Holding a narrow 17-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Golden Rams (4-5, 4-2) scored the final ten points in the contest to hand the
Lock Haven Bald Eagles (3-6, 2-4) a 27-16 loss on Saturday afternoon. It's hard to believe that a team that gets outgained by almost 100 yards, runs 25 fewer offensive plays, gets outpossessed by eight minutes, and loses the turnover margin 3-2 can still pull off an 11-point victory.
The Golden Rams got off to a rather inauspicious start. On their opening possession, while they drove the length of the field and got to the ten yard line, they had a touchdown called back due to a holding call and had to settle for a 34-yard
Sean Henry field goal. Lock Haven then consumed six minutes and scored a touchdown to go up 7-3. And when
Cooper Jordan tossed his eighth interception of the season at midfield just ten seconds into WCU's second possession, the downward spiral seemed to continue. But this time, it was the Bald Eagles who had a touchdown erased due to a holding penalty, and their kicker, who had only missed one field goal on the season, hooked his 38-yard attempt wide left.
On West Chester's next possession, on a fourth-and-one from their own 29, Coach
Duke Greco called a gutsy running play. While
Juke Peaker picked up the first down, he also fumbled and Lock Haven recovered at the West Chester 32. This time, Lock Haven's field goal was good and they took a 10-3 lead.
The Golden Rams continud to have fun though. On one play,
Brody McAndrew completed a pass to Jordan, on the very next play, Jordan completed a pass to McAndrew. But it was a 16-yard catch by West Chester's best receiver,
D'Shaun Seals, and subsequent 15-yard penalty that set up Peaker's one-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10.
With under three-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, a Lock Haven punt pinned the Golden Rams at their own one-yard line. And then the Cooper Jordan show was on. A 15-yard run, a 14-yard run, a 13-yard pass to
Rahiem Bowens and a 23-yard run not only got West Chester out of trouble, but got the purple and gold in position to score. And Peaker did just that on a seven-yard run to give West Chester a lead 17-10. A
Seamus McCain sack ensured that would be the score at halftime.
In third quarter, Lock Haven had another long drive and even scored a touchdown that was negated by an offensive pass interference call. Their 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by
Debrick Johnson and recovered by
Joey Zack. On the ensuing WCU possession, after a 29-yard catch by
Robby Longo, Jordan lost yet another fumble to thwart the Golden Ram scoring opportunity. Fortunately,
Jamir Reyes made an interception to give the ball right back to the Golden Ram offense.
The WCU drive stalled, and punter
Zack Liberatore pinned Lock Haven at their own 10-yard line. This time, the Bald Eagles marched the length of the field to score a touchdown on a great one-handed catch. However, the game-tying PAT failed and West Chester maintained a 17-16 lead. It was Lock Haven's first missed PAT of the season and it really changed the mentality of what each team needed to do in the fnial six minutes of this game.
Unfortunately, West Chester failed to pick up a first down and Liberatore pinned Lock Haven deep again, this time at their own 11-yard line. Once again, the Bald Eagles moved down the field rather easily until safety
Shane Mosley picked off a pass, maintained his balance, remained in bounds and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown to end any further threat from the visitors.
Notes:
- Henry was perfect on the day, converting field goals of 34 and 31 yards as well as all three of his PAT attempts.
- Jack Fry had a tackle for loss on a Lock Haven fourth down play giving West Chester possession on downs.
- Linebackers Connor Noble (16 tackles, 1 PBU, 2 QBH), Johnny Pergine (11 tackles, 1 PBU) and Luke Trunell (9 tackles) led the West Chester defense.
- This is only the second time in his past 25 games that Jordan has not accounted for at least one touchdown either passing or rushing. He did finish with 104 yards on the ground and 161 through the air.
- The Golden Ram defense only allowed three points on West Chester's three turnovers.
- True freshman Luke van Brill made a solo tackle on special teams for his first collegiate statistic.
- West Chester's already porous rushing defense was without linemen Charley Mininger, Nate Desmond, and
Daniel Hicks due to injury. Coming into the game, Lock Haven averaged just 85 yards/game rushing, but attacked the Golden Rams for 165 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
- Of the Golden Rams' eight pass breakups, Abdul Stewart
had three, giving him 12 on the season which is second in the PSAC.
- A couple of more unsportsmanlike penalties went against the Golden Rams - Jimmy Wright away from the play on a short punt that went out of bounds and Peaker for taunting after his second touchdown run.
Sean Henry was perfect on five scoring kicks (Photo Chuck Greco)
Cole Evans provided protection for Cooper Jordan (Photo Chuck Greco)
Sean Henry was perfect on five scoring kicks (Photo Chuck Greco)
Rahiem Bowens' block allows Juke Peaker to score (Photo Chuck Greco)
D'Shaun Seals had six catches for 92 yards (Photo Chuck Greco)
Seamus McCain registered his fourth sack of the season (Photo Chuck Greco)
Debrick Johnson forces the LHU QB to throw off his back foot (Photo Chuck Greco)
Zack Liberatore dropped two of his four punts inside the 20 (Photo Chuck Greco)
Abdul Stewart swats away a potential LHU touchdown (Photo Chuck Greco)
Luke van Brill makes a solo tackle (Photo Chuck Greco)