TD Stadium is bound to be rocking on Homecoming as the Western Mustangs look to remain undefeated when the Carleton Ravens visit London on Saturday.
The Mustangs continued their dominant season this past week with a 48-25 victory over the Queen’s Gaels.
While the purple and white put in another strong performance, it’s hard to argue with a 23-point margin of victory and 703 yards of total offence, at times the Mustangs looked mortal for the first time all season. They gave up a season high 25 points, surrendered several sacks of Finch, and were shut out for an entire quarter, marking the first time they have scored less than seven in a quarter this season.
However, the Mustangs played well, with several big performances once again from quarterback Will Finch, running back Alex Taylor, and defensive end Ricky Osei-Kusi.
Finch continued his outstanding senior season, going 32 for 42 for 454 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Taylor had 11 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns and would have had his second kick-off return touchdown of the season had it not been for the last-ditch efforts of Queen’s kicker Dillon Wamsley.
Osei-Kusi’s return has certainly been a welcome sight for Mustangs fans and likely led to a few sleepless nights for opposing offensive coordinators. The high energy defensive end had another 2.5 sacks to bring his total to 5.5 in two games, good for first place in the nation. Not to be outdone by his fellow defensive end, John Biewald has also been a nightmare for opposition quarterbacks, racking up 4.5 sacks to hold down the second spot on the CIS leaderboard.
Carleton is 3-1 this season with their only loss coming against the same Queen’s team. They are a program that has dramatically improved over the past several years and are far removed from the last time they took the field at TD Stadium, when the Mustangs welcomed the Ravens back to CIS football with a 71-4 thumping. This time around Carleton is coming off of a tightly contested 19-15 win over the University of Toronto last week. They also have two dominant victories over Windsor and Waterloo.
They are scoring nearly 41 points per game and giving up an average of just 16.3. Primarily a pocket passer, quarterback Jesse Mills can step up in the pocket and deliver strong and accurate throws. He has a 63.8% completion percentage and has thrown for seven touchdowns and only two interceptions this season. Mills only runs as a distant last resort, picking up 16 yards on only five attempts this season.
For the second straight week, the Mustangs defence will line up against a dominant runner. Last week they faced Jesse Andrews from Queen’s, the OUA’s leading rusher; this week they will try to limit the OUA’s second leading rusher, Jahvari Bennet. Bennet is averaging 126.8 yards on the ground and has five touchdowns.
The game is sure to be highly entertaining, as the Ravens are definitely capable of making some noise and will be highly motivated to topple one of the league’s top teams in front of a Homecoming crowd. Alumni, students, and London football fans will pile into TD Stadium to see the Mustangs face what could be their toughest test so far. Game time on Saturday, September 26, is set for 1 p.m., and fans can watch all the action live on OUA.tv and Rogers Cable 13. Fans can also listen live on CHRW Radio 94.9 FM and Newstalk 1290 CJBK with Tom McConnell and legendary Mustangs coach Larry Haylor calling all the action.
Source: Tony Von Richter, Western Mustangs Sports Information
Gryphons Set to Host Gee-Gees in Top 10 Matchup
Guelph, ON – The Homecoming win over McMaster was nice. But the Gryphons did not have much time to celebrate because the next opponent should prove to be yet another tough test. For the second straight week the Gryphons welcome a Top 10 team to Alumni Stadium as they get set to face the No. 9-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-1) on Saturday(Sept. 26). Kickoff at Alumni Stadium is set for 1pm and the game will be televised live on Rogers TV Cable 20 and can also be seen live online at OUA.tv.
Last week, the Gryphon defence had to deal with McMaster’s sophomore sensation at quarterback in Asher Hastings. This week, the Gryphon D squares off against yet another talented pivot in Ottawa QB Derek Wendel. Wendel ranks third in the country with 355.3 passing yards per game through three games in 2015. Even more impressive is his touchdown-to-interception ratio at 11-to-1. Last week, the Gryphons were able to intercept McMaster QB Asher Hastings twice – his only two interceptions on the season – and they will need another big performance from their secondary if they are going to improve to 5-0 on the season. As a team, the Gryphons rank 2nd in the CIS with 8 interceptions on the year. OUA All-Star Free Safety Tristan Doughlin leads the pack with 3 while Nick Parisotto has 2. What is even more impressive about Doughlin’s 3 interceptions is that they have come essentially with one hand. The Toronto native suffered a broken bone in his hand in Week 2’s game versus Laurier. After sitting out Guelph’s Week 3 game, Doughlin returned to the Gryphon secondary for the matchup with McMaster playing with a cast on his right hand. Playing injured of course is nothing new for Doughlin, who last season played with a large brace on his arm as he was recovering from a dislocated elbow. Despite the injuries, Tristan has consistently performed at a high level at the back end of the Guelph defence and his incredible range will be something that Ottawa QB Derek Wendel will have to account for come Saturday afternoon.
