With the temperatures starting to drop and the leaves changing colours, fall is definitely here. The days are a little shorter and a little cooler, but that only means that the action across the CIS is heating up. The midway point of the 2015 CIS football season is just around the corner and teams now start to “play for keeps”
The highlight of week five definitely is the inter-conference action featuring the AUS and RSEQ. Each year we get a taste of what might be as these two conferences crossover. This year’s feature match is between Sherbrooke and Mount Allison. With bragging rights on the line this should be a good one.
Below are my picks for week five. Last week I went 4-3 bringing the season record to an unimpressive 5-4. Hoping to improve, here are the week 5 CIS picks.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
***UPSET ALERT*** Saskatchewan Huskies (1-2) @ #6 UBC Thunderbirds (2-1) – The number six UBC Thunderbirds, led on offense by Penn State transfer QB Michael O’Connor come into this one on a high after travelling across the country and knocking off top ten Manitoba 51-48 in a good old fashioned wild west shootout. The Huskies got off the schneid last week by knocking off provincial rival Regina. Tyler Chow spearheads a strong Huskies’ ground game while veteran Drew Burko is among the best passers in the country, when he is on.
Both teams can score and can do so quickly and in bunches. The question is can either one stop the other one from scoring. Neither defense has been particularly impressive this year and I must say giving up 39 points and 564 yards a game is an awful lot for the “sixth” ranked team in the country. I like Saskatchewan in the road upset due to their ability to run the ball and preserve their defense, otherwise it’s a coin toss.
SASKATCHEWAN 32 UBC 29
#8 Manitoba Bisons (1-2) @ Alberta Golden Bears (2-1) – Both teams will be in very sour moods come kickoff, but for different reasons. The Golden Bears headed into last week’s action 2-0 and on top of the world. After a half decade of futility, Alberta looked like they were a player and ready to give their neighbours to the South a run for their money. But enter the Dinos. In a score more befitting an Angola-USA basketball game, Calgary crushed the Golden Bears 80-18, leaving Alberta to wonder how good they actually are. The Bisons feel as though they should be 3-0 and are a couple of breakdowns away from possibly being ranked second or third. Now is the time to show what they can do as a 1-3 start in country’s most contested conference could be fatal.
Manitoba QB Theo Deezar leads the country in passing yards per game and should feast on a secondary that’s given up 400 ypg through the air. Granted 546 yards came at the hands of Calgary, that’s still a lot of real estate given up in the other two. The Manitoba defense is not as bad as UBC’s 51 points indicated and led by LB DJ Lalama they will be better this week.
MANITOBA 45 ALBERTA 28
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Bishop’s Gaiters (0-3) @ SMU Huskies (0-2) – Two teams not going anywhere in a hurry it seems perfect that they meet in the crossover game. Bishop’s appear to have only two shots at a win this year and that will be in the next two weeks, first against SMU and next week against McGill. The Huskies are in disarray and if the recent departure of QB Scott Borden is any indication, things will get worse before they get better. The silver lining for both teams is defense. Both Bishop’s and SMU have played solid defense and put their respective teams in a position to win. Problem is calling their respective offenses anaemic is an understatement. Ranked in the bottom two in almost every offensive category, points will be at a premium this weekend. If you like low scoring defensive affairs, this one’s for you.
BISHOP’S 14 SMU 6
No. 9 Sherbrooke Vert et Or (1-2) @ Mount Allison Mounties (1-1) – Bragging rights are on the line as the most intriguing of the cross conference battles takes place with the Mounties hosting Sherbrooke this weekend in Sackville. The Mounties came into 2015 boasting perhaps the nation’s best one-two punch at running back with Kiel Ambursley who missed all of 2014 with an injury and his replacement last season, 2014 AUS rookie of the year Chris Reid. But with Reid breaking his collarbone in the opener against St. Mary’s run game duties now fall solely on Ambursley.
Sherbrooke is that forgotten team in the Q, with both Montreal and Laval boasting recent Vanier Cups les Vert et Or have been up there each year just unable to push to that next level. Firmly a member of the elite three in the RSEQ is this the year they make a break through??
Two talented pivots in Sherbrooke’s Jeremi Roch and the Mounties Brandon Leyh headline this one but Sherbrooke is the deeper team and pull away in the second half.
SHERBROOKE 28 MOUNT ALLISON 19
Carleton Ravens (2-1) @ No. 3 Western Mustangs (3-0) – Somewhere Woody Hayes is smiling. The Mustangs have averaged 376 yards rushing per game this season. But at the same time Mouse Davis is smiling as well with Western also averaging 386 yards passing per game. Pick your poison Carleton.
WESTERN 43 CARLETON 18
No. 9 Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-1) @ No. 5 Guelph Gryphons (3-0) – Two high-octane offenses square off in a top battle as the ninth ranked Gee-Gees head south to take on number five Guelph. The Gryphons have to guard against a letdown after gaining a measure of revenge last week by knocking off Mac 33-23. As you may remember it was that same Marauder squad that ended the Gryphons season in the Yates cup. No doubt an emotional win, how well will the Gryphons respond?
Ottawa has to be feeling good coming off their most complete performance of the season and with the defense rebounding after the Mac debacle things look to be in order in Gee-Gee land. Although they did bounce back nicely it was still Windsor and they will have something to prove again this week. Guelph, on the other hand has displayed the same, well-balanced attack that got them to the cusp of the national semis. Offensively they have a dominant run game that takes the pressure off first year starting QB James Roberts. Running back Johnny Augustine has averaged 103 ypg on the ground and the passing game delivers when needed. The Gee-Gees are a legitimate top 10 team and will take this one to the wire, but in the end I like Guelph’s strong but underrated defense to make a stand or two when needed. This will be a “last man standing affair”.
GUELPH 46 OTTAWA 44
No. 10 Acadia Axemen (2-1) @ McGill Redmen (1-2) – I am sure they won’t admit it publicly, but expect the Axemen to try and make a statement on the road at McGill. Fresh of their come from behind 25-24 win against Mount A, the Axemen now have a chance to flex their collective muscles and show they belong among the CIS elite. On the defensive side these teams are evenly matched, but the Axemen have the significantly more potent offense and their ability to finish drives will be the difference.
ACADIA 31 MCGILL 20
No. 4 Montreal Carabins (2-1) @ Concordia Stingers (2-1) – Last year’s early season darlings, Coach Mickey Donovan had the CIS abuzz with big recruiting splashes and subsequent success on the field. Unfortunately depth became an issue as injuries set in and the season came to a resounding crash ending, with a 74-18 loss in the RSEQ semi-finals to Laval. A win against Montreal would go a long way in validating them as a true RSEQ contender and not just the “best of the rest”. Unfortunately they won’t get it here. Montreal once again has the ingredients of a champion, a good offense accompanied by a lights out defense. Les Carabins have given up an average of 9 points a game, almost unheard of this day and age. Montreal wins comfortably.
MONTREAL 33 CONCORDIA 9
Record Last Week: 4-3 Record This Season: 5-3
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