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WALTHAM, MASS – Senior quarterback
Cooper Jordan (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) rushed for a pair of touchdowns and threw for another as West Chester University went on the road and defeated Bentley University, 30-13, in its season opener at Peter Yetten Field in Waltham, Mass., Saturday afternoon.
Jordan surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards in the victory becoming the 20th person in school history and the first QB to do so. He moved into 18th place on the school's all-time rushing list as a result.
Perhaps overshadowed a bit by its flashy quarterback, the Golden Rams' defense pitched a shutout after halftime and surrendered just 201 yards of total offense to the Falcons, who where the preseason favorites in the Northeast-10 Conference.
With the game knotted at 13-apiece heading into the break, West Chester came out and scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to take control of the contest. Jordan hooked up with R-So., and transfer wide receiver,
Matt Iuvara (Haddon Heights, N.J./Haddon Heights) on a 36-yard TD pass on the opening drive. Jordan ran in from a yard out with 2:27 to play in the third to give the visitors a 27-13 advantage.
Jordan led all rushers in the contest with 136 yards on the ground, including the two scores (eight yards and one yard). R-Jr.,
Juke Peaker (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast), rushed for 54 yards while R-Sr., running back,
Ali Barkley (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) carried the ball 12 times for 49 yards. West Chester amassed 276 yards and Jordan's two TDs altogether.
R-Fr., place-kicker,
Rylan Zuk (Telford, Pa./Souderton) kicked three field goals (25, 32, 24 yards) and nailed all three extra points to finish with 12 points on the day.
Ricardo Delgado (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and
Gus Ross (Phoenixville, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) led West Chester with five tackles each. Ross' total included four solo efforts.
Kaleb Brown (Reading, Pa./Wilson) intercepted a pass, and
Anthony Delle Donne Lineboro, Md./Calvert Hall), Khalif Kemp (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) and
Debrick Johnson (Langhorne, Pa./Conwell Egan) each recorded a sack.
Jordan got West Chester on the board first when he ran in from eight yards out with 5:41 left in the first quarter. Zuk's PAT gave the guests a 7-0 lead. Bentley answered with 53 second left in the opening quarter to tie the game at 7-7.
Zuk kicked the first of his three field goals from 25 yards out midway through the second quarter. However, Bentley's Isaiah Osgood busted off a 43-yard run with five minutes left before halftime that put the hosts in front, 13-10. The Golden Rams marched down field with the time left, and Zuk connected on a 32-yard field goal as time expired to send the teams into the break at 13-apiece.
West Chester continues its two-game road swing to open the 2025 campaign next Saturday at California, Pa., at 12 p.m.
