Game Preview - Shippensburg

In a battle to determine fifth place in the PSAC East, West Chester University (4-5, 2-4) travels to Seth Grove Stadium to take on the Shippensburg Raiders (2-7, 2-4) on Saturday at 1:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 32-13-1. Two-time AFCA Division II Region 1 Coach of the Year and Shippensburg alumnus Mark Maciejewski is in his 15th season as head coach and has a record of 87-68.

In one of the most memorable games in West Chester football history, Golden Ram quarterback Sean McCartney made his first collegiate start and threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns to lead West Chester to a 44-43 victory in two overtimes in a nationally televised Thursday night game in 2010. The following year, West Chester laid a 52-17 loss on the Raiders, but Shippensburg returned the favor in 2012, beating West Chester 42-24 on homecoming at Farrell Stadium, and continued on to the PSAC championship game and the NCAA playoffs that year.

In 2013, Shawn Leo booted a 26-yard field goal with one second left to give West Chester the thrilling victory. And in 2017, West Chester defeated Shippensburg on the road in October, only to have to do it again in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2015	Away	Loss	27-11	2019	Away	Win	29-21
2016	Home	Win	31-15	2021	Away	Loss	34-18
2017	Away	Win	37-27	2022	Home	Loss	20-13
2017	Away	Win	27-6	2023	Away	Win	38-28
2018	Home	Win	28-21	2024	Home	Win	28-10

Last Meeting:

10/05/2024 West Chester 28 - Shippensburg 10

Cooper Jordan ran for three touchdowns and threw for one to account for all of West Chester's scoring in a 28-10 victory. The Golden Ram defense held the Raiders to just 53 yards on its first four possessions and didn't permit a score in Ship's final four possessions to maintain the WCU lead.

Linebacker Connor Noble had a game-high 17 tackles and added a sack and an interception while Johnny Pergine made 11 tackles. Nate Desmond and Luke Trunell combined for five of West Chester's eight QB hurries.

Scouting the Opponent:

Shippensburg's passing offense is led by sophomore quarterback Riley Gunnels (194 of 313, 1,825 yards, 11 TD's, 10 int's). His primary targets are wide receiver Jaevon Parker (34 catches, 359 yards, 3 TD's), wide receiver Ty Neal (29 catches, 299 yards, 2 TD's) and tight end Landon Bailey (19 catches, 174 yards, 3 TD's). The running game has struggled since Josiah Leonard (54 carries, 169 yards) has missed the last four games and the Raiders have turned to Ethan Arneson (78 carries, 318 yards, 1 TD).

On special teams, Wilson Ingerski does all of the kicking duties for Shippensburg, averaging 40 yards per punt while dropping 12 of his 44 kicks inside the 20. He's 3 of 4 on field goals with a long of 44 and perfect on his 14 PAT attempts. Seven of his 27 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks. Although Tobee Stokes is their primary kickoff return man, Kal-El Durham took one back 89 yards for a touchdown against Lock Haven.

Linebacker Nate Myers (82 tackles, 11.5 TFL) is third in the PSAC in tackles. He's joined in the middle of the field by Alex Sauve (57 tackles, 4.5 TFL). Up front Ty Millhimes (14 tackles, 2.5 sacks) is among sack leaders on the team. Defensive backs Darvens Tunis (27 tackles, 7 PBU) and DJ Jackson (45 tackles, 6 PBU) keep the opponent's passing game in check.

Analysis:

These two teams have had the same fate within the division, as both have defeated Bloomsburg and Millersville while falling to the other four schools. Although somewhat better at home, the youthful Shippensburg offense has struggled and within the conference ranks last in scoring, total offense, and near the bottom in rushing. While the Raiders have had more success in the passing game, they also yield sacks (35) and interceptions (10) which should bode well for the Golden Ram defense. Against the Shippensburg defense, West Chester should be able to move the ball effectively both through the air and on the ground.

Massey Ratings is expecting a 30-17 West Chester win while Versus Sports simulates a 29-14 Golden Ram victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Heads to Shippensburg For Final Road Game of 2025

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 10 Notes

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Ten Preview