CIS FOOTBALL WEEK 5 SCHEDULE (all times local)
September 20
18:00 No. 8 Manitoba (2-1) at No. 5 Calgary (3-0) (SHAW TV & video webcast)
Source: Ben Matchett; Calgary Assistant Athletic Director
(Communications)
Release goDinos.ca
CALGARY – McMahon Stadium has not been friendly to the
Manitoba Bisons. For that matter, all recent battles with the
University of Calgary Dinos haven't ended well for the last Canada
West squad to capture the Vanier Cup.
And it was in that Vanier Cup season of 2007 that the Bisons last
beat the Dinos, in the conference semi-final. Since then the games
have run the gamut from one-point victories to blowouts, with
Calgary capturing nine consecutively. And you have to go all the
way back to the 2005 season to find the last time the Bisons won a
game in Calgary.
Most recently, the teams hooked up in a wild two-weekend affair
straddling the final week of the 2012 regular season and the first
round of the playoffs. In those two games, the teams combined for
207 points as Calgary took 78-54 and 57-18 victories en route to
their fifth straight conference title.
Another offensive show could be in the cards Friday night as the
stampeding Bisons offence, averaging 548 yards and 45 points per
game on the backs of star athletes Anthony Coombs and Nic Demski,
rolls into McMahon in the second consecutive battle for first place
the Dinos have seen on their home turf.
"The biggest factor that we will deal with against Manitoba is
their two high-end offensive weapons in Demski and Coombs," said
Dinos head coach Blake Nill. "Both of them are among the best in
CIS at their positions, and if we can limit the impact they will
have, we'll be in good shape. If we can't, it's going to be a long
afternoon for us."
It's the only meeting of the season between the Dinos and Bisons,
so there's some extra incentive for each side to ensure it owns the
playoff tiebreaker with the other. Kickoff goes at 6 p.m. Friday
night live on Shaw TV and CanadaWest.tv.
Here's a look at the teams:
No. 5 Calgary Dinos (3-0)
Last week: def. Sask. 36-24
Next week: at Alberta
As quality wins go, last Saturday's victory over Saskatchewan was a
big one for the young Dinos, who dressed 27 players in their first
year of eligibility out of a 50-man roster last week. Thanks to 15
unanswered points in the third quarter, the Dinos broke open a
tight game to take a 36-24 victory and remain the only undefeated
team in Canada West.
The Dinos were able to stop the run effectively against
Saskatchewan, a feat they'll need to accomplish again with Manitoba
in town. Through the first three games, the Dinos have given up
fewer points (27.3) and yards (415.3) per game than any other team
in the conference.
The return of a healthy Jake Harty was a boon to the Calgary
offence last week, with seven catches and two touchdown grabs
padding his stats line. In his second start at quarterback, Andrew
Buckley completed 26 of 33 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns,
leading the Dinos to another win.
Friday's game should be a milestone night for fifth-year Dinos
receiver Chris Dobko. He enters the night with 137 career catches,
just one away from tying the school record of 138 held by 1995 Hec
Crighton winner Don Blair. With at least two catches against the
Bisons, Dobko will take over top spot on his own – and he had
plenty of success against the Bisons last season, picking up a
total of 27 receptions in two games against Manitoba.
After two at home, the Dinos head back on the road to open the
second half of the season. Up next for Calgary is a Battle of
Alberta against the Golden Bears next Saturday, Sept. 28 at Foote
Field in Edmonton.
The Dinos won't return home for nearly a month, playing their next
game at McMahon Friday, Oct. 18 when the Regina Rams visit.
No. 8 Manitoba Bisons (2-1)
Last week: def. UBC 36-32
Next week: host Regina
It has been a wacky season for the Bisons so far. After opening
with a wild 65-41 win over Alberta, Manitoba fell 36-34 in a
controversial finish against Saskatchewan a week later. After
opening with two at home, they headed to Vancouver to take on the
Thunderbirds last week – and with six minutes to go trailed
UBC 32-15. But the Bisons offence exploded in the final minutes,
scoring three touchdowns in the span of 4:45 to snatch a 36-32 win
and improve to 2-1 on the year.
