Quarterback Cooper Jordan looked like the reigning PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Year by throwing for 134 yards, rushing for 136 yards, and accounting for all three West Chester touchdowns. But more than that, he looked like a three-year starter - taking care of the ball i.e. no turnovers in the game, picking the right times to scramble, and sliding safely when he had gained enough yards on a play.
There are so many new faces and questions for this season's team, so let's try to unpack as many as possible.
- In the first half, the West Chester defense surrendered 158 yards, 8 first downs and 13 points. After intermission, they allowed just 43 yards, 2 first downs, and 5 minutes of possession time with most of that coming on Bentley's final possession when the Golden Rams were in preservation mode. The second half consisted of four three-and-outs and a Kaleb Brown interception. And while it was a dominating defensive display, no player had more than five tackles, so it was a total team effort.
- What's with the new purple helmets? Three different WCU players lost their lids during play in the first five minutes of the game, including Jordan on a second down run. Reserve Ethan Kohler stepped in and completed a pass to tight end Thatcher Miller to move the chains.
Zack Gillen turns up field after a catch (Photo Chuck Greco)- While there was a lot of preseason talk about VMI transfer receiver Ivan Thorpe making an impact, he was not dressed for the game.
- Captains were Cooper Jordan, Nate Desmond, and Thatcher Miller.
- There was some experimentation on kickoffs. In the first half, kicker Tommy Pajic was popping the ball up, which resulted in one out-of-bounds call, and all three Bentley possessions starting at the 30-yard line or better each time. In the second half, he boomed the kickoffs deep, forcing one touchback and worse starting field position for the Falcons. Hey, how cool is it that WCU kicked off six times in the game?
Jamir Robertson breaks a 15-yard run (Photo Chuck Greco)- After four seasons of Sean Henry (143 PAT's, 33 FG's) handling the place kicking chores, head coach Duke Greco had to turn to someone new this year. R-FR Rylan Zuk was solid, converting all three PAT attempts, and field goals of 25, 32 (as time expired in the first half) and 24 (with less than four minutes left to seal the win).
- With last season's top three running backs gone, who, besides Jordan, was going to get the bulk of the carries? The answer is not one guy. Juke Peaker (16 carries, 54 yards), Ali Barkley (12 carries, 49 yards), and Jamir Robertson (5 carries, 27 yards) all ran the ball effectively, giving the Golden Rams options in the running game.
Connor Noble and Johnny Pergine join forces on a tackle (Photo Chuck Greco)- Speaking of options, we saw a lot of the quarterback option play. With Jordan's running threat, defenses have to key on him - giving the pitch man good opportunities to get outside.
- The season preview article examined positions on both sides of the ball except the offensive line. Offensive line coach Nick Sama put together a group that also had a solid outing. From left to right - Jake Phipps, Cole Evans, Donovan Jones, Owen Chaffinch and Cole Kozlowski - paved the way for 417 yards of offense with just two holding calls. Center Jones has the most experience, having started 27 games over the past three seasons, but those were all at Lock Haven. Prior to Saturday, Evans started six games after Caelan Krasley got hurt last season, Phipps had made nine appearances in two seasons for the Golden Rams, while Chaffinch and Kozlowski had not played at their respective previous institutions.
- Also in the area of blocking, a big shout out to Mitch Ragni and Ryan Johnston. They were both involved in springing guys for big gains and Ragni "helped" Jordan on his third quarter, one-yard touchdown run.
- Monmouth transfer receiver Matthew Iuvara had a great leaping 36-yard touchdown reception on West Chester's first possession of the second half to give the Golden Rams the lead for good. Unfortunately he did have two drops in the game, one of which looked to be a sure 55-yard touchdown.
- It was a nice WCU debut for defensive tackle Anthony Delle Donne. He batted down a Bentley pass and registered three tackles, including an 8-yard solo sack. Also picking up sacks on the day were Debrick Johnson and Khalif Kemp.
Anthony Delle Donne registers an 8-yard sack (Photo Chuck Greco)- Junior receiver Darrell Brown had an up-and-down day. In the second quarter, on one play he had a deep pass go right through his hands and on another play, he made the catch but fumbled it away. In the third quarter, he maintained his concentration and caught a deflected pass for a first down.
- Another purple and gold debut was cornerback Gus Ross. Ross made four solo tackles, including a six-yard tackle for loss.
- It appears that the Golden Rams are still trying to figure out punt returns. Zack Gillen let the first two roll harmlessly to a stop, caught the next one before getting hammered, and had a five-yard return on the fourth.
West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Pulls Away in Second Half for 30-13 Win in Football Opener
Bentley Athletic Site - Osgood's 43-yard rushing touchdown highlights Bentley's season opener
Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Bentley
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