordan accounted for 336 - 224 passing, 112 rushing - of West Chester's 406 yards and played a role in all five of the Golden Rams' touchdowns - 3 passing, 2 rushing. He scored on runs of 18 and 3 yards and threw touchdown passes of 20, 41 and 20 yards to three different receivers. West Chester reached the end zone on four of their first five possessions to put the game out of reach by halftime.

Cooper Jordan accounted for 336 yards and 5 TD's against Seton Hill
(Photo Chuck Greco)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - Week 3

West Chester Athletic Site - Cooper Jordan Named PSAC East Athlete of the Week

Game Report - West Chester 34 - Seton Hill 16

The Golden Rams (2-1) used a big first half from their defense and quarterback Cooper Jordan to coast to a 34-16 over the Seton Hill Griffins (2-2) in the Golden Rams' 2025 home opener and the unveiling of Tomlinson-Fillippo Field at Farrell Stadium

In the first 30 minutes, the Griffins managed just 97 yards and four first downs while not converting on any of their five third downs. Conversely, Jordan threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 79 yards and two more scores. Both of his touchdown passes came on scrambles, a 20-yard dump-and-run to Future Robertson and the other a 41-yard catch-and-run to Matthew Iuvara. Iuvara finished with four catches for 84 yards. West Chester took a comfortable 27-3 into the locker room.

Cooper Jordan spins away from tacklers en route to the end zone
(Photo Chuck Greco)

The second half was quite a different ball game. After the WCU forced their third three-and-out of the game, the Golden Ram offense started at their own 12-yard line and got rather conservative. Five straight running plays moved the ball to the 21 and on third-and-14, Cooper was flushed out of the pocket and heaved a prayer to midfield that was miraculously caught by Ivan Thorpe (3 catches, 68 yards). West Chester would eventually end the series on downs. The situation turned darker when Seton Hill went 57 yards in less than three minutes to close the score to 27-9. The Golden Ram offense got into field position, but Rylan Zuk, who missed a PAT earlier in the game, slid his 40-yard field goal attempt wide right.

Future Robertson eludes Griffin tackles (Photo Chuck Greco)

Linebacker Ricardo Delgado broke Wes Chester out of the funk with an 18-yard strip sack that Nate Desmond attempted to scoop-and-score. Although Seton Hill retained possession, the Griffins were forced to punt for the sixth time in the game. From midfield, the Golden Ram offense went three-and-out on three straight running plays. After a first half that had four consecutive touchdown drives, the second half possessions were turnover on downs, missed field goal, punt after a three-and-out.

Johnny Pergine wraps up a Griffin ball carrier (Photo Chuck Greco)

Once again Seton Hill was moving the ball well until redshirt freshman Miles Goodwin picked off a pass and returned it 20 yards. That eventually led to a Jordan to Robby Longo 20-yard touchdown pass to finalize West Chester's scoring.

For a team that struggled to finish games last season - three of the first four losses came in the final minute of play - the second half of this game was reminiscent of 2024 except today's first half lead was too large. In the final possession of the game, Seton Hill's touchdown went 64 yards in less than a minute, aided in part by 30 yards of WCU penalties, and that was with the defensive starters still on the field.

Nate Desmond and Connor Noble put a stop to this play (Photo Chuck Greco)

Linebacker Connor Noble led the defense with 12 tackles and a quarterback hurry that led to Goodwin's interception. Fellow linebacker Johnny Pergine made nine tackles and registered a six-yard sack. Running back Khalil Owens had 38 yards on 11 carries. Punter Dylan Shank averaged 40.5 yards on his only two punts, but dropped one at 10 and the other at the 6. Senior safety Jimmy Wright left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury.

