The opportunity to compete for the Yates Cup will be on the line as the Laurier Golden Hawks visit the Western Mustangs in an OUA Football Semi-Final on Saturday afternoon at TD Stadium.
The Mustangs have been building towards the playoffs the entire season and seem to be peaking at the right time, as head coach Greg Marshall has said that the last two games have been two of the team’s best games, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
Western has strung together one of the finest regular seasons in the history of Canadian university football scoring a CIS record 494 points on their way to a perfect 8-0 record and the top spot in the OUA standings.
The purple and white have been led all season by their record breaking offence, scoring no less than 46 points in a single game. Fourth year quarterback Will Finch has been stellar all year, throwing for 2,616 yards with 17 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Breakout running back Alex Taylor has led a dynamic group that has been dominant all season. Taylor has rushed for 1,068 yards, the second highest single season total in Western history, and scored 12 touchdowns, while Yannick Harou has been leaned on in short yardage situations, and lead the CIS in rushing touchdowns with 13.
The receiving corps has been wide open all year. The offensive line, led by All-Canadians Eddie Meredith and Sean Jamieson, has given Finch ample time to find receivers down the field and his decision making has made life easy for his group of wide outs. Nineteen different Mustangs have recorded at least one reception this season, with Matt Uren leading the way with 35 catches and 553 yards, while adding four touchdowns.
While the offence may get most of the attention the Western defensive unit has been equally impressive. Western has given up an OUA low 110 points, the third fewest in the nation, and lead the country in sacks (29), interceptions (15), and defensive touchdowns (5).
Western will be looking to limit the penalty yards and play a complete 60 minutes against a determined Laurier team, and a team that’s much different than the one Western defeated 59-9 back on September 12. Since that time the Golden Hawks went 3-2 to finish out the regular season, defeating Waterloo, Ottawa, and Queen’s, while falling to Windsor and McMaster in close contests.
And while McMaster may have gotten the upper hand on Laurier in the regular season, the Golden Hawks are coming into the semi-finals off a program defining 29-15 upset win over the Marauders, last year’s Yates Cup Champions and Vanier Cup finalists.
The Golden Hawks offence put up 538 yards en route to the upset, thanks in large part to OUA leading rusher Dillon Campbell who ran for 295 yards on 40 carries, setting a Laurier single game record for rushing yards.
While quarterback Eric Morelli has proven to be an effective starter since taking over the role this season, including throwing 12 touchdown passes compared to only three interceptions, Laurier’s offence is largely based around Campbell and the ground game. If Western wants to advance to next week’s Yates Cup final the purple and white will have to find a way to limit Campbell and prevent him from taking over the game.
Head coach Michael Faulds, former Mustangs pivot and two time Yates Cup MVP, will be calling the shots as he looks to take Laurier to their first Yates Cup since 2006.
Saturday’s contest will be Faulds’ third ever playoff game as a head coach, and the second time he’ll be patrolling the Golden Hawks sideline at TD Stadium for a post-season contest after nearly knocking off the Mustangs in a 25-10 loss in last year’s OUA Quarterfinals.
With the Golden Hawks coming in with momentum after last week’s upset of McMaster and the Mustangs eager to get back on the field and continue the success they had in the regular season the atmosphere is bound to be electric at TD Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m., and all the action can be watched live on OUA.tv and Rogers Cable 13 in London. Fans can also listen live on CHRW Radio 94.9 FM and Newstalk 1290 CJBK.
Source: Western Mustangs Sports Information
Greg Nyhof and the Golden Hawks aim for their second upset of the OUA playoffs on Saturday (Photo Credit: Bruce Bell)
PURPLE SHOWDOWN: Laurier set to face Western
Game Date/Time: Saturday, November 7 – 1 p.m.
Game Location: TD Stadium, London
Live Webcast/Stats: OUA.tv
Tickets: WesternMustangs.ca
THE SKINNY
The No. 9 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and the No. 2 Western Mustangs meet in the OUA Semifinals on Saturday for their 22nd all-time playoff meeting with a berth in the 108th Yates Cup on the line.
