Mustangs host Marauders this Saturday
The No. 3 CIS ranked Mustangs will be gearing up on the gridiron this Saturday, October 4, against the No. 4 McMaster Marauders, who will be looking to put the Mustangs in their place after the Purple and White knocked them out of the playoffs with a 32-3 semi-final victory last year.
Western and McMaster have a bitter history with one another, as the Marauders eliminated Western from the playoffs in both 2011 and 2012 before the Mustangs got revenge in 2013. Adding to the excitement is the fact that both teams are undefeated heading into Saturday’s game, which promises to see one of their winning streaks come to an end.
Western heads into this weekend’s action coming off of a 69-3 road win over the Warriors last Saturday. Quarterback Will Finch topped the score sheet with 207 yards on 10-for-17 passing while also adding three touchdowns in the victory. The Burlington, Ont., native also added 12 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown in his two quarters of action before handing the reins over to back up Stevenson Bone in the second half. After last weekend’s game, Finch now sits at second in the OUA for passing yards per game with 273.5 and third for passing touchdowns with nine.
But Finch wasn’t the only one making impressive plays in last weekend’s action. Nine different Mustangs put points on the board, as the team racked up 753 yards of total offence while limiting the Warriors to only 183 total offensive yards on the day. On defense, Ricky Osei-Kusi was solid, leading Western with 3.5 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble—which he would recover. In four games this season, Osei-Kusi has put up a total of 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
On special teams, kicker Zack Medeiros scored 15 points on the day, going 9-for-9 on extra points and making both field goal attempts. The St. Thomas, Ontario native has had a break-out season so far this year, as he leads the Mustangs in overall scoring with 56 points.
McMaster is also coming in fresh off a win after downing Queen’s 28-19 in their Homecoming game on Saturday—a game which saw Marauder kicker Tyler Crapinga move within one career field goal of breaking former Mustang and current Winnipeg Blue Bomber Lirim Hairallahu’s OUA record of 77. Needless to say, all eyes will be on Crapinga this weekend as he attempts to pass Hairallahu in Western territory.
He certainly isn’t McMaster’s only threat, however. Quarterback Marshall Ferguson was solid last weekend, finding eight receivers to tally 376 yards in passing with two touchdowns. Ferguson currently sits second in the OUA for passing touchdowns with nine and fourth place in the OUA for passing yards per game with 259. Wide receiver Daniel Vandervoot was also a big reason for the victory, racking up 107 yards on four catches to move him into fifth in the OUA for receiving yards per game at 91.6.
On the ground, Chris Pezzetta dominated for the Marauders, rushing for a game-high 154 yards on 24 carries. His victory-clinching, 59-yard touchdown rush in the final three minutes put the cherry on top of another solid performance and helped earn him the Mark Timpany Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the Homecoming Game.
Saturday’s game time is set for 1 p.m. at TD Stadium. Fans can watch all the action live on OUA.tv, Rogers Cable 13 in London, and Rogers Sports Plus throughout Ontario or listen live on CHRW radio and on Newstalk 1290 CJBK with Tom McConnell and legendary Mustangs coach Larry Haylor calling all the action.
Photo credit: Matthew Hiscox
(Source: Western Mustangs Sports Information)
Golden Hawks wraps up home stand against Lions
WATERLOO, Ont. (October 2, 2014) – Coming off an impressive victory on Homecoming weekend, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men’s football team aims for their third straight win on Saturday afternoon when they host the York Lions at University Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and tickets for the game can be purchased by visiting tickets.laurierathletics.com. The game will also be live on OUA.tv and on RadioLaurier.com.
So far the 2014 season has been an exact opposite of 2013 for the purple and gold. Following their fourth game a year ago, the Hawks sat with a 1-3 record but this season, thanks to their 53-3 win over Carleton a week ago, Laurier sits with a 3-1 record, good for a tie for fourth in the OUA standings.
The big win over the Ravens m arked the second time this year that Laurier has scored 53 points in a game, matching their season-high output from their Week 1 win over the Varsity Blues. Keying the victory was a balanced offensive attack for the purple and gold that saw the team put up 521 yards of offence. Running back Dillon Campbell of Whitby, Ont., was his usual productive self as he rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns. He was also one of seven different players to record a reception in the game, highlighted by Marcus Arkarakas of Richmond Hill, Ont., who made six catches for 63 yards and a touchdown.
