Game Preview - Mercyhurst

West Chester (1-0) opens PSAC play when they host the Mercyhurst Lakers (0-1) at Farrell Stadium at noon on Saturday. Mercyhurst is coming off a 27-21 loss to Bentley in Waltham, MA last Saturday. In that game, the Lakers' offense struggled mightily as they managed a total of only 150 yards and only 44 of that came on the ground. Meanwhile, West Chester is coming off a 35-30 win over New Haven. Both New Haven and Bentley are members of the Northeast-10 conference.

Due to a rule change approved by the PSAC athletic directors in the offseason, all conference games, including crossover games against the West, will count in the division standings. Although this seems illogical due to the unbalanced nature of the crossover schedule, it is something that all teams need to consider.

Series History:

After spending ten seasons in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Mercyhurst just joined the PSAC in 2008. So these two teams have only faced each other once, with the Golden Rams defeating the Lakers 45-13 in 2009 at Farrell Stadium.

Last Meeting:

11/07/2009 West Chester 45 - Mercyhurst 13

In one of the most anti-climatic games in recent memory, the Golden Rams manhandled the Lakers in their first ever visit to Chester County. At the start of the 2009 season, the Golden Rams were coming off five consecutive playoff appearances and were picked to finished second in the PSAC East. But two division losses by a total of six points dashed any hope of extending the playoff streak to six years. Despite having little to play for, West Chester put on a dominating performance on both sides of the ball.

While no Golden Ram defender had more than five tackles in the game, the defense held Mercyhurst to just 50 yards rushing, 148 yards passing and 12 first downs. Both Sam Scott and Mike Dell registered interceptions on senior day. The West Chester offense was also very balanced as Dan DePalma and Steven Miller each had five catches for over 100 yards. That feat had not been repeated until Tim Keyser and Erick Brundidge did it last season against Kutztown.

Scouting the Lakers:

It's no secret that the Lakers offense centers on junior running back Brandon Brown-Dukes. Brown-Dukes rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, earning All-PSAC West first team and Don Hansen All-Super Region One third team honors after both of those seasons. One of the reasons for his success is senior right guard Ben Gysin who has started every game in his first three years at Mercyhurst. Senior tight end R.J. Miller is a two-time All-PSAC West selection and ECAC All-Star. Junior wide receiver Jaquan Williams (33 catches, 493 yards, 3 TD's) is the top returning receiver for the Lakers.

The Mercyhurst 3-3-5 defense is led by All-PSAC West linebacker Pat Behm (71 tackles, 2.0 TFL's, 1 interception). Senior safety Colin Kimball (57 tackles, 3.0 TFL's, 6 interceptions returned for 151 yards and 2 TD's) was All-PSAC West and an Academic All-American last season and a two time preseason All-American this year. Sophomore nose guard Ryan Carroll (24 tackles, 8.0 TFL's) was the ECAC Defensive Rookie of the Year last season.

Marty Schaetzle (63-70) is now in his 13th season as head coach at Mercyhurst. He guided the Lakers to their best season (10-3) in school history in 2010 when they defeated Bloomsburg 56-37 for the PSAC championship, then beat the Huskies again in the second round of the playoffs before falling to Shepherd in the NCAA quarterfinals.

Analysis:

With six starters returning on offense and seven on defense, the Lakers are looking to improve on last year's 7-4 finish. With inexperience at the quarterback position - Zach Emerick only had 25 pass attempts last season - the Lakers are likely to rely on Brown-Dukes even more heavily than the past two years. Their clock-consuming offense means fewer possessions for the Golden Rams, so treating those possessions accordingly is paramount. That means no turnovers, a lot of first downs, and touchdowns instead of field goals. Brown-Dukes and the Mercyhurst rushing attack may prove difficult for the young West Chester defensive front four. Game film from the Bentley game should prove valuable as the Falcons took a play out of Mercyhurst's play book by running for 180 yards, winning the first down battle 20-9, and dominating the time of possession by 13 minutes.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video - PA Sports Fever - check local listings

PSAC Site - Football - Week 2 Notes

Mercyhurst Athletic Site - Football Heads To #9 West Chester In Search Of First Win

GoErie.com - Today's area college football previews

2014 PSAC Football Preseason Outlook - Mercyhurst

Daily Local News - Zwaan looking for tighter effort from WCU in home opener

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Conference Play Begins for the PSAC

Team News - Golden Rams Up To #9 in AFCA Poll

There was only one upset among the AFCA top ten, but it was enough to raise West Chester one spot in the latest coaches' poll. The Golden Rams rose to #9 after their 35-30 victory at New Haven on Saturday. West Chester also rose one spot to move into the top ten in the D2football.com poll. West Chester's next action is at noon this coming Saturday when they host the Mercyhurst Lakers.

