STORYLINES
RIGHTED THE SHIP
The Warriors bounced back from their first loss of the season, coming out of their bye week with a 51-0 win over Lackawanna. It was a dominating effort for all three units, as ESU outgained the Falcons 475-147, scoring at least 10 points in every quarter. Since 2023, the Warriors have bounced back from their first loss with a win the following week, keeping that streak alive in its fourth season.
DIFFERENT FORMULAS
ESU and West Chester are both 3-1 overall to start the year, getting identical records through two differing styles. The Warriors are averaging close to 40 points per game, gaining over seven yards per play. Meanwhile, the Golden Rams have relied on keeping games low-scoring, holding three of their four opponents to under 17 points in regulation. The only team to score over 20 points against the Golden Rams was Edinboro, who fell 44-24 to West Chester. Something will have to give, as the 21st-ranked scoring offense takes on the 23rd-ranked total defense in Division II.
QB OPTIONS
ESU’s top two quarterbacks alternated drives last week, as senior Harrison Susi and junior Matt Machalik built a comfortable lead for the Warriors. Battling the elements as the rain poured down last Saturday night, Susi completed 6-of-11 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, while Machalik went 4-for-7 with 103 yards and a score as well. On the ground, Susi picked up 67 yards on 7 attempts, and Machalik added 43 yards through four runs, finding the end zone on a seven-yard scramble.
RECORD WATCH
Susi had a rushing touchdown called back on a holding penalty last week, which would have been his first one on the ground since the Warriors’ season-opening win at Seton Hill. Currently at 13 career rushing touchdowns, Susi has been tied with HC Jimmy Terwilliger’s record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback for the past three weeks.
RUSHING DOMINANCE
After gaining no fewer than 241 yards on the ground each week through four games, ESU finally cracked the top-10 for rushing offenses in Division II with its output last week. Now averaging 257.8 yards per game, the Warriors lead the PSAC and are eighth in Division II with that figure. While doing so with only one 100-yard rusher in a game this year, each of the four players with over 20 carries this year is picking up at least five yards per carry, as Susi’s 70.3 YPG and junior RB Cade Sawyer’s 9.9 YPC lead the Warriors in those categories.
GO DEEP
Fifth-year WR Elijah Ford has developed into the go-to target through the air for the Warriors, consistently winning his matchups on the outside. Among receivers who have at least 200 yards, Ford’s 27.0 YPC ranks first in the PSAC, 6.5 yards better than the next-closest receiver. He’s come up with a big play in each of the last three weeks, recording receptions of 72, 46, and 38 yards during that span.
TURNING A CORNER
Last week’s game against Lackawanna was just what the ESU defense needed after the first three games. Prior to shutting out the Falcons, the Warriors allowed 435.3 yards per game and 35.0 points per game, ranking 131st and 128th in Division II, respectively. Following that, ESU’s numbers have dropped to 363.3 yards per game and 26.3 points per game, placing the Warriors in the top 90 in each category now.
WINNING UP FRONT
The tone on defense was set by the line, recording 15 tackles for loss. Senior DL Terrell Reynolds and fifth-year DL Jake Williamson each had 3.0, as the Warriors limited the Falcons to 2.5 yards per play and 0.9 yards per rush. Junior LB Camerin Gross made a habit of getting downhill fast, too, intercepting a ball at the line of scrimmage and breaking up another pass on a blitz. In total, 11 different Warriors contributed at least a half tackle for loss in ESU’s 15, which was one more than the combined 14 ESU had through its first three games.
GOLDEN RAMS OFFENSE
West Chester’s run a fairly balanced attack on offense, passing the ball 29 times and running it 34 times on average per game. RB Mikhail Johnson enters the game as the sixth-leading rusher in the PSAC, carrying the ball 57 times for 304 yards and two touchdowns. As he’s averaged an even 76 yards per game, QB Colin O’Sullivan has also put up the sixth-most yards per game through the air with 225.7. O’Sullivan’s struggled with efficiency, though, with his 120.5 rating ranking third-to-last in the conference, as he’s only thrown four touchdowns to three interceptions this season. On the perimeter, wide receivers Dylan McKenzie and Blake Thomas have each eclipsed 100 yards through the air so far, as McKenzie leads the team with 208. He’s had two games of 70-plus yards, while Thomas, in his season debut against Edinboro two weeks ago, went off for 113 yards on five receptions.
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK
On the other side of the ball, West Chester’s two standout defenders over the middle are linebackers Luke Trunell and Ricardo Delgado. Trunell ranks eighth in the PSAC with 8.3 tackles per game, while Delgado’s 10 solo tackles this year make him the only Golden Ram with double digits in that stat. Each leads the team with 3.0 TFL, while DB Miles Goodwin and DL Solo Bambara have 2.5 to follow suit. West Chester’s defense has only come away with four takeaways through four games: two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Trunell and DL Jack Fry have forced the two turnovers through the air, and defensive linemen Ronnell McCorn and Debrick Johnson recovered fumbles; Johnson securing the one he forced as well.
LAST YEAR’S MEETING
The Warriors defeated the Golden Rams at West Chester, spoiling their homecoming with a 45-14 win. The 31-point difference was the largest margin of victory for ESU in its all-time series against West Chester, doing so by scoring 38 unanswered points. The Warriors trailed 14-7 before halftime, forcing the Golden Rams’ offense into two turnovers on downs, one fumble, and three punts in the second half. Senior RB Ajani Walker enjoyed a breakout game, going for 129 yards on 19 carries and a pair of touchdowns as the Warriors flipped the script on the Golden Rams coming out of the break. Additionally, each team was also 3-1 entering the game, with West Chester also defeating Millersville coming into the game, and the Warriors exiting their bye week with a win.
WINS AGAINST WEST CHESTER
The Warriors have won three straight games against the Golden Rams, their second-longest winning streak all-time in the series. Each victory has been by multiple scores while marking the first time since 1975-1979 and the second time overall that ESU has won more than two consecutive games versus West Chester.
HOMECOMING
For the third time in five years, the Warriors are hosting the Golden Rams for their Homecoming Weekend game. They’ve split the previous two games, falling 24-21 in 2022, but winning 45-31 two years ago in 2024.
