Game Preview - Kutztown

West Chester (2-2, 1-0) looks to remain undefeated in PSAC East play when they travel to Kutztown to take on the Golden Bears (1-3, 1-0). Kickoff on Family Day at Andre Reed Stadium is slated for 6:05 pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 50-9-1. Head coach Bill Zwaan is 10-3 against the Golden Bears in his 13 years at West Chester. In 2003 in Kutztown, West Chester shot out to a 16-0 first quarter lead, but the failed point after touchdown conversion came back to haunt West Chester when Kutztown made a 38-yard field goal with 50 seconds left in the game handing Zwaan his first Division II loss. Kutztown's other two wins came in 2010 and 2011, the two years in the past ten that West Chester was under .500 and Kutztown qualified for the NCAA playoffs.

Kutztown head coach Jim Clements is in his third year with the Golden Bears which went 7-4 last season.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2006	Away	Win	49-47	2011	Home	Loss	24-0
2007	Home	Win	21-0	2012	Away	Win	45-24
2008	Away	Win	49-8	2013	Home	Win	22-21
2009	Home	Win	37-17	2014	Away	Win	29-7
2010	Away	Loss	45-23	2015	Home	Win	44-14

Last Meeting:

10/10/2015 West Chester 44 - Kutztown 14

West Chester shot out to a 27-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 44-14 win in West Chester. The Golden Ram defense held the Golden Bears to just 13 first downs, 280 yards of total offense, 2 of 11 on third downs and 20 minutes of possession time. Ralph Reeves led the way with nine tackles and a tackle for loss while Josh Ganzelli contributed 3 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Brendan Paulison landed all three of his punts inside the Kutztown 20, converted his only field goal attempt and five of six PAT's. Pat Moriarty sparkled at quarterback, completing 30 of 40 passes for 438 yards and five touchdowns. Tyler Karpinski had four catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns while Shannon Mayer had four catches for 54 yards and a score.

Scouting the Opponent:

The Golden Bear offense is led by consensus All-American left tackle Jordan Morgan. Kutztown has the third best rushing offense in the PSAC, led by reigning PSAC East Offensive Player of the Week Craig Reynolds (69 carries, 528 yards, 8 TD's) and Darrell Scott (38 carries, 188 yards). Kutztown has started three different quarterbacks in their first four games, initially calling on Rutgers transfer Terence Scanlon (41 of 68, 371 yards, 4 TD's, 1 int), then Brennan Scott (7 of 19, 60 yards, 0 TD's, 1 int), before seemingly settling on redshirt freshman Collin DiGalbo (30 of 50, 395 yards, 2 TD's, 2 ints). Regardless of who's throwing, catching are Troy Parton (28 catches, 230 yards), two-time All-PSAC East receiver Kellen Williams (16 catches, 215 yards, 4 TD's) and Nathan Hollander (14 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD).

Scott handles Kutztown's kickoffs and punting, and, as a quarterback, would seem to pose a threat on a fake punt. Kutztown has yet to attempt a field goal and a trio of kickers has only made half of their 10 PAT attempts. Look for Reynolds on punt returns and redshirt freshman Abdul-Hassan Neblett on kickoff returns.

The defense is led by linebackers Zack Delp (35 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception) and Tajier Jeffereson (33 total tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss). Delp is a two-time All-PSAC East selection and Jefferson is the reigning PSAC East Freshman of the Year along with being All-PSAC East First Team. Up front is tackle Chris McMonagle (22 total tackles, 4.5 sacks) and reigning PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week end Steve Plousis (19 total tackles, 4.0 sacks). The secondary is quite active with free safety Jake Perry (28 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups), whip and former Golden Ram Kenny Williams (28 total tackles, 2 pass breakups) and cornerback Lance Deane Jr. (20 total tackles, 3 pass breakups).

Analysis:

With Kutztown playing quarterback roulette, it's obvious they've had issues in the passing game. If the problem is solved, then it may be an additional concern for the WCU defense. The Golden Bear running game will be the best West Chester has faced so far this season. Offensively, the Golden Rams should be able to move the ball, especially through the air. However, most of Kutztown's statistics were accumulated last week in their shellacking of Millersville, including nine sacks by the defense. As with almost any game, penalties and turnovers can be a significant impact to the outcome and, as West Chester fans are all too well aware, this has been an Achilles heel for the Golden Rams.