Key to the Bisons' success has been the addition of quarterback
Jordan Yantz, a Regina native with plenty of junior experience with
the Vancouver Island Raiders. Yantz is averaging just over 300
passing yards per game, but more importantly is getting the ball to
his athletes. Coombs is up near 150 rushing yards per game, while
Demski is near 100 receiving yards per outing – and between
them they have 10 of the Bisons' 16 TDs.
Manitoba returns to the sparkling new Investors Group Field in
Winnipeg next week to take on the visiting Regina Rams.
19:00 Saint Mary’s (1-1) at Mount Allison (0-2) (video webcast)
19:00 Acadia (0-2) at StFX (2-0) (video webcast)
19:00 Sherbrooke (0-3) at McGill (2-1) (video webcast)
19:00 Alberta (0-3) at No. 7 Saskatchewan (2-1) (video webcast)
Source: Saskatchewan Sports Info
http://www.huskies.usask.ca/news/2013/September/2013-09-18-fb/index.php
Game Date: Friday, September 20, 7pm
Game Location: Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park
Live Radio Broadcast: CK 750,www.ck750.com
Live Television Broadcast: www.canadawest.tv
Live Stats: www.canadawest.tv
Game Notes
THE GAME
In the lone meeting between the Universities of Saskatchewan and
Alberta, the Huskies will look to return to the win column, while
the Golden Bears search for their first victory of 2013.
BROADCAST INFO
Kickoff is 7 p.m. on Friday. The game will be available live on
CK750 or www.ck750.com. It can
also be viewed live on www.canadawest.tv.
COACH COMMENTS
THE HEADLINES
• Saskatchewan (No. 7) is one of three Canada West teams to
hold a spot in the CIS Top 10. Calgary (No. 5) and Manitoba (No. 8)
join the Huskies in the national rankings.
• The Huskies will look for their fifth straight win against
the Golden Bears
• Since 2002, the Huskies are 15-3 against Alberta.
• Despite an 0-3 record, Alberta has the third best scoring
offence in the conference averaging 37.3 points per game.
• Alberta’s third-year quarterback Ryan Schwartz leads
the Canada West in pass efficiency completing 88-of-123 passes in
2013. His main target rookie Tylor Henry leads in receiving yards
(343) and receptions (27).
• Friday night marks University of Saskatchewan Homecoming.
Celebrations include a ceremonial coin toss with Chancellor
Emeritus Vera Pezer, U of S Alumni Association President Peter
Stroh, USSU President Max Fine Day and GSA President Ehimai
Ohiozebau, as well as the annual toga run. Togas on campus first
made their appearance in 1961 in conjunction with a student
organized event involving a Roman Holiday on Campus. This
evolved over the years into the traditional toga run which happens
each year at the homecoming football game.
GOLDEN BEARS/HUSKIES SERIES
Since 2002, the Huskies are 15-3 against the Golden Bears.
Saskatchewan won both meetings between the two teams 32-0 in
Saskatoon on August 31 and 27-10 in Edmonton on October 20.
NO. 7 UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (2-1)
Next Week: at UBC Thunderbirds
After dropping their first game of the season 36-24 to the Calgary
Dinos on the road, the Huskies return home to Griffiths Stadium to
get back in the win column.
A strong first half, led to Saskatchewan losing control of the game
in the third quarter against the Dinos allowing Calgary to score 15
unanswered points. Although the Huskies made a late bid for a
comeback with a 31-yard fumble recovery touchdown by fifth-year
defensive end Joel Seutter, it was too little too late.
Second-year quarterback Drew Burko kept the Huskies’ offence
moving completing 24-of-35 passes for 306 yards but failed to find
the end zone on a pass. He did tally for Saskatchewan on a
seven-yard run that put the Huskies ahead early in the game.
Running back Shane Buchanan was also held to just 36 yards after
dashing for 100 in the first two games of the season.
