Last week, the Shepherd University Rams could not do anything on offense by way of the passing game. UVA-Wise proved to be a better opponent than anyone expected. Notre Dame of Ohio probably thought the same thing was about to happen. They couldn’t have been more wrong. This week didn’t see huge improvements in the passing statistics, just a much better, more efficient use of the air attack.
Redshirt freshman Jeff Ziemba made his first career start for the Rams, and what a way to make your presence known on campus. The Newark, Del. native threw for 126 yards on 16 completions and added two touchdowns through the air. Robert Byrd and William “Mac” McKenzie caught his touchdown passes. Ziemba was sacked twice, which may have happened due to an injury to junior offensive lineman Hussam Ouri. It may not have been the most aesthetically pleasing performance when examining the statistics, but watching Ziemba play was very calming and encouraging. The young man from Delaware knew what he was doing—sans a miscommunication with fellow Delaware native Jabre Lolley in the backfield on a handoff—and seemed to inspire confidence in his teammates.
Not to be outdone, sophomore running back Allen Cross of Long Reach High School had another good day pounding the rock, carrying 20 times for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cross did fumble once on the day with disastrous results. Notre Dame’s Mo May returned the fumble 74 yards for a touchdown. Minus that error, Cross had another great day on the ground.
The two-headed monster that is Shepherd’s ground game once again proved to be dangerous. Ziemba’s high school teammate at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington, Jabre Lolley, had a solid day on the ground as well, running 16 times for 87 yards and touchdown. University of Michigan transfer Jihad Rasheed only rushed three times, but he went for 59 yards and a touchdown. Altogether, the Rams posted an impressive 241 yards on the ground. Not a bad way to bounce back after a dismal offensive performance the previous week.
Defensively, it was another good day for the Rams. They were able to limit Notre Dame to just 236 yards on the ground. Outside linebacker De’Ontre Johnson led the Rams with 11 total tackles on the day. Levi Barber, Phillip Rhoden and Howard Jones all had seven total tackles on the day; Rhoden returned an interception for 39 yards and Jones recorded a sack as well. Xavier Tyler recorded two sacks on the day while Bernard Wolley also managed to take down the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.
Many people argue that football is broken up into thirds. That being, offense is a third of the game, defense is a third of the game and special teams comprises the final third. The Rams won in every third this weekend. It was impressive to say the least.
Senior punter Troy McNeil was called upon four times Saturday, and he sported an impressive 42.5 yard average on the day, including a booming 60-yarder that helped pin back Notre Dame. Sophomore placekicker Ryan Earls added a strong performance following his being named the Mountain East Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. He went perfect on his seven point after touchdown attempts and also added two field goals, from 23 and 25 yards respectively. The true star of the special teams was redshirt freshman CJ Davis who recorded an amazing 249 all-purpose yards on the day, including one 66-yard punt return touchdown. Davis has really added a new dynamic to the Rams the past few weeks, and if he can manage to curtail his fumbling, he can truly become an X-factor for the Rams.
Shepherd improves to 7–0 overall and 6–0 in the Mountain East Conference. After a bye week, the Rams will travel to Glenville State to take on the Pioneers. On the ninth of November, the Rams will host their final regular season home game of the season. They will take on West Virginia State. If things keep going the way they are, a home playoff game also seems likely. Based on this week’s performance, don’t be surprised if the Rams climb into the top 10 of the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.
