Game Preview - Bloomsburg

In a battle between two 1-4 teams in the PSAC East, the Golden Rams (3-5, 1-4) host the Bloomsburg Huskies (2-6, 1-4) on Saturday. Kickoff for Military/First Responders Appreciation Day at Tomlinson-Fillippo Field at Farrell Stadium is scheduled for noon.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 53-29, and these two schools historically have played big games. They met twice in playoffs - in 2008 and again in 2013 - with both postseason games played in Bloomsburg. The Huskies took the 2008 contest while the Golden Rams won in 2013 en route to the NCAA Division II semi-finals. There was the homecoming debacle in 2011 when West Chester took a 35-0 second quarter lead only to see the Huskies rattle off 55 straight points and steal a 55-42 win. The past seven games have been decided by a total of 18 points.

Former Bloomsburg All-American linebacker Frank Sheptock is in his fifth season as head coach at his alma mater, with a record of 18-34.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2014	Away	Loss	41-10	2019	Home	Win	20-17
2015	Home	Win	33-22	2021	Home	Win	21-20
2016	Away	Win	27-7	2022	Away	Loss	21-16
2017	Home	Loss	20-19	2023	Away	Win	24-21 OT
2018	Away	Win	17-4	2024	Away	Loss	23-21

Last Meeting:

09/28/2024 Bloomsburg 23 - West Chester 21

With just a minute left in the game, the Golden Rams took a 21-17 lead on a 43-yard Cooper Jordan run, but the Huskies went 63 yards in just 36 seconds to open their PSAC East schedule with the 23-21 win.

Jordan finished with 287 yards and 1 TD passing and 81 yards and 2 TD's rushing. Robby Longo was a top target with 6 catches for 95 yards. The defense was paced by linebacker Connor Noble (7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU) and Jack Fry (6 tackles). Debrick Johnson blocked a PAT attempt to go along with five tackles in the game.

Scouting the Opponent:

Senior KJ Riley is primarily Bloomsburg's quarterback, but he does a lot for the Huskies: throwing (121 of 209, 1,750 yards, 17 TD's, 10 int's), running (84 carries, 359 yards, 6 TD's), kickoffs (6, 309 yards, 1 TB), placekicking (0-1 FG, 3 of 4 PAT's) and punting (1 for 37 yds) and a solo tackle. Top targets in the passing game are All PSAC-East wide receiver Jerry Griffen-Batchler (35 catches, 593 yards, 7 TD's), Gabe Brower (32 catches, 503 yards, 6 TD's) and Justin Wolfe (29 catches, 301 yards, 2 TD's). In the rushing game, besides Riley, there's freshman Declan Clancy (116 carries, 505 yards, 2 TD's), freshman Eli Zimmerman (60 carries, 204 yards, 4 TD's), Brower (18 carries, 162 yards, 1 TD), and Wolfe (12 carries, 33 yards).

All PSAC-East defensive lineman Charles Crews III now starts (21 tackles, 6.0 TFL) for FCS Austin Peay. So the front of the defense is now led by Ryan Corros (11 tackles, 2.0 sacks) and Emilio Diaz (14 tackles, 1.5 sacks). Most of their stops come from linebackers Izzy Dobbins (59 tackles, 3.0 TFL), Brady Thompson (57 tackles, 4.0 TFL), Nahzier Booker (43 tackles, 8.5 TFL), and Garrett Garcia (36 tackles, 3.0 TFL). Safety Cole Turner (35 tackles, 4 PBU), Ervin Mitchell (13 tackles, 3 PBU), and freshman cornerback Cameron Gates (7 tackles, 3 PBU) pace the secondary.

Analysis:

Just like their records, these two teams are very even from an offensive and defensive perspective. The one area where the Golden Rams have an advantage is in the secondary where WCU has nabbed a PSAC-leading 11 interceptions and Bloomsburg has thrown 11 picks. If West Chester quarterbacks don't reciprocate, then there could be an extra possession or two for the purple and gold. The Huskies have struggled in kick scoring, failing on seven PAT's, so West Chester may be able to capture some points in that area as well, if they can prevent their kicks from getting blocked. And even though Riley leads the PSAC East in passing yards, the Golden Ram defense also needs to contain his running game.

Massey Ratings is expecting a 28-20 West Chester win while Versus Sports simulates a 31-19 Golden Ram victory.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Video   Game Program  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester and Bloomsburg Renew Long Rivalry Saturday at Farrell Stadium

PSAC Site - 2025 PSAC Football Week 9 Notes

Bloomsburg Athletic Site - Game Notes Week 9: Bloomsburg vs West Chester

D2football - PSAC Columnist - PSAC Week Nine Preview