SEASON SERIES
Laurier and Western squared off all the way back in Week 3 of the season with the Mustangs spoiling the Golden Hawks home opener with a 59-9 victory.
NEED TO KNOW
– The Golden Hawks reached the OUA Semifinals for the first time since 2010 thank s to a 29-15 victory over the previously nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders
– Laurier’s win was the first playoff victory for head coach Michael Faulds in his third year coaching the Hawks
– Western cruised to the first overall seed in the OUA with an 8-0 record after setting the CIS mark for most points scored in a season with 494, averaging over 61 points per game
– the Hawks are on an 11-game losing streak against the Mustangs
– Laurier’s last win over Western came in the playoffs back in 2006 when the purple and gold earned a 20-15 win in the OUA Semifinals
– Saturday’s matchup is a rematch of last year’s OUA Quarter-finals, a game which the Mustangs won 25-10 after Laurier jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter
ALL-TIME SERIES
Western leads the all-time series against Laurier with a 47-21-0 record. In the postseason, the Mustangs have won 15 of their 21 previous playoff matchups. In total, Western has won 11 consecutive games against the Hawks and three straight playoff contests.
MEET THE TEAMS
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (4-4/1-0) – No. 9 in Canada
The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks head into their first OUA Semifinal in five years on Saturday riding the wave of momentum generated by their upset victory over the defending Yates Cup Champions, the McMaster Marauders, in the OUA Quarter-finals.
As has been the case for the past three years, running back Dillon Campbell of Whitby, Ont., put the team on his back in the game, rushing 39 times for 285 yards, to propel the Hawks to the win. However, he wasn’t the only player to have a strong game. Quarterback Eric Morelli of Burlington, Ont., making his first career playoff start, threw for two touchdown passes and ran for one himself.
Defensively, the Hawks continued their recent run of strong play as they limited the second-highest scoring team in the prov ince to just 15 points. Laurier was able to get to McMaster’s quarterback Asher Hastings of Regina, sacking him four times, while limiting the Marauders ability to run the football.
Heading into their second matchup of the year against Western, Laurier is going to need to continue their winning formula of a strong run game and a stout defence if they are to pull off their second upset of the OUA playoffs. Also look for the purple and gold to reach deep into their playbook for gadget plays to keep the Mustangs off-balance.
Western Mustangs (8-0) – No. 2 in Canada
After earning a bye through the first round of the playoffs thanks to their first place finish in the conference this year, the Western Mustangs will be a well-rested football team as they get set to host the Golden Hawks on Saturday.
Western’s has been an unstoppable force all year, winning all eight of their games by an average of 48 points. On offence, the Mustangs feature a dan gerous combination of ability to both pass and run the football. Engineering the passing attack is quarterback Will Finch of Burlington, Ont., who threw for 2,616 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. At his disposal are a variety of weapons including Matt Uren of London, Ont., and George Johnson of London, Ont., who both had over 500 yards receiving in 2015.
On the ground, Western features the dynamic duo of Alex Taylor of Winnipeg, Man., and Yannick Harou of Gatineau, Que. Taylor finished second in the country in rushing yards behind Campbell, averaging over 10 yards per rush while Harou averaged over eight yards per carry.
Defensively, Laurier will need to be aware of both Malcolm Brown London, Ont., and Josh Woodman of Chatham, Ont., in the Mustangs secondary as they both had four interceptions this season while John Biewald of Ottawa, had 6.5 sacks on Western’s defensive line.
Source:Jamie Howieson, Wilfrid Laurier Sports Information
Gryphons Host Ravens Saturday with Trip to Yates Cup on the Line
At the beginning of the 2015 season, the Gryphons set the goal of winning a Yates Cup, something that hasn’t been accomplished at the University of Guelph since 1996. Now, they are one more win away from getting that opportunity. First thing is first however, the Gryphons need to take care of business on Saturday in their OUA semi-final matchup against a Carleton Ravens team that boasts plenty of explosive, play-making athletes.