American Football Coaches Association - Division II Coaches’ Poll – September 8, 2014

D2Football.com - Top 25 Poll - September 9, 2014

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester University Football Moves Up in Both National Polls

Player News - Shabazz Honored as PSAC East Co-Defensive Athlete of the Week

For his efforts in West Chester's 35-30 win at New Haven, senior cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz has been named PSAC Eastern Division Co-Defensive Athlete of the Week. Shabazz only had four tackles in the contest, but he landed on a blocked punt for a Golden Ram touchdown on the Chargers' opening possession of the third quarter. Then with New Haven driving in the fourth quarter, Shabazz made a great diving interception on a tipped ball halting the Charger drive on the West Chester 18. And later in that same frame, he blocked a New Haven punt giving the Golden Rams posession at the New Haven 21.

Senior captain Al-Hajj Shabazz (Photo Bert Garbutt)

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Athletes of the Week - 1

West Chester Athletic Site - Shabazz Named PSAC East Defensive Player Of The Week

Game Report - West Chester 35 - New Haven 30

#10/#11 West Chester is considering changing their nickname from the Golden Rams to the Houdini's as they did nothing more than escape from Connecticut with a 35-30 win over New Haven.

West Chester’s offense got into a “rhythm” early. After an incomplete pass and a two-yard gain, Sean McCartney hit Eddie Elliott with a 42-yard bomb. The next set of downs was a two-yard rush, an incomplete pass, followed by a 38-yard touchdown pass to Mike Doty. See the pattern?

The New Haven offensive game plan was brilliant. They looked at West Chester’s defensive statistics from last season and saw two 100 plus tackles at middle linebacker, so the offense consisted of quick out passes from the pistol formation where the wideouts could pick up nine yards on the cornerbacks who were playing off the line. And one broken tackle usually means a big gain in this situation. Regardless of the outcome – score, turnover or punt - West Chester’s possessions tended to be short (only one was over three minutes) while New Haven was more methodical. This led to a New Haven advantage of five minutes in time of possession and 30-16 in first downs. Okay, West Chester’s 11 penalties for 119 yards contributed six of those Charger first downs as well.

McCartney did not demonstrate the consistent high level of play that fans have come to expect. He often overthrew Doty and his other big target, tight end Tim Brown. Plus he lost a fumble and threw an interception (granted it was a great tip drill that the defender eventually caught while lying on his back). On the plus side, he did a great job of feeling the pressure, moving to buy extra time and completed some tough passes including four of at least 30 yards.

Special teams was clearly a difference. New Haven snapped the ball over the punter’s head with the 29 yard loss setting up the Golden Ram offense at the 8-yard line. And the Charger holder later bobbled a snap that cost them a PAT. After those two “routine” plays, West Chester fans gained further appreciation for long snapper Charley Kuklinski and Doty who provides the holding duties.

And then there were the big plays on special teams. Jeremy Irving blocked a New haven punt that Al-Hajj Shabazz recovered in the end zone. And in the fourth quarter, Shabazz got a blocked punt of his own. Meanwhile, Rich Bruno did all of the footwork for West Chester. Of his six kickoffs, three of them were touchbacks. None of his six punts were returned and four of them ended inside the Charger 20. And for good measure, he converted all five of his PATs sending the ball over the net and into the woods on four occasions.

As is so often in a trip to New Haven, it’s worth noting the officiating. West Chester fans were upset when it appeared New Haven was awarded a first down after only gaining five yards on a first and ten. It was actually second and three, so it was the correct call, but the chain gang was wrong (which is what led to West Chester’s dismay) and that’s ultimately the officials’ responsibility. Later in that same Charger offensive series, prior to the snap, they threw a flag to announce “no delay of game”. And a Charger fumble that was recovered by West Chester was negated by a “before the play” flag.