Ricardo Delgado sacks the QB for an 18-yard loss (Photo Chuck Greco)

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - Jordan Leads West Chester Past Seton Hill in Home Opener, 34-16

Seton Hill Athletic Site - SHU Drops PSAC Crossover With West Chester

Daily Local News - Dynamic Jordan accounts for 300-plus yards, 5 TDs in WCU’s win

Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Seton Hill

Game Replay

Game Preview - Seton Hill

In their final game before division play commences, the Golden Rams (1-1) host the Seton Hill Griffins (2-1) on Saturday. Kickoff for West Chester's first home game of 2025 at Tomlinson-Fillippo Field at Farrell Stadium is set for 2:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester owns a 4-1 lead in the series. The Golden Rams won handily in both 2014 and 2018 in Greensburg, and held on in a shootout in 2015 in West Chester. In 2019, the Golden Rams' defense dominated in a shutout victory in Farrell Stadium. The Griffins captured their first win in the series last season.

Last Meeting:

09/21/2024 Seton Hill 27 - West Chester 24

On a hot and stormy day in Greensburg, both offenses got off to a slow start. After trailing 14-7 halftime, the Golden Rams seemingly took control in the third quarter by scoring 17 points and entered the final period with a 24-14 lead. However, Seton Hill would score the final 14 points, including the game-winning touchdown with a minute left in the contest.

While quarterback Cooper Jordan amassed 364 yards of offense and two touchdowns, he also threw four interceptions and was sacked thrice. Cornerback Matt Marshall led the defense with 11 tackles, including a tackle for loss, and an interception.

Scouting the Opponent:

Ky'Ron Craggette (60 carries, 272 yards, 3 TD's) is a two-time first team All-PSAC West running back who entered the transfer portal after last season. Despite having interest from Maine and UTEP, he returned to Seton Hill for his final season. Craggette is currently sixth in the conference in rushing, averaging 91 yards/game. Sophomore quarterback Boden St Marie (40 of 70, 564 yards, 6 TD's, 3 int; 27 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD) is the Griffins' second leading rusher and is currently sixth in the conference in passing efficiency. St Marie's primary targets are 6'3 tight end Isaac Ashley (10 catches, 161 yards, 2 TD's), 6'2 senior receiver Clint Washington (6 catches, 113 yards, 1 TD) and 6'4 tight end Jermere Jones (5 catches, 93 yards, 1 TD).

Defensively, linebackers D'Kairi Boone (28 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 PBU) and All-PSAC West Ritchie McCormack (28 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 QBH) lead the way. In the secondary, cornerback Darius Patterson (6 tackles, 3 int) leads the PSAC in interceptions, including a 74-yard pick-six at West Liberty, while strong safety Demitri Whitehead (12 tackles, 1 PBU) was All-PSAC West last season. Defensive end Anthony Stribling (19 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 5.0 sacks) is second in the country in sacks.

Freshman kicker Rayyan Bataineh has converted 11 of his 12 PAT attempts and has made one 33-yard field goal while missing two other attempts. Defensive back Drew Zimmerman returned a punt for a 38-yard touchdown at Fairmont St. Head coach Kevin May is in his second season at the helm of the Griffins, going 3-8 last season.

Analysis:

After knocking off the Golden Rams last season, Seton Hill lost six of their last seven games in 2024 to finish 3-8. But they've now won two in a row, including last week's 31-28 win over Bloomsburg when they came back from a 21-10 fourth quarter deficit and scored the final 14 points, including the game winner with less than a minute to play (just like their last year's game against the Golden Rams). Craggette put up 132 yards and two touchdowns against West Chester last year and is off to another good start this season, so defensive coordinator Nick Brady needs to game plan for him (and a couple of big tight ends) this Saturday. The Griffins are a perfect 9 for 9 in the red zone and are averaging 31 points/game.

West Chester was hurt by interceptions in last year's game and the Griffins are ball hawking again this season with a PSAC-high four interceptions. Seton Hill has sacked the oppostion 12 times through three games, so expect pressure up front. The smart approach may be to keep the ball on the ground where Seton Hill is allowing 188 yards/game and West Chester can do that effectively with Jordan, Ali Barkley, Juke Peaker (if he's back after missing last week), and Future Robertson.

Rylan Zuk has been perfect for West Chester on kick scoring, but Golden Ram fans should be concerned when either team punts.