Between 2014 First Team All-Canadian receiver Nate Behar and running backJahvari Bennett, the country’s fifth-leading rusher in 2015, the Carleton Ravens have the ability to beat you both through the air as well as on the ground. When you consider the amount of talent the Ravens possess at their skill positions, it becomes even more impressive that the Gryphon ‘D’ was able to keep them out of the endzone during their October 24th meeting.
In that game, which the Gryphons won 44-12, Behar was limited to just 42 yards receiving on 5 catches, but Jahvari Bennett did some damage on the ground, carrying the ball 17 times for 143 yards (8.4 yards per carry). Carleton comes rolling into Alumni Stadium this week fresh off of their impressive 39-8 win over Queen’s in the OUA quarter-finals in Kingston. In the win, Carleton QB Jesse Mills threw for 337 yards and 3 TDs. As a team, Carleton had 519 total yards of offence to just 315 for the Gaels. Combine that performance with the fact that Queen’s was the only team this season to beat Guelph, and the Ravens enter this OUA semi-final with plenty of confidence. The Gryphons should be feeling pretty confident themselves.
Second-year quarterback James Roberts is in his first full year as a starter. He just looks like a senior out there. In 2015, Roberts set a single-season school record for touchdown passes with 18 (surpassing Justin Dunk‘s 17 in 2006). His 152 completions and 2,236 yards passing also rank him 2nd on the school’s all-time list for single-season records. While most second-year QBs would enter the playoffs wide-eyed, Roberts has the luxury of knowing he has already performed well on this stage. Last seaosn as a rookie, Roberts saw significant time in the OUA playoffs while filling in for the then-injured Jazz Lindsey. If Roberts could come close to repeating his performance in last year’s OUA semi-final, Gryphon fans will be going home happy. In 2014, Roberts helped the Gryphons book a spot in the Yates Cup by throwing 3 TDs against Western in a 51-26 win over the Mustangs. Two weeks ago against Carleton, Roberts matched a career-high with 4 TD passes.
The favourite target for Roberts this year has been third year receiver Jacob Scarfone. Scarfone had a monster year (57 catches, 940 yards, 10 TD) and is sure to be drawing the attention of the Carleton defensive coaching staff heading into this game. While Scarfone has been one of the best receivers in the CIS this season, it’s far from a one-man show in the U of G receiving core. A’dre Fraser and James Ingram are just a few ofthe other talented, proven receivers that Roberts will have the option of going to on Saturday afternoon. When it is time to keep the ball on the ground, the Gryphons have a pretty nice option there as well.
Third year running back Johnny Augustine ran for 814 rushing yards in 2015 to go with a single-season school record 12 rushing touchdowns. After backing up Rob Farquharson in each of his first two years, Saturday’s game against Carleton will be Augustine’s playoff debut in a lot of ways. In four playoff appearances as a backup in his career, Augustine has 9 carries for 51 yards.
Defensively, a lot was expected of the Gryphon linebackers heading into this season. They didn’t disappoint. Fifth year senior linebacker John Rush has set the tone for a Gryphon defence that finished in the CIS Top 10 in almost every major defensive category. Individually, Rush led the CIS in total tackles in 2015 with 60, while also recording three sacks and a pair of interceptions. Thanks in part to standout performances from fellow linebacker Curtis Newton, sophomore sensation Nick Parisotto at half and 2014 OUA All-Star free safety Tristan Doughlin, the Gryphons have once again produced one of the top defences in the league.
Return specialist Ryan Nieuwesteeg may just be the Gryphons x-factor heading into the postseason. Nieuwesteeg lead the country in punt return yards this season (846) and is a threat to take it back all the way every time he touches the ball. Carleton has a dangerous returner of their own in Tunde Adeleke who led the CIS in total return yards (kickoff returns & punt returns) with 1,126 yards. Adeleke also had a 90-yard punt return for a TD against Guelph in their meeting two weeks ago.
With dynamic players on both teams, Saturday’s game promises to be a must-see affair as the Gryphons, who have not lost a game on their homefield since October of 2011, try to book a spot in the Yates Cup for the third time in the last four years.
Source: Guelph Gryphons Sports Information
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