Experience on the defence stepped up for the Huskies in the game.
Halfback Braxton Lawrence, a 2012 Canada West all-star, recorded
10.5 tackles in the loss, while Seutter added 3.5 tackles and one
sack to his fumble recovery touchdown. The defence leads the Canada
West with 10 sacks.
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS
Next Week: vs. Calgary Dinos
A better offensive team than the record would indicate, the Alberta
Golden Bears are thirsty for a win.
Missing a win in overtime 39-36 to the UBC Thunderbirds in Week 2
and putting together a big bid for a comeback in a 55-35 loss to
the Regina Rams in Week 3, proves the Golden Bears can find the end
zone.
Alberta’s Ryan Schwartz has completed 88-of-123 passes at
pivot in 2013 leading to the league’s top efficiency rating.
His main connection has been rookie Tylor Henry with 343 yards on
27 catches to lead the conference in receiving. Aundrey Webster has
added another 261 yards and three touchdowns for the Bears.
It has been run defence that has hurt the Bears early. Alberta has
allowed opponents to average 293.3 yards per game and 10 touchdowns
in the three games.
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September 21
13:00 York (1-2) at Carleton (0-3)
13:00 No. 2 Western (4-0) at Laurier (1-3) (video webcast)
Source: Jamie Howieson, Laurier Sports Info
WATERLOO, Ont. - Fresh off their first win of the season, the
Wilfrid Laurier University men's football team will look for their
first winning streak of the year as they host the No. 2 Western
Mustangs on Saturday afternoon.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at University Stadium and tickets for the game can be purchased by visiting tickets.laurierathletics.com. Fans are also welcomed to attend the Hawks pre-game party in the West end zone where discount food and beverages will be available starting at 11:30 a.m. until kickoff. Admission to the area is free of charge with the purchase of a game ticket.
Saturday's game marks the 65th all-time meeting between the two long-time rivals as Laurier has faced no other team in the country more than the Mustan gs. However, for head coach Michael Faulds, this will be the first time that he has faced Western, the team he played five seasons for in the CIS. His task in going up against his former team will be to end the Mustangs' seven-game winning streak against Laurier, a streak that he helped start as a player back in 2008.
The job won't be easy for Faulds and his young squad as Western enters this weekend ranked No. 2 in the country after beating up on the Ottawa Gee-Gees by a score of 83-27. In that game, the Mustangs posted a whopping 743 yards of offence, including 424 on the ground. Those numbers helped bump Western's game average totals to 65.5 points per game and 689 yards of offence per game.
For Laurier to stay competitive with the Mustangs, they will need to put forth a similar effort to the one that gave them a 41-10 victory over Waterloo last weekend. The Hawks were strong in every aspect of the game, especia lly on offence where the duo of quarterback James Fracas of Waterloo, Ont., and running back Dillon Campbell of Whitby, Ont., helped the purple and gold post over 500 yards of offence.
Defensively, the Hawks have been strong all season as they rank second in the conference in pass defence, allowing only 216 yards per game, and fourth in scoring defence, allowing just 22.8 points per game. This group will face their stiffest test of the season on Saturday but have shown that they can limit the production of good teams, including holding the No. 6 Guelph Gryphons to just 21 points in their season opener.
Fans that can't make it out to University Stadium will be able to tune into the live webcast of the game on Hawk TV and audiocast on RadioLaurier.com.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Campbell enters Week 5 of the season currently ranked second in the conference in rushing yards with 383...the Hawks have two defensive players currently in the Top 10 in total tackles this season in Thomas Majka of Mississauga, Ont., and Chris Ackie of Cambridge, Ont....Majka is seventh in the OUA with 22.5 tackles while Ackie is ninth with 21...thanks to a 4-for-5 performance against Waterloo, kicker Ronnie Pfeffer of Kitchener, Ont., now has seven field goals on the season, which is the fourth most in the conference
13:00 Concordia (0-3) at No. 10 Bishop’s (2-1) (video webcast)
13:00 No. 9 McMaster (2-2) at No. 6 Guelph (3-0) (Sportsnet 360)
Source: OUA Communications
GUELPH, Ont. (Source - OUA) - Last year’s Yates Cup final pitted the 8-0 McMaster Marauders against the 7-1 Guelph Gryphons. In the end the McMaster Marauders beat Guelph, 30-13. This season; the No. 9 Marauders are a .500 team with more losses than their past two seasons combined while the Gryphons are undefeated heading into the Yates Cup rematch. Guelph will be looking for revenge at their Homecoming and McMaster will be looking to right the ship on Sportsnet 360, as the two teams play at Alumni Stadium at 1 p.m., presented by Pioneer Energy.