West Chester didn’t help themselves in the penalty department however. Tight end Shawn Driggins, who on two subsequent occasions had to be separated from the opponent, picked up a personal foul penalty. Doty got one for trying to protect his quarterback and clear the scrum after a fumble. Even head coach Bill Zwaan donated 15 yards to the New Haven offense. On New Haven’s go ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, over half of the 81 yards were due to West Chester penalties.

Trailing 30-28 late in the third quarter, West Chester found itself on a third and 15 after a sack. With the skies darkening, McCartney found Erick Brundidge for a 16-yard pickup. Brandon Monk then had his longest run of the day, an 11-yard pickup. Under a flash of lightning off in the distance, it was time for another big play, this time a 44-yard touchdown pass to Brundidge. Bruno’s PAT gave West Chester a 35-30 lead and the game then entered a second "intermission" as the stadium was cleared due to the weather.

The Golden Ram defense was the star of the fourth quarter. Shabazz made a great diving interception to end New Haven’s first drive of the frame. After a Mike Labor sack on New Haven’s second possession, Shabazz then blocked a punt, giving the Golden Rams possession at the Charger 21. This opportunity was squandered, however, as on second and goal from the five, there was some confusion by the Golden Ram offense and instead of calling timeout, the play was run and the ball was fumbled back to New Haven. The Chargers then consumed four and a half minutes of clock and dropped a fourth-down pass giving the ball back to the Golden Rams. West Chester failed to get a first down, but forced New Haven to burn their remaining time outs. Bruno’s ensuing punt pinned New Haven at their own 6 with 69 seconds left to play. After a couple of first downs, it was Drew Formica who forced and recovered a New Haven fumble to seal the West Chester victory.

Notes – Labor had a game-high 12 tackles including three tackles for loss…Formica logged 11 stops… DeOliver Davis and Byron Cooper started instead of Blaise Schieler and Kevin Malone…Davis played the first half, while Schieler played the second…Malone had an interception while Andrew Cohen notched a sack…Doty was West Chester’s leading receiver with five catches for 75 yards…Brown had three catches including a 31-yard touchdown…turnovers were even at three apiece.

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - McCartney Throws 4 TDs; No. 10 West Chester Downs New Haven, 35-30

New Haven Athletic Site - No. 10/11 West Chester Holds off Chargers, 35-30, in Season Opener at DellaCamera Stadium

Daily Local News - Despite delay, WCU escapes with win

philly.com - McCartney leads West Chester to win over New Haven

New Haven Register - Opener a preview of things to come for UNH?

New Haven Register - New Haven drops opener to West Chester 35-30

The Courant - Sacred Heart Defeats Lafayette

The Charger Bulletin - No 10/11 West Chester Holds Off Chargers, 35-30, in Season Opener at DellaCamera Stadium

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Thoughts on Week 1 in the PSAC

Player News - Williams Featured

Daily Local News writer Neil Geoghegan gives an inside look to Golden Ram linebacker Ronell Williams. From growing up in Chester to his tenure at West Chester, read what's made the Golden Ram captain the man he is today.

Daily Local News - Trip to Florida fueled Williams’ drive to succeed

Club News - September 4 Meeting

The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:30pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. Head coach Bill Zwaan will preview the upcoming season and specifically Saturday's game at New Haven. Hear about his plans as the Golden Rams prepare to defend their NCAA Super Region 1 title.

Alumni News - Scott Sees Action in Hamilton

Sam Scott

After languishing on the practice squad and injured list this entire season, former Golden Ram linebacker Sam Scott was activated last week by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats just in time for the Inaugural Game at Tim Hortons Field. Hamilton defeated the Toronto Argonauts in the Labour Day Classic by a score of 13-12. After the Argos scored a safety to narrow the score to 13-12 early in the third quarter, Scott recovered a Toronto fumble on the ensuing free kick, giving possession back to the Ticats. He also logged a solo tackle late in the fourth quarter.

Hamilton, which is one game behind Toronto and a half game ahead of Montreal in the East Division, are scheduled to play Sunday at 1:00 pm at the Montreal Alouettes. The Ticats released international defensive end Kiante Tripp on August 29 making the way for Scott's placement on the active roster.

