Just a series of observations:
- Thatcher Miller replaced Nate Desmond as a captain for the game, joining Connor Noble, Shane Mosley, and Patrick Methlie for the coin toss.
- On the second play of the game, Miller made a short catch and got injured on the play. He attempted to return to the game, but was unable to continue and was later seen on the sideline in street clothes with ice on his knee. Converted offensive lineman Luke Vereb saw time at tight end as a result.
- With the Golden Ram defense putting so much effort into stopping the Seton Hill running game, they weren't credited with a quarterback hurry let alone a sack. And then on the Griffins' final possession, when WCU finally applied pressure, Charley Mininger was called for a questionable roughing the quarterback call. Seton Hill also converted a fourth-and-five on their final touchdown drive.
Charley Mininger puts a stop to the Griffin running back (Photo Chuck Greco)- The efforts to stop the Seton Hill run were not very successful. The Griffins amassed 185 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, although the longest run was only 19 yards. The Seton Hill running back was often met at or near the line of scrimmage, but his push led to a 5 yards/carry average.
Daniel Hicks registers a tackle for loss (Photo Chuck Greco)- Defensive back Matt Marshall had his best game as a Golden Ram. Besides making a great leaping interception along the Seton Hill sideline, he registered a tackle for loss and had a game-high 11 tackles.
- The third quarter was all West Chester. In the first possession of the second half, Seton Hill failed to punt the ball on fourth down deep in their own territory. The Golden Ram offense covered the 15 yards in a minute to tie the game at 14. Then the game was halted for about an hour due to lightning. Overall in the period, West Chester held the Griffins to net 33 yards while the offense racked up 17 points.
- Leading 21-14 late in the third quarter with the ball on their own 18-yard line, the Golden Ram offense went three-and-out. Zack Liberatore lofted a 43-yard punt which Seton Hill was unable to handle and Kaleb Brown recovered the fumble. With another series of downs now at the Seton Hill 33-yard line, the WCU offense failed to net any yards. Fortunately, Sean Henry nailed a 50-yard field goal to put West Chester up 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Kaleb Brown recovers a Seton Hill fumbled punt (Photo Chuck Greco)
Sean Henry converted a 50-yard field goal (Photo Chuck Greco)- The West Chester offense lives and dies with quarterback Cooper Jordan. While he threw for 267 yards and a touchdown, he also tossed four interceptions and was sacked three times for 36 yards. While he ran for 97 yards and a touchdown, with West Chester up 24-21, three minutes left in the game, facing a third-and-nine, Jordan scrambled but slid too early and only gained eight yards forcing the Golden Rams to punt. Seton Hill would score the winning touchdown on the ensuing possession.
Cooper Jordan avoids tackles en route to the end zone (Photo Chuck Greco)- Although none of West Chester's five turnovers led directly to Seton Hill points, they did take likely points off the board for the Golden Rams. Four were in the red zone of which two were in the end zone.
- Dayshawn Jacobs was again dressed but relegated to the sidelines. Jayden Williams and Juke Peaker combined for 42 yards on 19 carries which is an average of 2.2 yards/carry.
Jayden Williams reaches across the goal line for a touchdown (Photo Chuck Greco)- D'Shaun Seals continues to sparkle. He had his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game by making nine catches for 171 yards including an 84-yard touchdown catch, making a double move before the catch and avoiding being pushed out of bounds after the catch.
D'Shaun Seals leaves Seton Hill defenders behind (Photo Chuck Greco)- The West Chester defense started with Abdul Stewart and Matt Marshall at the corners with Zaire McLaurin covering the slot. When McLaurin left the game with an apparent hand injury late in the second quarter, on the very next play, Seton Hill threw at his replacement for a 74-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead. On the next defensive series, Stewart shifted to the slot with Victor Pena taking the corner.
- After West Chester took its first lead in the contest midway through the third quarter, cornerback Abdul Stewart was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Then midway through the fourth period with WCU clinging to a 24-21 lead, he was cited again and thus ejected from the game which caused further shuffling of the Golden Ram secondary. Beyond having an adverse impact to this game, it was the fifth unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on West Chester through the first three games of the season, so there's a growing question of discipline on this team.
West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Can’t Overcome Turnovers in 27-24 Loss to Seton Hill
Seton Hill Athletic Site - Griffins Rally for 27-24 Win Over West Chester
D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Three Recap
Golden Rams Review - Photo Album - Seton Hill
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