The victory pulled Laurier into a tie with the No. 6 Guelph Gryphons for fourth place in the conference standings, just a game behind three undefeated teams in Windsor, No. 4 McMaster and No. 3 Western.
Meanwhile, Laurier’s opponent on Saturday, the York Lions, have struggled all season long and find themselves with an 0-5 record so far in 2014. Last week, the Lions hosted the Lancers a nd were handed a 35-3 setback. Jonathan Howard of Burlington, Ont., was one of the lone bright spots for York as the rookie running back rushed for 98 yards on just eight touches.
Despite the difference in success between the Hawks and Lions so far this year, fans only need to look back to last season to see that no team should be taken lightly in the OUA. A year ago, Laurier jumped out to a 15-0 lead before York stormed back with 28 unanswered points to earn a 33-20 victory. The win was the first for the Lions over the Hawks since 2002.
Saturday’s game is a special one for the Laurier campus as the Athletics and Recreation department hosts Staff and Faculty Appreciation Day. Every Laurier employee is eligible for two free tickets for the game, which can be picked up with valid Laurier ID at the U-Desk or the Athletic Complex Hawk Desk. On the day of the game, tickets can be picked up at the University Stadium box office.
Following the game, the Hawks will be on the field signing autographs for fans in attendance.
HAWKS TO WATCH
– RB Dillon Campbell will once again be front and centre for the Hawks offensive game plan. The fourth year back has posted an incredible 850 yards on the ground through just four games, a pace of 1,700 yards for the season.
– DL Kwaku Boateng recorded his fifth sack of the year against Carleton last week. In just 12 career games, Boateng has picked up nine sacks which ties him for tenth all-time at Laurier
– QB James Fracas continues to lead by example for the purple and gold as he is the only starting quarterback in the CIS to not throw an interception so far in 2014.
– RET Carson Ouellette has been very solid since taking over return duties after Week 2 of the season. The first year defensive back is averaging nearly 10 yards per return, consistently providing the Hawks with excellent field position.
Photo credit: Adam Gagnon
(Source: Jamie Howieson, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks Sports Information)
Gee-Gees to do battle with struggling Warriors at home
Week six of the OUA football season has the 0-5 Waterloo Warriors visiting the 3-2 Gee-Gees in a matchup of two teams headed in different directions.
The struggling Warriors have given up a CIS-high 275 points and have only put up 21 points of their own over five games. That includes just one touchdown. On the other side, the Gee-Gees have their sights set on the upper echelon of the OUA. A win and a couple of losses from teams in front, would put them there.
Despite the Waterloo’s dismal numbers, Ottawa won’t be taking them lightly. They know any team has a chance to win any given week in the CIS.
“The thing I’m really concerned about is having a complete game,” says head coach Jamie Barresi. “We still haven’t put together a complete game. It was good to get the win last week – they’re a pretty physical group (University of Toronto) and I’m pleased that we got it but there’s things we have to improve on.”
“Our defence has to do a better job against the run. They got pushed around. We’ve got to be consistent in the second half offensively. Last week, the first five series we were three and out and the sixth series, we were four and out. But it’s a collective effort. Everybody’s got to pull their weight.”
One of the most consistent aspects of the Gee-Gees’ game has been how they’ve been able to run the ball well in every game. With starter Mack Tommy out, rookie Bryce Vieira saw the most touches last week against the Varsity Blues and ran for 105 yards of the Gee-Gees’ 244 yards on the day. That contributed to the Gee-Gees’ average of 232 yards per game, fifth best in the CIS, and their total rushing yards (1160) which is third most.
“It’s taken a lot of pressure off the quarterback and off pass protection and things like that,” adds Barresi about his team’s running game. “It’s given us a different type of identity. So teams look at us as a different team. We actually got into a different formation. We’re able to execute from there. So now teams have to consider us maybe as a different personality.”
With the Warriors averaging 374 rushing yards against per game, 103 more than the next worst in the CIS, the Gee-Gees could be in for another great day on the ground.
Where the running game has helped, at times, pull up in the slack of the passing game, it also helped it get back on track last week. Quarterback Derek Wendel went 26 for 32 for 334 yards and two touchdowns. His completion percentage on the season is now 67 per cent (sixth best) and he has racked up the most yards of any QB in the CIS.