Sam Scott defends a Toronto pass (Photo Adam Gagnon)

Toronto Sun - Ticats O-Line under construction

Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Pre-Game Breakdown: The Labour Day Classic

Canadian Football League - Happy Homecoming: Ticats hold off Boatmen

Game Preview - New Haven

The West Chester University Golden Rams travel to West Haven, CT on Saturday to open their 2014 campaign against the New Haven Chargers of the Northeast-10 Conference. It marks the second consecutive season that West Chester will open the season against New Haven. Kickoff on the blue turf in Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium is set for 1:00 pm. New Haven was picked to finish second in the NE10 by the conference coaches while the Golden Rams were picked to finish first in the PSAC East.

Series History:
Overall, New Haven leads the series 8-5-1, including the last tie in West Chester history in 1995. Head coach Bill Zwaan is 2-1 against New Haven having defeated the Chargers 28-17 in West Haven, CT in his first game at the helm of the Golden Rams in 2003. For New Haven head coach Chris Pincince, Saturday will mark his first game as a head coach after serving as offensive coordinator at several programs, including Elon, Rhode Island, Holy Cross as well as New Haven. After leading the Chargers to three consecutive NE-10 championships and two NCAA Division II playoff appearances, former head coach Pete Rossomando took the same position at Central Connecticut after last year's 8-3 finish.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
1995	Home	Tie	36-36	2001	Away	Loss	32-28
1996	Away	Win	24-17	2002	Home	Loss	28-19
1997	Home	Loss	32-26	2003	Away	Win	28-17
1998	Away	Win	33-27 (OT)	2011	Away	Loss	35-32 (OT)
2000	Home	Loss	7-0	2013	Home	Win	45-14

Last Meeting:

09/07/2013 West Chester 45 - New Haven 14

In a game that was not as close as the score indicates, the Golden Rams trounced the Chargers, who were ranked #12 in the country at the time, by a score of 45-14 at Farrell Stadium to open the 2013 season. West Chester scored on five of its first six possessions, electing to forego a chip shot field goal on fourth and goal from the one.

The balanced Golden Ram offense rolled up 515 total yards - 225 rushing and 290 passing - and were forced to punt only twice with both of those coming within New Haven territory. Quarterback Sean McCartney had a rating of 208.7 for the contest and the offensive line did not yield a sack. Senior running back Rondell White had 96 yards rushing and 94 yards receiving, while running backs Eddie Elliott and Brandon Monk combined for 102 yards on the ground. Wide receiver Erick Brundidge hauled in four catches for 79 yards including a 46-yard touchdown.

Meanwhile, the West Chester defense held New Haven's offense to under 300 total yards and kept preseason All-American running back Mike DeCaro to just 56 yards rushing and 25 yards receiving. Safety Shawn Krautzel had an interception to go along with his eight tackles while linebacker Mike Labor led the Golden Rams with ten tackles. Defensive end Chris DiValentino had three total tackles, including a 9-yard sack on fourth down to give the Golden Rams possession.

Scouting the Chargers:

Although the Chargers list 24 seniors on their roster, not many of them have significant experience playing for New Haven. All-purpose player and leading ground gainer Mike DeCaro (135 carries, 937 yards, 10 TD's; 27 catches, 407 yards, 3 TD's; 11 punt returns, 127 yards, 1 TD; 29 kickoff returns, 818 yards, 1 TD) is gone to graduation. So is quarterback Ronnie Nelson (167-274, 2,721 yards, 29 TD's, 7 int's; 121 carries, 635 yards, 9 TD's) who was their second leading rusher.

The more experienced of New Haven's two running backs is Trevor Officer (45 carries, 254 yards, 113 of which came against 1-10 St Anselm, 3 TD's). Their top returning receivers are Ty Headen (22 catches, 346 yards, 4 TD's) and Roshawn Wilson (11 catches, 145 yards, 1 TD). Among the seven senior offensive linemen, only two started last year against West Chester - Zach Guy and Zach Voytek. Both were All-Northeast 10 selections. University of North Dakota transfer Joey Bradley (4-9, 54 yards, 2 TD's) is likely to get the nod at quarterback.