Versus Sports projects a 13-point Golden Ram win and Massey Ratings expects a touchdown victory for West Chester.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Welcomes Seton Hill for Reimagined Football Game Day Home Opener

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 3 Notes

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Three Preview

Game Report - #10/#14 California 26 - West Chester 24

The Golden Rams (1-1) made FAR too many mistakes, especially on the road against a top-ten team in the country. But yet with over a minute to play in the game, West Chester had the ball at their own 32-yard line with a chance to drive the field and kick a game-winning field goal. But it was not to be as California (2-0) held on to a 26-24 win in a PSAC East-West crossover contest.

It took three Cal defenders to stop Ali Barkley (Photo Chuck Greco)

It didn't take long for things to go awry. After the Golden Ram defense forced an early punt, Zack Gillen fumbled the punt and the Vulcans recovered at the WCU 6-yard line. It took all four downs, but California got into the end zone to take an early 7-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Jamir Robertson muffed the ball into the end zone. Rather than take the touchback, he decided to bring the ball out of the end zone and was downed at the WCU 2-yard line. A Golden Ram holding penalty on the play pushed the line of scrimmage back to the one. After West Chester picked up a couple of first downs, Robertson got in the path of the shotgun snap and California recovered the fumble. The Golden Ram defense held strong for three plays, but the short field enabled California to convert a 37-yard field goal. So eight minutes in, the West Chester defense allowed only 25 yards, but ten points.

Nate Desmond and Ronnell McCorn team up on a tackle (Photo Chuck Greco)

Fortunately, the West Chester offense found some rhythm. Quarterback Cooper Jordan led the purple and gold on a 17-play, 67-yard drive that consumed almost eight minutes off the clock. Along the way was an Ethan Kohler 13-yard scramble for a first down and a gutsy fourth down, 22-yard completion from Jordan to Matthew Iuvara. Even though the drive only resulted in a Rylan Zuk 25-yard field goal, the Golden Rams were on the board. Later in the second quarter, Jordan completed a 41-yard pass to Iuvara which eventually led to an Ali Barkley 3-yard touchdown run. Defensive back Kaleb Brown nabbed his second interception of the season which capped a rather dominating defensive first half for West Chester - just 102 total yards and 1 of 7 on third down conversions.

Nick Rogers drags down the Cal quarterback (Photo Chuck Greco)

To open the second half, the two teams traded three-and-outs. On West Chester's second possession, Jordan scrambled 58 yards to convert a third-and-ten and later completed a 19-yard pass to Iuvara for a touchdown. The stunned Vulcans were now trailing 17-13 midway through the third quarter. Once again, bad field position and mistakes reared their ugly head for the Golden Rams. On a fourth-and-two from the WCU 21, Luke Vereb's snap sailed high. Although punter Dylan Shank, was able to corrale it, his punt was blocked out of the back of the end zone and West Chester's lead was trimmed to 17-15 entering the final period.

Cooper Jordan blows by a Cal defender (Photo Chuck Greco)

The Vulcans, aided by a WCU personal foul, scored a quick touchdown to go up 23-17. After the Golden Ram offense had the ball for less than a minute before punting, the WCU defense had its worst series of the day. Ultimately California only converted a 35-yard field goal, but it put the Vulcans up 26-17 and the possession consumed over eight minutes off the clock. With just over two minutes to play in the game, Jordan completed an 18-yard pass to Ivan Thorpe, rushed for 14 yards and completed a 33-yard strike to Iuvara to set up Khalil Owens' four-yard touchdown run. In the end, it wasn't enough as the Vulcans held on for the 26-24 win.

Khalil Owens muscles his way into the end zone (Photo Chuck Greco)

Overall, the Golden Ram defense, especially the pass defense (82 net yards), had a great game. In addition to Brown's pick, cornerback Gus Ross had two pass breakups while defensive end Nate Desmond and safety Jimmy Wright each had one. There was good pressure up front as Seamus McCain and Ricardo Delgado each registered a solo sack. Desmond led the D with ten tackles while linebackers Johnny Pergine and Connor Noble each had eight.

Ricardo Delgado registers an 8-yard sack (Photo Chuck Greco)

Offensively it was a big day for Iuvara who had four catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Jordan had 86 yards rushing, but struggled passing (9 of 23, 180 yards, 1 TD, 1 int, 2 sacks). Barkley picked up 56 yards and a score.