While the Gryphon defence has been solid on the back end, it is the play of their talented linebackers that has set the tone for what has been yet another impressive season defensively for the Gryphons in 2015. Curtis Newton, a Second Team All-Canadian in 2014, has picked up right where he left off a year ago. Fifth year senior middle linebackerJohn Rush is coming off of a stellar performance against McMaster in which he earned the team’s Defensive Player of the Game honours. Rounding out a talented linebacking corp is Andrew Graham who is the team’s sack leader with 3. The Gryphon linebackers and defensive backs will work together on Saturday to try to slow a dangerous Ottawa passing game. If they are going to do that, they will need to contain Ottawa’s fifth year receiver Ian Stewart. The Burlington native leads the OUA with 131.3 receiving yards per game. Stewart is complimented by fellow receiver Mitchell Baines, brother of Gryphon DB Riley Baines, who currently is tied T-2 in the CIS with 4 TD receptions in 2015. Rounding out the Gee-Gees offensive attack is running back Bryce Vieira who is averaging just over 6 yards per carry and who can also make an impact as a receiver out of the backfield.
For the Gryphon offence, the challenge this week will be dealing with an extremely aggressive style of play from the Ottawa D. Although the Gee-Gees have lost their star player on defence from a year ago with Ettore Lattanzio now in the CFL (Ottawa Redblacks), the unit is still one which boasts plenty of talent at the back end. The Guelph offensive line will have to contend with a blitz-happy Ottawa approach. The good news for Guelph is that second year quarterback James Roberts is coming off one of his most impressive performances as a Gryphon. While his 178 yards passing last week may seem underwhelming at first glance, when you take into consideration the tough conditions as well as the opponent and bright lights of the Homecoming stage, his performance was certainly clutch. Roberts threw a pair of touchdowns and ran in another. More importantly, he was able to take care of the ball and did not throw a single interception after having been picked off a career-high five times in his previous game. Roberts looked sharp versus the Marauders and will look to continue that form Saturday against the Gee-Gees.
On Special Teams, the Gryphons received yet another solid performance from kicker/punter Gabriel Ferraro. The second year man made 4 field goals last week against McMaster despite difficult, wet conditions. Return specialist Ryan Nieuwesteeg is a name that the entire CIS is familiar with at this point, especially the Gee-Gees. Last season against Ottawa, Nieuwesteeg had 8 punt returns for 129 yards. This season, Nieuwesteeg is leading the CIS with 374 punt return yards, while averaging an impressive 16.3 yards per return.
Saturday’s game at Alumni Stadium also marks the Gryphons annual “United Way Game.” Portions from each ticket will go towards supporting the United Way, and donations will be accepted at the Gate as fans enter the stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Following this home game against the Gee-Gees, the Gryphons will travel to Kingston to face Queen’s on Oct. 3rd. After that, they will enjoy their Bye Week during Thanksgiving before hosting the Windsor Lancers on Oct. 17 in what will be the last home game of the regular season schedule (Guelph closes out their regular season on the road against Carleton on Oct. 24).
Source: Andy Baechler, Guelph Sports Information
Photo credit: Chantal Hupe
Gee-Gees face stout Guelph defence in OUA marquee matchup
Two of the country’s best offences will face off in Guelph this Saturday as the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees will travel to “The Royal City” to face the Gryphons. After four games, Guelph ranks third in the country with 47.5 points per game while Ottawa ranks fourth putting up 45.0 points per game. The game is being featured as the OUA.tv Marquee Matchup of the week as it pits two nationally ranked teams: Ottawa at no. 9 and Guelph at no. 5.
Despite the fact that two of the most prolific offences in Canada will faceoff, Gee-Gees head coach Jamie Barresi says it’s hard to predict what type of match fans can expect. “There’s all sorts of factors to a game. Sometimes the score gets out of hand for different reasons.” However, he does not expect this week’s game to be another shootout due to Guelph’s defensive prowess. “Their defence is just stellar. They’re really good,” said Barresi.
Still, quarterback Derek Wendel has thrown for at least 300 yards in all of his starts and the Ottawa offence seem to be clicking as a unit. The team’s early offensive success is shocking to some, but was expected by Barresi. “We expected to have production. We spent a lot of time in the off-season; this is the fruits of all the work. The group of receivers have been here with me since I started. There is intelligence within the system.”
Both defences are putting up numbers as well. The Gryphons have the second highest number of interceptions with eight while the Gee-Gees are tied for fourth in he CIS for sacks with 10.
Guelph however, has the edge in many other defensive categories most notably points allowed per game where they rank sixth in the CIS with 17.2 to Ottawa’s 32.7.
The Garnet and Grey seemingly have improved on a lot of their issues they faced coming out of training camp. For Barresi however, there is still one point of concern that the team has yet to fix; consistency.