The Gryphons are undefeated through three games, but have their own questions to answer. Without a win over an established OUA power, they aren’t garnering the respect reserved for Queen’s, Western or even McMaster. Add in the fact that the Gryphs have lost six straight to the Maruaders dating back to the 2007 playoffs. Mac is Guelph’s white whale and a win is long overdue.
“As a head coach they are the only team I haven’t beaten,” Guelph head coach Stu Lang said.
Aside from personal satisfaction, a win helps Guelph towards a home playoff game and establishing themselves as a top team. On top of that, Saturday is Guelph’s Homecoming and upwards of 12,000 fans are expected.
At 2-2, McMaster has a lot on the line heading into Saturday’s nationally televised game. A loss drops the reigning two-time Yates Cup champions below .500 for the second time this season and will be the first three-loss season since 2008. Having already lost to No. 2 Western and No. 3 Queen’s, their status as the OUA’s top team is in jeopardy.
“A loss means a best case (scenario) of 5-3, which is the middle of the pack and a long shot – a wild card – for the Yates Cup,” McMaster’s head coach Stefan Ptaszek said. “(That’s) not where we perceived ourselves and we’ll have to look in the mirror because that’s where we are if we lose.”
A win propels Mac to 3-2 and an easier October (vs. Waterloo, Laurier and Carleton) gives the Marauders a legitimate shot at a 6-2 finish.
Given the implications, there’s no lack of intrigue from either side.
Both teams are riding wins into Saturday’s tilt. McMaster beat the York Lions 41-27 while Guelph beat the the U of T Varsity Blues 38-12. Both Lang and Ptaszek liked what they saw from their starting pivots.
Lang praised QB Jazz Lindsey (Markham, Ont.) for his breakthrough game against Toronto, sparking the stagnant Guelph offence.
“(QB) Jazz (Lindsey) is rolling into season form,” Lang said. “He threw four touchdown passes, but like he always does, he minimizes and eliminates mistakes and doesn’t give their team an opportunity to take advantage. He’s very thoughtful in his approach to the game.”
Lindsey (Markham, Ont.) opened up the Varsity Blues for 297 yards and four touchdowns, a huge improvement over his first two weeks, earning Porter Airlines player of the game honours. Lindsey threw two touches to his brother Saxon Lindsey (Markham, Ont.) who caught for 108 yards on nine catches.
His counterpart on Saturday, Marshall Ferguson (Kingston, Ont.), threw for five scores with no interceptions against York. Ferguson finished with 269 yards, but Ptaszek was impressed with his composure on the field, especially after a tight first half.
“Our offence caught some rhythm in the second half,” the coach said. “That is as comfortable as (Ferguson’s) looked for 30 minutes. Now I’m pressing to get that for a full game and work on establishing a run.”
McMaster’s strength is their air attack, especially their receiving corps. Rookie Daniel Vandervoort (Barrie, Ont.), also known as the “Flying Dutchman,” is third in the league with 398 receiving yards and is averaging 99.5 yards per game. He already has five touchdowns and is quickly becoming Ferguson’s favourite target. Mike DiCroce (Hamilton, Ont.) has been stellar when he has played, but is battling an injury and is a game day decision for McMaster.
