York Lions head to Windsor for Week 5 match-up

Overall, the Lions are 1-3 on the season while the Lancers have had an up-and-down season and are currently 2-2. Windsor has alternated wins and losses in its first four games, beating up on Ottawa and Toronto in weeks one and three, respectively, by a combined score of 118-22, while falling to Guelph at home in Week 2 and No. 6 nationally-ranked Western on the road last week.

Saturday night’s game has the potential to be a high-scoring one as both squads feature strong offences. The Lions are currently third in the OUA with an average of 428.25 yards per game, while the Lancers are fifth with 373.25 yards per game.

The two offences also feature two of the top three producing quarterbacks in the league thus far. Windsor’s Austin Kennedy of Windsor, Ont., leads the conference with 1,390 yards through four games, while York’s Myles Gibbon of Montreal is third with 1,208. Kennedy has accounted for 11 touchdowns, with 10 passing and one rushing, while Gibbon has thrown for six scores and rushed for another two. Kennedy’s 347.5 yards per game and 10 touchdowns are both national highs.

The Lions also have a strong running game, led by fifth-year back Kyle Exume of Whitby, Ont. The CIS offensive player of the week after the team’s win over Ottawa, he is fifth in the OUA with 365 rushing yards in four games (an average of 91.25 per game), and has scored three touchdowns. The Lancers have been getting it done mostly in the air as their top running back, Mitch Dender of Amherstburg, Ont., is averaging just 46.75 yards per game.

Windsor also has a top-ranked defence that has given up just 279 yards per game, tied for the best mark in the OUA. The Lions are sixth after allowing an average of 338.25 per game.

York’s defence features two of the top defensive backs in the conference in Josh Small of Pickering, Ont., and Chris States of Brampton, Ont., who are both rookies. Each of them has three interceptions on the year to lead the OUA, and both have also recorded one fumble recovery. Small also has 12 tackles to his name and States 9.5.

The Lancers have dominated the head-to-head match-up in recent years, winning the last seven contests between the two squads. The Lions are looking for their first victory over Windsor since 2004, when they posted a 42-14 win. The most recent contest between the two teams ended with a 40-15 victory by Windsor in the final game of 2011.

As part of the evening festivities, the first 500 fans in attendance at the game will receive a souvenir Lancer foam finger.

The Lions will return home in Week 6 for the first ever night game played at York Stadium, beginning under the lights at 7pm on Thursday, Oct. 4. They will take on the defending Yates Cup and Vanier Cup champion McMaster Marauders, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the CIS after a perfect 4-0 start to the 2012 campaign.