Herbens Antenor

Defensively, the Chargers' leading tackler from last season was cornerback Najae Brown (78 total tackles, 3 interceptions, 9 pass breakups) who was named NE10 Rookie of the Year and Division II National Freshman of the Year. But he is no longer on the roster. Key returning defenders are strong safety Sherwood Jonathas (55 tackles, 3 TFL's), linebacker Herbens Antenor (51 tackles, 5 pass breakups) and free safety David Nooks (54 tackles, 7 pass breakups).


Analysis:

With a new head coach and a lot of new regulars including all of the offensive skill positions, New Haven has many questions that need to be answered. Meanwhile, West Chester mainly has only one question that needs to be addressed - does this team have the same wherewithall now that the best all around player in Golden Ram history, Rondell White, has moved on? They certainly have the talent, senior leadership and an experienced coaching staff. This opening game on the road against a traditionally quality opponent will be a good test to get that question answered.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video

PSAC Site - Football - Week 1 Notes

New Haven Athletic Site - Week 1 Game Notes

philly.com - Widener, Rowan will clash in football on Friday

KYW Newsradio - West Chester University Opens 2014 Season Saturday At New Haven

New Haven Register - Chris Pincince era begins at New Haven

Daily Local News - WCU opens at new-look New Haven

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week 1 Preview

D2football - NE10 Columnist - Week 1 in the NE-10

D2football - National Columnist - Top Games in Week One

Team News - Preseason Depth Chart Update

As usual, there were very few changes on the depth chart as a result of training camp. On offense, the preseason depth chart showed Shawn Driggins as the top tight end and Tim Brown as the H-back and after camp, those two have switched places. Although minor, this change lends itself to each player’s strength, which is Brown as a pass catcher and Driggins as a lead blocker/pass protector.

There are a few more defensive changes, but nothing that was unexpected. Senior Mike Culbreath is now officially listed as one of the starting defensive ends with John Dubyk now being a backup. With Mike Labor and Ronell Williams rarely leaving the field, it’s the most likely way that Culbreath will see playing time this year and it also fills a void on the defensive line. Although Culbreath has spent his career at linebacker, he does know the system and will be an asset as an outside pass rusher. Jamiel Sims moves from backup end to backup tackle, but with the amount of rotation that the front four typically receives, playing first or second string is merely a notation in the game program. With Culbreath moving to defensive end and Drew Persa no longer on the roster, sophomore Ralph Reeves and R-Fr Dan Sherry assume the backup linebacker roles.

The previously unnamed holder spot will now be filled by wide receiver Mike Doty. Although Doty does not appear on the depth chart as a receiver, based on his preseason performance, he is sure to get plenty of playing time in that position.

West Chester Athletic Site - End of Camp Depth Chart

Team News - 2014 Second Scrimmage Report

The depth issue that was feared in the season preview was on full display in the Golden Rams' final scrimmage of the summer. Even though there were several players not dressed, the play should have been cleaner. Absent from the field of play were Erick Brundidge, A.J. DePietro, Shannon Mayer, Jim Hurley, Ralph Reeves and Cory Scott. Although the offense moved the ball fairly well, they were hampered by penalties and a fumble. And there was a mishandled snap on a PAT attempt. And even though the miscues may have been made by players not expected to start, those guys are one injury away from being "the" guy. Some observations:

• R-Fr Jarel Elder showed his speed throughout the session with the most notable play being a leaping grab over the middle followed by separation from the defensive secondary.
• Freshman Ch'aim Smith will likely be redshirted this season, but he demonstrated that he's 6'4" multiple times.
• With the influx of defensive backs, John McGilligan was playing wide receiver before suffering an apparent shoulder injury.
• Freshman Mike Class showed that he's a between-the-tackles kind of running back.
• The biggest offensive play of the day was a long completion from Alec Werner to Marcus Sydnor
• Besides showing his quickness around the corner, on one play, running back Eddie Elliott bounced off a group of tacklers in the backfield and turned it into a gain.
• The crowd erupted when transfer wide receiver Dion Shaw made a catch off the back of cornerback Ted Patton.

The offensive line maintains the pocket (Photo Ray Doyle)

Brandon Monk provides the lead block for Eddie Elliott (Photo Ray Doyle)

Rich Bruno kicks a field goal out of the hold of Mike Doty (Photo Geoff Ruth)