WEST CHESTER, Pa. - West Chester quarterback Cooper Jordan rushed for 218 yards and accounted for five touchdowns as the Golden Rams topped visiting Millersville, 41-23. 

Jordan completed only five passes, but three of them went for touchdowns. The Golden Rams didn't need much from its passing game as Jordan averaged 14.5 yards per carry and the team piled up 358 yards on 42 rushing attempts. 

"Ultimately it came down to not preventing big plays," said Millersville head coach J.C. Morgan. "That did us in."

Millersville rushed for 197 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry, and Rob Footman Jr. completed 16-of-31 passes for 178 yards with two touchdowns while also rushing 67. Jaheim Morris rushed for 92 yards on 12 carries. Tyler Tinson and Steven Graves III both scored their first career touchdowns. 

"It was good that we were able to get the ball into the end zone but missed opportunities in the first half," said Morgan. "We didn't protect the ball and left some opportunities on the field that got us down at the half. It was good to see some things happen but too many mistakes early. It was up and down across the board. I was happy that they answered back with some third and fourth down conversions, but it was too much up and down for my liking."

West Chester took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, and Millersville never again came within single digits. Morris scored on a 2-yard run with 6:52 remaining in the third quarter to give Millersville a puncher's chance at a rally, but on West Chester's very next drive, Jordan connected with D'Shaun Seals for a 47-yard touchdown pass. 

Millersville scored on each of its next two possessions as well. Footman found Tinson from five yards out with 10:09 to play to make it 27-16. He also threw a seven-yard strike to Graves with 3:20 to go, but sandwiched around those Millersville scores were big plays by Cooper as he scrambled for touchdowns of 47 and 60 yards to keep Millersville at bay. 

"It was too many big plays," said Morgan. "One was on fourth and 13, giving up a bomb. We couldn't keep pace with them. We kept trying to fight. (Cooper) is a great athlete and has been having big games against everybody. We knew we'd have our hands full with him but the big plays in the air turned into big plays on the ground, and that kept us from getting down to a one-score game."

UP NEXT
Millersville plays its final home game of the season on Nov. 2 against PSAC East-leading and nationally-ranked Kutztown. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.