Without an established running game, Ptaszek worries that the constant passing could get predictable, especially against a tough Guelph defence. The Gryphs sacked Windsor QB Austin Kennedy (Windsor, Ont.) 10 times, intercepted Toronto four times and leads the league in pass defence, allowing 193 yards per game. McMaster’s main threat isn’t on the ground, but the maroon will need to establish a run game to keep Guelph’s defence honest. Kasean Davis-Reynolds (Mississauga, Ont.) will run the rock for McMaster as James Hill (Hamilton, Ont.) sits out with an injury.
“If we can keep them honest, I like our chances getting after that young secondary,” Ptaszek said. “Our receiving corps is one of the best in the conference.”
Statistically, Guelph’s ground game isn’t much better than McMasters’ (135 yards per game vs. 111), but the Gryphs all-star running back Rob Farquharson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) has recovered from his injury and will be in the lineup on Saturday. Last season, Farquharson ran for 936 yards (averaging 117 per game) and seven touchdowns and finished as the third-best running back in the CIS. The addition of Farquharson immediately adds a new dimension to Guelph’s offence and is bad news for McMaster, who will play without all-Canadians Matt Sewell (Milton, Ont.) and Joey Cupido (Hamilton, Ont.) and possibly DiCroce and Tyler Loveday (Kitchener, Ont.).
There’s also the Homecoming and crowd factor to consider heading into Saturday’s action. Ptaszek knows that Guelph is a tough place to play on a regular day, let alone Homecoming with an enlarged Alumni Stadium.
For the fans in the stands, the gates to Alumni Stadium open at 11:30 a.m. and Guelph Homecoming regulars, 'Toast & Jam' will take to the stage at 11:40 for a pre-game concert.
Lang is preparing his players for the noise by blaring loud music during the Gryphs practices, but nothing sounds sweeter for either team than the final whistle after a win. Tune in to Sportsnet 360 at 1 p.m. for all of the live action, presented by Pioneer Energy.
13:00 No. 3 Queen’s (3-0) at Ottawa (2-2) (video webcast)
Source: Ottawa Sports Info
http://www.geegees.ca/news/17/2685
The number three-ranked team in the nation will pay the uOttawa Gee-Gees a visit on Saturday as the OUA season hits its midway point. The 3-0 Queen’s Gaels are one of three undefeated teams at the top of the OUA standings, while the Gee-Gees are eager to regain their footing after their second loss of the season last week.
Gee-Gees head coach Jamie Barresi makes it clear that his team must, first and foremost, be on point defensively. The Gaels’ offensive line up, which Barresi describes as “very tough and physical,” has posted a total of 132 points in three games. Still, the most striking statistic is points against totals; Queen’s has allowed just modest 59 points through three games, second-best in the league.
Queen’s is currently undefeated after having conquered York (52-1), McMaster (31-24), and Windsor (49-34) earlier this season. Undeniably, the Gee-Gees have their work cut out for them leading up to the match. In comparison to the Mustangs, the experienced Gaels are “a different challenge than Western,” according to Barresi. “They show a lot of movement and they come off the ball.”
Ottawa carries the upper hand in offensive statistics, where they have propelled themselves to the top five in most categories on the OUA leader board. uOttawa snags the number one spot for passing (125-181-5), with Queen’s holding the sixth position (42-77-1). The Gee-Gees also continue to lead the league in passing yards with 424 per game, whereas the Gaels trail considerably with an average of 245.
Moreover, the garnet and grey are substantially improving in terms of acquiring fewer penalties. “This weekend, we reduced our penalties dramatically so that was huge. We only had six,” said Barresi. Therefore, in order to secure a third victory, the fewer penalties against Queen’s the better. Paying particular attention to this is essential considering that the visiting team is first in the OUA rankings for fewest penalties at 24, with 183 yards lost. In contrast, Ottawa is responsible for 48 penalties and 426 lost yards.
Saturday’s game marks the second at Gee-Gees Field at 200 Lees Avenue. For full game and facility information, go to the Game Information page.
