Kouame-Yao

What will Shepherd send out to possibly beat either of those two teams?

In place are an experienced “Big Four” group of offensive linemen, a reliable wide receiver threesome and the knowledge that the Rams have accomplished much in their previous seasons in the well-thought-of PSAC.

The acrid taste of last season’s playoff defeat at Lenoir-Rhyne shows the Rams can have afternoons where little goes as planned. Changes in certain places seem to be in order, especially when your last game is discolored by a 63-17 loss.

Shepherd went 9-2 in last year’s regular season. It defeated West Chester and East Stroudsburg, annually two polished conference rivals.

O'Neal

Coming into the 2024 season, Shepherd people can focus on Ty Lucas, James Bell, Brandon Carr and Wyatt Pellicano, four returning starters from a reliable offensive line. Then there are receivers Jeremiah Taylor, Malakai Brown and Barry Hill as returnees.

However, last season’s quarterback Seth Morgan, a one-year starter as a transfer from VMI, is no longer around. Flying through any PSAC schedule with a first-year quarterback with the bare minimum of experience is not a plan made in football heaven.

Will the 2024 Rams find a viable ground game that will alleviate opponents’ pass rushes that will be aimed at toppling Shepherd’s pass offense?

On defense, the Rams present Harold O’Neal, Miles Greer and JT Kouame-Yao as bona fide all-star players.

But will Shepherd’s normal four man rush and depth-shallow secondary be enough? Playmakers have to be found . . . and found by the season’s second week when Slippery Rock rears its offensive-minded head.

Greer

Teams generally don’t do well when they try running against the Shepherd defense. That same scenario has to be in place this season.

In nearly every season in the recent past, the Rams have remained mostly healthy throughout the regular campaign. Again, that same scenario has to be in place.

The PSAC, especially the West Division where Slippery Rock, Indiana and California cause the most trouble, has a group of traditional winners. The East Division, beyond Kutztown and Shepherd, can find West Chester and East Stroudsburg as its best prospects for glory-steeped seasons. West Chester has a first-year head coach in place at the 18,000 student university.

For a team that mostly surged through a 9-3 season, Shepherd has a number of question marks dressed in its traditional blue and gold. It is possible all that is needed is game experience. But a generally inconsistent pass rush, few “big plays” in the defensive secondary and fewer long gainers (40 or more yards) by the running backs make beating Kutztown or Slippery Rock even more difficult.

If it is a sunny and bright day, Shepherd’s Ram Stadium should be jammed with fans when Slippery Rock comes in for the season’s first home game on Sept. 14 — especially if the Rams have beaten Southern Connecticut State on Sept. 5 on the road in New Haven.