West Chester is receiving only a slight edge in the game - Atomic Football by five and Massey Ratings by a single point. So add kick conversions to the list of critical factors.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes Week - 5

Kutztown Athletic Site - Football Aims to Build Momentum When it Welcomes West Chester Under the Lights on Family Day

KYW Newsradio - West Chester Visits Kutztown Saturday In PSAC Action

Allentown Morning Call - Kutztown looking to continue upward trend vs. West Chester

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Previewing Week 5 in the PSAC

Player News - Keyser Nominated for National Award

The National Football Foundation (NFF) has announced senior free safety Kyle Keyser as a semi-finalist for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy. The award is presented to a senior or graduate student football player in his last season of eligibility. The recipient must have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability, and demonstrate strong leadership and citizenship. Keyser is one of 156 semi-finalists from all levels of football and one of just 17 from Division II.

Each of the 12-14 finalists, which the NFF will announce on November 1, receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and are invited to attend the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City on December 6.

Last season, Keyser was named the PSAC Scholar Athlete for football and to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Football team. At the time of last year's PSAC Championship game, the finance major was carrying a 3.817 GPA.

Kyle Keyser (Photo R&R Photography)

National Football Foundation Site - NFF Announces Impressive List of 156 Semifinalists for 2016 Campbell Trophy, Presented by Fidelity Investments

ECAC - Twenty-Nine ECAC Student-Athletes Among NFF’s Impressive List of 156 Semifinalists for 2016 Campbell Trophy

Club News - September 29 Meeting

The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:45pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. The meeting will begin immediately following the Bill Zwaan Football Show which is also held at Timothy's starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM. The meeting will not be broadcast.

According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, senior free safety Kyle Keyser and junior right guard Tyler Drob will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. Against Lock Haven, Keyser had six total tackles and a pass breakup. Drob was part of an offensive line that rolled up 209 yards rushing and 294 yards passing in the 37-7 win on Saturday night.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coach or the players to Bill Zwaan Show.

Kyle Keyser
(Photo R&R Photography)
Tyler Drob
(Photo Ron Hockman)

Team News - Golden Rams in PSAC Statistics

West Chester scored their average 37 points against Lock Haven and moved up to 6th in the PSAC in scoring. The Golden Ram offense remains 3rd in total offense with 538.0 yards per game, with the passing game remaining second with 366.0 yards per game. Kickoff return improved to 12th and coverage improved to 13th among the 16 teams in the conference. The Golden Ram defense is 5th in first downs allowed with just 18.3 per game and leads the PSAC in third-down conversion at 24.1%. West Chester is second to last in penalty yards with 97.0 yards per game with 12 opponent first downs coming via the penalty marker.

In individual categories, running back Jarel Elder slipped to 5th in rushing yardage with 105.5 yards per game and quarterback Andrew Derr remains 2nd in passing yards with 361.8 yards per game. Wide receiver Tyler Karpinski remains 8th with 87.0 yards per contest.

Kicker Brendan Paulison remains 3rd in kick scoring with 33 points and 3rd in field goals with 1.3 per game. Anthony Brown is 5th in punt returns with 13.5 yards per return.

Linebacker Ralph Reeves rose to 6th in tackles for loss with 1.67 per game, despite not playing against Lock Haven. Cornerback Shaquille James is 5th in the conference with 1.67 passes defended per contest while linebacker Kevin Duggan is third in the PSAC in fumble recoveries with 0.50 per game.

West Chester travels to Kutztown Saturday night for a 6:00 pm kickoff.

Game Report - West Chester 37 - Lock Haven 7

On Lock Haven’s first series of the contest, when their third-down screen pass attempt got blown up and resulted in a 12-yard sack and forced fumble credited to Josh Ganzelli, this game had a different feel from the prior three. The Golden Rams would score on three of their first four drives while the defense forced the Bald Eagles into four punts and two turnovers to stake a 16-0 halftime lead. West Chester would go on to win 37-7, evening their overall record at 2-2 and going 1-0 in the PSAC East.

Josh Ganzelli blew up Lock Haven's first drive (Photo Ron Hockman)

Quarterback Andrew Derr finished 21 of 36 for 294 yards and three touchdowns passing to go along with 50 yards and two scores rushing. His passing line was certainly affected by dropped passes – four by Golden Ram receivers and two by Lock Haven defenders. Derr’s top targets were Jordan Banks (5 catches, 113 yards, 2 touchdowns), Tyler Karpinski (8 catches, 75 yards) and Eerin Young (3 catches, 61 yards, 1 touchdown). Not to be overlooked was the success of the running game. Unlike last week when a couple of big plays contributed to the total, seven different players had double-digit rushing yards with the longest run of the night being 22 yards. Jarel Elder led the way with 87 yards in the game.