However, the Warriors’ pass defence is comparable to the Gee-Gees. They give up nearly the same amount of yards and have one less interception but don’t get the kind of pressure on the quarterback that the Gee-Gees do. The Warriors have only recorded two sacks this season.
Photo credit: Richard Whittaker
(Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees Sports Information)
1000! Blues travel to Carleton for 1000th game
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues football team heads to Ottawa to take on the Carleton Ravens in their 1000th game in program history this Saturday, October 4.
The game will be streamed live via OUA.tv, starting with kick off at 1 p.m.
1000 is a big number, and the Blues are in need of a big win. There have been many of those big W’s in the past 153 years, including Yates, Vanier and even Grey Cup victories, so why not this weekend versus the Ravens?
Saturday’s Week 6 tilt is a must-win if Toronto (1-4) wants to extend their season past eight regular season games. The Blues defeated the Ravens 50-10 last season at Varsity Centre. Carleton re-entered the league in 2013 after a 15-year hiatus and are 2-2 in seventh place after wins over Waterloo and Ottawa.
Looking at the numbers, the two teams are evenly matched in yards gained (TOR:440/CAR:415) and allowed (CAR:480.5/TOR:507.8) per game. Toronto and Carleton have met six times in the regular season, dating back to their first meeting in 1971. Toronto holds a 5-1-0 record in the head-to-head series.
Toronto quarterback Simon Nassar ranks sixth in the league with 1169 passing yards and a 61.6 completion percentage, while running back Lukas Gavac is also sixth, averaging 81.8 rushing yards per game. Second-year Blues receiver Llevi Noel continues to sit second in the OUA, averaging 116.3 yards per game.
Third-year defensive back Jaiden McBride has moved up the rankings and sits fifth in the province with 30 tackles in five games.
Nick Gorgichuk has amassed 666 passing yards and four touchdowns in Carleton’s last three games. His favourite target has been rookie receiver Nathaniel Behar, who has averaged 90.8 yards and one TD per game. Jahvari Bennett is the Ravens main man on the ground with 288 rushing yards.
Photo credit: Martin Bazyl
(Source: University of Toronto Varsity Blues Sports Information)
No.6 Gryphons and Lancers meet in Windsor in crucial OUA battle
Having reached the midway point of the OUA regular season schedule, the Football Gryphons and Lancers will meet up in Windsor on Saturday (Oct. 4) for a crucial game that will go a long way to determining playoff positioning for both schools. The Gryphons, who sit at 3-1 on the season, head to Windsor well rested following their bye week. They also head into this week full of confidence after a dominating Homecoming performance versus Queen’s.
The sold out crowd at Alumni Stadium that day watched their team roll to a 66-0 victory over the Gaels. It was a game that featured standout performances for the Gryphons in all three phases of the game. Quarterback Jazz Lindsey (Markham, Ont.) finished the day with 345 yards passing and five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in what his coaches called his best game as a Gryphon. Defensively, the Gryphons forced (and recovered) six fumbles on the day. But the most dominating unit on the day was the Gryphons defensive line who recorded an incredible ten sacks in the game, three of which came from first year player Charlie Taggart (Hamilton, Ont.). Getting pressure from the defensive line will once again be a key this week as the Gryphons face a Lancers team that boasts perhaps the top quarterback-receiver threat in the country.
QB Austin Kennedy (Windsor, Ont.) sits just six touchdown passes shy of setting the OUA’s all-time record for touchdown passes in a career. His favourite target is versatile receiver Evan Pszczonak (Amherstburg, Ont.) who currently leads the CIS with an average of 161 yards receiving per game. Both Kennedy and Pszczonak are fifth year players who have led the Lancers to a 4-0 start to the season. *Note: Windsor actually lost their season opener versus Queen’s but were later awarded a victory after it was ruled that Queen’s had used an ineligible player in that game.*
While the Lancers are led by their senior quarterback, the Gryphons have a talented fifth year player of their own in their backfield. Running back Robert Farquharson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) currently sits second in the country with 146.3 yards rushing per game. The last time the Gryphons and Lancers met was in the 2013 OUA quarter final. Guelph won that game 31-21 thanks in large part to Farquharson who carried the ball 30 times that day and finished with 133 yards on the ground.
Kickoff at Windsor’s Alumni Field is set for 1:00pm and will be webcast on OUA.TV.
Source: Michelle Pino, Guelph Gryphons Sports Information
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