Complete Game Notes (PDF)  l  PSAC Week 6 Notes

Morning Call notebook: Defense stepping up for ESU

Watch: Coach Douds on the John Mendola Show


SATURDAY  l  2:00 p.m.  l  West Chester, Pa., Farrell Stadium

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Radio: Live on WVPO 840 AM for the 51st season, and redzonemedia.com. Chuck Seese, the 2009 PSAC Heaslip Media Award recipient, is in his 25th season as the voice of the Warriors, with Bob Brittain in his 13th year providing the color commentary. Pre-game begins at 1:30 p.m.

Pre-game info: Tickets, policies, parking


1st & 10 ...  Complete Game Notes (PDF)

1 • ESU (4-1, 1-1 PSAC East) travels to No. 17 West Chester (5-0, 2-0) in an important divisional game in early October. The Warriors won last year's meeting, 35-28, as Tim Wilson took a short pass from Matt Soltes for a 33-yard TD with 5 seconds left. ESU is 2-2 in the last 4 meetings, also winning 21-20 at WCU in 2009. West Chester had won the previous 6 games.

2 • Soltes set a school record for completion percentage (81.1, 30-for-37, 366 yards, 3 TD) in last year's win over West Chester. He broke that record on Saturday in a 48-28 win over Clarion (85.3, 29-for-34, 444 yards, 4 TD).

3 • ESU is looking for its first win over a ranked team since 2008 (14-11 vs. #25 Virginia Union), and its first on the road since 2005 (66-49 at #22 C.W. Post). ESU is 10-17 against ranked teams, and 4-10 on the road, since 2000.

4 • This is the 3rd time ESU has faced a ranked West Chester team. WCU won 30-15 in 2007 (#14), and 48-38 in 2004 (#11) in the 2nd round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

5 • ESU's Denny Douds (40th year) and WCU's Bill Zwaan (11th year) meet for the 12th time, the most games for Douds against an active coach. Douds is 3-8 vs. Zwaan. He has 241 career wins, 1 away from a tie for 3rd on the DII all-time wins list.

6 • ESU and WCU own two of the top offenses - and most balanced offenses - in the PSAC and DII. ESU is averaging 42.0 points (3rd/18th), 542.6 total yards (2nd/8th), 229.8 rushing yards (3rd/24th) and 312.8 passing yards (4th/20th). West Chester averages 41.8 points (4th/20th), 520.2 total yards (4th/15th), 250.6 rushing yards (2nd/18th) and 269.6 passing yards (6th/48th).

7 • ESU is one of two DII teams to rank in the top 25 in both passing and rushing yardage, along with Findlay (Ohio).

8 • Both defenses have similar numbers as well. ESU is in the top 5 in the PSAC in 6 major categories - scoring, rushing, passing, total, 3rd down and red zone - and is 2nd in total defense at 317.6 yards per game. WCU is 3rd at 319.8 ypg.

9 • Both teams have an impressive trio of offensive leaders, and an All-American on defense. ESU has R-So. QB Matt Soltes (350.0 total yards per game), R-Fr. TB Robert Healy (111.8 ypg, 2nd among DII freshmen) and R-Sr. WR Robert Bleiler (102.8 ypg, 3rd in PSAC), along with R-Jr. DL Bryan Thomson, the 2012 PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year.

10 • WCU has Jr. QB Sean McCartney (266.0 passing ypg), Sr. TB Rondell White (238.8 all-purpose ypg, 3rd in DII), Jr. WR Erick Brundidge (61.0 ypg) and Jr. LB Ronell Williams.

For more ... Complete Game Notes (PDF)