The West Chester defense played a huge part in the victory. Lock Haven entered the game averaging over 350 passing yards per game, but managed only 163 yards through the air against the Golden Rams. Seven different defenders registered pass breakups led by Kevin Malone and Ted Patton who each had two. Patton also grabbed his second interception of the season. Safety Kyle Keyser and linebacker Steven Denby each had a team-high six tackles.

Kicker/punter Brendan Paulison had an up and down game. He missed his first PAT of the season, going 4 of 5 on the day and was 1 of 2 on field goals, making a 20-yarder but hooking a 39-yard attempt. But Paulison’s kickoffs were deep and outside the numbers and his only punt of the game was spectacular, downed at the Lock Haven 1-yard line with 39 second left in the first half. With all three time outs in their pocket and the way the defense had been playing, this appeared to be an opportunity for more points for West Chester. But consecutive defensive pass interference penalties by the Golden Rams thwarted any further scoring in the half.

Penalties were once again an issue as the Golden Rams were flagged ten times for 105 yards resulting in five of Lock Haven’s 21 first downs. Four were of the 15-yard variety including an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Nydair Rouse on the play prior to Lock Haven’s only score of the game. All in all, it was a good win, but keep in mind that the opponent is still seeking its first win of the season.

Notes - West Chester had only a total of 11 possessions in the game, compared to last week’s game at Edinboro when they 11 possessions in the second half alone…wide receiver Shannon Mayer played sparingly early in the game, but his hamstring kept him from getting a reception…Pat Moriarty was on the field as a receiver but did not register a catch…Phil Mitten, grandson of former West Chester head coach Dr. Robert Mitten, saw action on special teams.

Sortable Box Score   

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Football Opens PSAC Slate With 37-7 Win Over Lock Haven

Lock Haven Athletic Site - Football drops PSAC East opener at West Chester

SunGazette.com - Bald Eagles fall at WCU

Game Preview - Lock Haven

The Golden Rams (1-2) open PSAC East play when they host the Lock Haven Bald Eagles (0-3). Kickoff on Family Day at John A. Farrell Stadium is scheduled for 6:00pm Saturday.

Series History:
West Chester holds a 22-6-1 lead in the series. Current WCU head coach Bill Zwaan is undefeated in his previous five meetings with the Bald Eagles. Head coach Dave Taynor is in his second season at Lock Haven. He finished last season with a record of 2-9 and is 0-3 so far this year after losing to Slippery Rock last week. This year's Lock Haven team is quite different than 2015 as Taynor signed 40 new players during recruiting.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
1952	Home	Win	74-7	2008	Home	Win	37-6
1954	Home	Win	32-0	2009	Away	Win	43-0
1955	Away	Win	20-0	2013	Away	Win	34-13
1990	Away	Win	28-27	2014	Home	Win	41-6
1991	Home	Loss	13-7	2015	Away	Win	33-9

Last Meeting:

10/04/2015 West Chester 33 - Lock Haven 9

West Chester overcame a mistake-filled first half and scored the final 27 points of the game en route to a 33-9 win in a rain soaked affair in Lock Haven. Offensively, quarterback Pat Moriarty threw for 185 yards and three touchdowns while Jarel Elder picked up 72 yards on 17 carries and added another 18 yards on five catches. Receiver Jim Hurley hauled in four catches for 62 yards.

The defense was led by Nydair Rouse who had seven tackles, an interception, and two pass breakups. Linebacker Zack Hockman had three tackles including a sack, defensive end John Dubyk also had a sack, and Pete Galiano had three tackles and an interception. Brandon Paulison converted on field goals of 31 and 32 yards and landed three of his five punts inside the Bald Eagle 20-yard line.

Scouting the Opponent:

After two weeks, Lock Haven had the top ranked passing offense in the country, but two losses to show for it. After last week's loss to Slippery Rock, the Bald Eagles dropped to third in the PSAC in passing yardage. Quarterback Caleb Walton (71 of 134 for 1,083 yards, 6 TD's, 1 INT) is third in the PSAC in passing yardage, primarily targeting Kutztown transfer Shawn Seif (25 catches, 550 yards, 4 TD's) who's the top receiver in the conference. Tight end Del'Vaughn Dennis (19 catches, 265 yards 1 TD), a former West Chester recruit and Urbana transfer wide receiver Dan Krupko (8 catches, 101 yards) are also among the conference leaders. At running back, Albright transfer Malyk Harris (51 carries, 154 yards, 2 TD's) was All-PSAC East last season, although the running game isn't the Bald Eagles' strong suit.

On special teams, true freshman Nysir Minney-Gratz handles the returns while classmate Ethan Harroz handles all of the kicking chores.

