OUA PREVIEWS: Laurier hosts Ottawa in crucial matchup

Game Date/Time: Friday, October 9, 20157 p.m.
Game Location: University Stadium, Knight-Newbrough Field, Waterloo
Live Webcast/Stats: OUA.tv
Audiocast: RadioLaurier.com
Tickets: tickets.laurierathletics.com or at the box office on Game Day

THE SKINNY

Two teams tied for the sixth and final playoff spot in the OUA hit the gridiron on Friday night as the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (2-3) host the Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-3) in a game that could determine who makes the playoffs in 2015.

FAN INFORMATION

Friday’s game is Staff and Faculty Appreciation night as all Laurier employees are eligible to receive two f ree tickets to the game
– Staff and Faculty can pick up their tickets at the Hawk Desk or U-Desk prior to the game and at the University Stadium box office on game day
– Families attending the game can take advantage of the supervised Family Zone in the East endzone which features a free bouncy castle, face painting, crafts, a football toss and more
– The OUA will be featuring an interactive Quest for the Cup fan zone at the game as part of their campus tour leading up to the Yates Cup

NEED TO KNOW

– The Hawks and Gee-Gees are meeting for the first time in three years on Friday night
– The last meeting between the two teams came back on September 22, 2012 when the Hawks won on the road 35-27
– Since the Gee-Gees returned to the OUA in 1999, the two teams have split their 16 meetings with the Hawks owning a 4-3 record in matchups at University Stadium
– Laurier and Ottawa enter Week 7 of the OUA season tied for the sixth a nd final playoff spot in the conference with the Toronto Varsity Blues
– The Hawks enter the game coming off a shutout victory of the Waterloo Warriors last week while the Gee-Gees have lost three of their last four games

ALL-TIME SERIES

Ottawa leads the all-time series against the Golden Hawks with a 14-12-1 record but Laurier has won the last two meetings against the Gee-Gees. The last time these two teams met in Waterloo was Homecoming weekend in 2011 when the purple and gold posted a 51-16 win.

MEET THE TEAMS
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (2-3)

After the disappointing loss on Homecoming weekend, the Hawks rebounded in the best way possible as both the offence and defence were clicking in their 42-0 win at Waterloo last Saturday.

Offensively, the story of the game was running back Dillon Campbell of Whitby, Ont., as he became Laurier’s new all-time leading rusher after posting 241 yards an d three touchdowns against Waterloo. Those numbers give him 3,069 rushing yards for his career, pushing him past Andy Cecchini’s 3,061 yards, a record that has stood for 24 years.

With weather dictating the need to run the ball, the Hawks continued to move the football even after Campbell left the game early in the third quarter. A quartet of Hawks combined to rush for another 148 yards as Laurier posted nearly 400 yards of rushing on the day.

Defensively, Laurier was equally as impressive as they posted their first shutout of the season. Rookie linebacker Matt Williams of Ajax, Ont., making just his second career start, led the tackling parade as he posted six in the contest while the Hawks forced two fumbles in the game, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Tanner Philp of Burlington, Ont.

Head Coach Michael Faulds will need a similar effort from his team on Friday as they matchup against the Gee-Gees in a game that will have implications on the play off standings. A win against Ottawa will give Laurier the all-important tiebreaker over the Gee-Gees and will boost the confidence level of the squad as they head into their final two games of the regular season.

Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-3)

Like the Golden Hawks, the Gee-Gees expected to be in a better position with regards to the postseason entering their sixth game of the season after reaching the OUA semifinals a year ago. However, back-to-back losses have set Ottawa back and now they face the possibility of being on the outside of playoff picture looking in after Fridaynight.

Offence has not been a problem for Ottawa this season as they come into the game with the second-best offence in the province, averaging 533 yards per game. The architect behind that success is fourth year quarterback Derek Wendel of Belleville, Ont., who is leading the province in passing yards with 2,079 and has thrown the second-most touchdown passes in the league with 18.

Wendel has a beavy of weapons at his disposal in his receiving core, highlighted by Ian Stewart of Burlington, Ont., who leads the conference averaging 147 yards per game.

The Achilles heel for Ottawa this season has been their defence as they are averaging nearly 40 points per game, the worst among the eight teams still battling for a playoff spot. One player to keep an eye on though is linebacker Khadim Mbaye of Laval, Que., who is fourth in the OUA in sacks this season with four.

 

Source: Jamie Howieson, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks Sports Information

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