A full sixty-minute effort is something Ottawa has yet to pull off. According to the head coach it’s something you can practice, but can only be really fix in games. “They have to do it on the field and in the practice. You have to harp on the little things; trying to make it game-like as possible. When the game comes it’s full speed all the way,” shared the head coach.
The game will start at 1 p.m., Saturday September 26 and be broadcast on OUA.tv.
Source: Ottawa Gee-Gees Sports Information
Hawks receiver Anthony Pizzuti fights through a tackles against Windsor last season (Photo Credit: Heather Davidson)
Laurier tangles with Lancers at Homecoming
THE SKINNYGame Date/Time: Saturday, September 26, 2015 – 1 p.m.
Game Location: University Stadium, Knight-Newbrough Field, Waterloo
Live Webcast/Stats: OUA.tv
Audiocast: RadioLaurier.com
Tickets: tickets.laurierathletics.com (Box Office opens at 9am on Game Day)
The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (1-2) will look to even their record this Saturday when they host the Windsor Lancers (0-4) in their annual Homecoming game at University Stadium.
FAN INFORMATION
– Tickets for Saturday’s game are still available but are selling fast. Fans are reminded that any tickets that are still available on game day will jum p in price by $2
– Ticket limits will be in place for purchases on game day. Tickets will be limited to five per person
– Starting at 9 a.m., Seagram Dr. will be closed to vehicular traffic between Albert St. and Lester St.
– Gates will open approximately two hours prior to kickoff
– Fans walking to the game from campus are encouraged to cross Albert St. by using the crosswalk at Seagram Dr. or at the lights at University Ave.
– For more Game Day information, visit http://www.
NEED TO KNOW
– The Golden Hawks are coming into Saturday’s game fresh off their bye week. Laurier’s last game was two weeks ago when they lost to the No. 3-ranked Western Mustangs in their home opener
– The Lancers, a playoff team a year ago, have struggled this season, losing all four of their games thus far by a com bined score of 198-54
– Windsor has won three straight games against the Hawks, including a 26-25 overtime victory at Homecoming two years ago
– The combined score differential in the last three meetings between the Hawks and Lancers is just seven points
– Last season, Laurier thrilled their Homecoming crowd with a resounding 53-3 win over the Carleton Ravens
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Golden Hawks lead the all-time series against Windsor with a record of 35-14-2. Laurier’s last victory against the Lancers was back in October of 2010 when they won 56-16 in Windsor.
MEET THE TEAMS
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (1-2)
The Golden Hawks head into their fourth game of the season coming off a much needed bye week. The purple and gold were banged up following two physical contests against nationally-ranked opponents in the Guelph Gryphons and the Western Mustangs but the two week break has allowed th e team to recover and recharge for one of their biggest games of the season.
A win on Saturday will be crucial for Laurier as they look to keep pace with the teams vying for a playoff spot in the OUA. Six teams in the league currently sit at two wins and a win on Saturday will help the Hawks rejoin the pack.
After missing the last two games due to injury, Week 1 starting quarterback Eric Morelli (Burlington, Ont.) is expected to return at pivot for the purple and gold. Morelli guided the Hawks to their only win of the season thus far when he threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns against the York Lions.
The running game should receive a boost as well for the Hawks as one of the team’s best offensive lineman Brett Golding (Dunnville, Ont.) is expected to start after missing the first three games of the season. His ability to open holes at the line should help get 2014 OUA MVP Dillon Campbell (Whitby, Ont.) going as he’s been slo wed down the last two games.
Defensively, the Lancers will need to be aware of rookie defensive back Malcolm Thompson. Taking on his hometown team, Thompson will look to duplicate his play from the first three weeks of the season that see him ranked second on the team in tackles with 18.5 and first in interceptions with two.
Windsor Lancers (0-4)
After qualifying for the OUA Quarter-finals a year ago, the Lancers have been in tough this year following the graduation of fifth year quarterback Austin Kennedy. Windsor has struggled on both sides of the ball, allowing nearly 50 points per game and over 550 yards of offence to the opposition while averaging only 13.5 points per game and 329 yards of offence.
Third year quarterback Casey Wright (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) and freshman Liam Putt (Caledonia, Ont.) have seen time under centre this year but it has been the rookie that has started the last two games. Expected to make his third career start on Saturday, Putt, has thrown for 654 yards and three touchdowns but has also been picked off on four occasions.
Tarrence Crawford (Windsor, Ont.) leads Windsor’s ground game, averaging 57.3 yards per game while Beau Lumley (Windsor, Ont.) is Putt’s most dangerous receiver, averaging 25.2 yards per catch.
Defensively, Laurier will have to be prepared for defensive lineman Dave Flewelling (Bowmanville, Ont.) who currently sits tied for fourth in the OUA with three sacks.
Source: Jamie Howieson, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks Sports Information
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