The 3-5-3 defense is led by Urbana transfer linebacker Kevin Chapple (32 total tackles, 7.0 TFL) is third in the PSAC in tackles and tackles for loss while free safety Isaiah Flamer (19 total tackles, 2 INT's) is sixth in the conference in tackles. Nose guard freshman Allen McCloud (5 total tackles, 3.5 TFL's) is among the leaders in tackles for loss despite missing last week's game. Defensive end Brandon Clements (11 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss) anchors the defensive line. Besides Flamer, in the secondary, look for cornerback Carlos Balkcom (19 total tackles, 5 pass breakups).

Analysis:

Out 16 teams in the PSAC, the Lock Haven defense ranks 15th in points allowed (48.0), total yards allowed (566.3) and passing yards allowed (445.0), so this game would look to be a field day for Andrew Derr and whatever receivers are available to him so long as interceptions are minimized. However, as seen above, Lock Haven's passing offense is potent in its own right, so the Golden Ram secondary will be tested similarly to last week at Edinboro. West Chester only has four sacks on the season, but putting pressure on Walton may be the best way to thwart their aerial attack and force some picks. On paper, this game looks to put a strain on the scoreboard lights.

Both Massey Ratings and Atomic Football are projecting a 20-point West Chester victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video ($5.00)

West Chester Athletic Site - Depth Chart - 9/24 vs Lock Haven

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes Week - 4

Lock Haven Athletic Site - Football Game Notes (Week 4): vs. West Chester

KYW Newsradio - West Chester Opens PSAC East Play Saturday Vs. Lock Haven

D2football - PSAC Columnist - Week 4 - Divisional Play Begins in the PSAC

Club News - September 22 Meeting

The Golden Ram Football Club will be meeting on Thursday at 7:45pm at Timothy's in the Parkway Shopping Center in West Chester. The meeting will begin immediately following the Bill Zwaan Football Show which is also held at Timothy's starting at 7:00pm. Golden Ram fans unable to attend the show can listen to it live on WCHE1520AM.COM. The meeting will not be broadcast.

According to the Bill Zwaan Football Show, junior wide receiver Marcus Sydnor and junior linebacker Kevin Duggan will be the special guests on Coach Zwaan's show. At Edinboro, Sydnor had four catches for 84 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns to tie the game. He had catches on all four passes to which he was targeted. Defensively, Duggan had eight total tackles including five solo tackles to lead the Golden Rams in both categories. He was also credited with a pass breakup.

Come out to Timothy's at 7:00pm to participate in the show live. Or send your questions for coach or the players to Bill Zwaan Show.

Marcus Sydnor
(Photo R&R Photography)
Kevin Duggan
(Photo Ron Hockman)

Player News - Derr Honored by ECAC

For his effort in West Chester's 54-51 2OT loss at Edinboro, junior quarterback Andrew Derr was named ECAC Offensive Player of the Week. He completed 39 of 70 pass attempts for 559 yards and four touchdowns. Derr set West Chester single game records in pass attempts, completions and yards.

Derr was also named West Chester University male Athlete of the Week sponsored by The Desmond.

Andrew Derr captured ECAC Offensive Honors (Photo R&R Photography)

ECAC Site - ECAC Announces Corvias Football Players of the Week

West Chester Athletic Site - Derr Named ECAC Offensive Player of the Week

Team News - Golden Rams in PSAC Statistics

Despite averaging 36.7 points per game, West Chester is only 7th in the PSAC in scoring. The Golden Rams are 3rd in total offense with 549.7 yards per game, due in large part to their 2nd ranked passing game of 390.0 yards per game. Both kickoff coverage and kickoff return is ranked 14th among the 16 teams in the conference. The Golden Ram defense is 4th in first downs allowed with just 17.3 per game and second in third-down conversion at 21.7%. West Chester is last in penalty yards with 94.3 yards per game.

In individual categories, running back Jarel Elder is 4th in rushing yardage with 111.7 yards per game and quarterback Andrew Derr is 2nd in passing yards with 384.3 yards per game. Wide receiver Shannon Mayer is 5th in receiving with 100.5 yards per game while Tyler Karpinski is 8th with 91.0 yards per contest.

Kicker Brendan Paulison is 3rd in kick scoring with 24 points and 3rd in field goals with 1.3 per game. Anthony Brown is 4th in punt returns with 13.3 yards per return.

Defensive end Ch'aim Smith is the Golden Rams' top tackler with 6.3 per game which is good for 37th in the PSAC. Linebacker Ralph Reeves is 10th in tackles for loss with 1.67 per game. Cornerback Shaquille James is 2nd in the conference with 2.0 passes defended per contest while linebacker Kevin Duggan leads the PSAC in fumble recoveries with 1.67 per game.

West Chester takes on winless Lock Haven Saturday night at 6:00 pm.