Matt Iuvara hauled in 4 passes for 115 yards (Photo Chuck Greco)

Sortable Box Score    Coaches Box Score

West Chester Athletic Site - Late Comeback Bid By Golden Rams Falls Short at No. 10 Cal

California Athletic Site - Vulcans capture victory against West Chester

CUTV Sports - California vs West Chester 2025 Highlights

Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - California

Game Replay

Game Preview - #10/#14 California

The Golden Rams (1-0) cross the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to battle the #10/#14 California Vulcans (1-0) on Saturday in Adamson Stadium. Kickoff for this PSAC crossover game is set for noon.

Series History:
Prior to this millennia, West Chester held a 4-0 advantage in the series. But from 2007 to 2009, the next four games went to California. This was the same three-year period that the Vulcans were winning the PSAC West and the NCAA Super Region 1. Included in this time frame were two meetings in 2008 when West Chester made their way out to California to open the season on a hot August day and then again for the PSAC championship game on a cold and windy November afternoon. However, the Golden Rams have won three of the past four meetings and West Chester now holds a 7-5 lead in the series. A former Vulcan offensive lineman and reigning PSAC West Coach of the Year, California's Gary Dunn entered his tenth season as head coach with a 66-24 record and qualified for the playoffs in 2016, 2017 and 2024, including advancing to the quarterfinals in both 2016 and 2024.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
1994	Away	Win	60-14	2009	Home	Loss	30-23
1995	Home	Win	25-24	2012	Away	Win	37-34
2007	Home	Loss	30-14	2013	Home	Win	38-31
2008	Away	Loss	44-32	2019	Home	Win	20-19
2008	Away	Loss	47-36	2024	Home	Loss	38-28

Last Meeting:

09/14/2024 California 38 - West Chester 28

The Vulcans took a commanding 31-7 lead into the final quarter. While the Golden Rams scored three touchdowns in the final stanza, the Vulcans tacked on another score and held on by a final score of 38-28. California piled up 236 yards rushing which led to a five minute advantage in time of possession. For the Golden Ram offense, Cooper Jordan threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 45 yards. Linebacker Connor Noble made 12 tackles and Luke Trunell made ten tackles and forced a fumble while Seamus McCain registered a sack.

Scouting the Opponent:

The Vulcans lost 12 All-PSAC West players from last year's team, including receiver Eric Willis III who is now at UTEP, defensive back Rashan Murray who is now at Pitt, and defensive lineman Julien Laventure who is now at Akron.

On offense, their best returning players are running back Bobbie Boyd, Jr. (15 carries, 108 yards last week) and receiver D'Avay Johnson (5 catches, 73 yards). Indiana (not IUP) transfer Roman Purcell (18 of 28, 174 yards, 1 int) has taken over at quarterback.

Defensively, free safety Alexie Sangster, Jr. (9 tackles, 1 int, 1 PBU) is the reigning PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week and is joined by cornerback Khalil Taylor (1 tackle, 2 PBU's) and strong safety Keith Charney (5 tackles, 1 sack) in the secondary. Linebacker Grant Hopple made 9 tackles and linebacker Daniel Long (5 tackles, 1 QBH) had 2 of the team's 6 tackles for loss last week.

Kicker Harry Radcliffe converted 3 of 4 field goal attempts, including two 40-yarders to earn PSAC West Special Teams Athlete of the Week. Freshman Kenny Lewis IV had a 76-yard punt return for touchdown last week.

Analysis:

Dating back to last season, the Vulcans are playing thier ninth consecutive home game, including a 23-19 win over #12 Charleston last week. In that game, Cal had just one long drive (10 plays, 76 yards) and it only resulted in a field goal. Their two touchdowns came on a 34-yard drive and a 76-yard punt return. So it's imperative for the Golden Rams to not give the Vulcans good starting field position. Far more than last week, West Chester will be tested on the offensive line and in the defensive secondary.

Versus Sports simulates a 30-20 Vulcan triumph while Massey Ratings predicts a similar 31-21 California victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video   Game Program

West Chester Athletic Site - Golden Rams Travel to No. 10 Cal U For Saturday Matinee

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 2 Notes

California Athletic Site - Preview: West Chester at California

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Two Preview