The 1 p.m. kick off will be broadcast live on SSN Canada and Team 1200 radio.
NOTES: Ottawa holds a 61-52-5 advantage over the Gaels in the all-time record…The two teams first played each other in 1885…Ottawa travelled to Kingston last season and lost 32-25 to the Gaels… Ottawa defeated Queen’s on their last trip to the nation’s capital back in 2011, 19-6 at Lansdowne Park… Adversaries Brendan Gillanders and Gael receiver Giovanni Aprile are all tied up in the OUA ranks with a total of four touchdowns each thus far.
19:00 UBC (1-2) at Regina (1-2) (video webcast)
Source: Regina Sports Info
http://www.reginacougars.com/news/2013/9/18/FB_0918134323.aspx
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 21
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Regina, Sask.
VENUE: Mosaic Stadium
TV: Access7 (tape delayed to Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1:00 pm)
RADIO: 620CKRM.com
Fresh off their first Canada West win after a 55-35 road victory
over Alberta, the Rams return to action this weekend with their
second home game of the conference schedule. They'll host fellow
1-2 team UBC on Saturday night (7:00) in a game that will see the
winner move up to .500 for the year and into sole possession of a
postseason berth.
AGAINST UBC: The Rams hold a 12-8 all-time advantage over UBC,
though both matchups between the two teams in 2011 were originally
UBC victories before being overturned due to the Thunderbirds' use
of an ineligible player. The two teams split the season series last
year, with the Rams winning 49-20 in Regina (Sept. 7) before UBC
returned the favour with a 24-17 win in Vancouver (Oct. 13).
Saturday's matchup will be the only time these two teams play this
season.
LAST WEEK: The Rams put one in the win column with a 55-35 road
victory over Alberta. The U of R led 30-6 at one point before a
Golden Bears rally gave them a 32-31 lead heading into the fourth
quarter, but the Rams outscored Alberta by a 24-3 margin in the
final period to put away the win. Cayman Shutter was 37-for-54 and
had 484 passing yards and four touchdown passes while running for
two more majors, while Michael Stefanovic led the Rams' defence
with 10 tackles including three sacks.
NEXT WEEK: The Rams will return to the field next Saturday, Sept.
28 with a road game against No. 8-ranked Manitoba (2-1). It'll mark
the U of R's first game at Manitoba's new Investors Group
Field.
McCONKEY CHASING HISTORY: Mark McConkey missed last week due to an
injury, but is expected to return for the UBC game. The fifth-year
slotback is tied with former UBC receiver Brad Coutts for second
place on Canada West's all-time list with 162 career receptions and
can overtake former teammate Chad Goldie as the conference's
all-time leader with 12 more catches. The CIS career record is held
by former McGill University receiver Charles-Antoine Sinotte
(251).
SHUTTER, STEFANOVIC EARN HONOURS: Cayman Shutter was named the CIS
and Canada West Offensive Player of the Week and Michael Stefanovic
was the Canada West Defensive Player of the Week for their
performances in the team's win over Alberta on Saturday. Shutter's
37 pass completions and 484 passing yards are both the second
highest totals recorded by a U of R quarterback in a game, while
Stefanovic had a game-high 10 tackles and became just the second
player in U of R history to collect three sacks in one contest.
RANKINGS: For the fourth time in four polls, three Canada West
teams are ranked in this week's edition of the CIS Top Ten. Calgary
stayed at No. 5 after its win over Saskatchewan last week, while
Saskatchewan dropped from No. 6 into a tie with Manitoba for
seventh after losing to the Dinos. The Huskies were awarded the No.
7 ranking over the Bisons due to a greater number of higher-place
votes, while the Rams checked in with four votes this week.
RETURNING FIRE: Second-year DB Tevaughn Campbell not only starts
for the Rams on the defensive side of the ball, but has also been
among the top returners in the CIS this season. He has 251 yards on
16 punt returns for an average of 15.7 yards per return – the
most of any CIS player with at least 10 returns this year. Not even
at the midpoint of the conference schedule yet, Campbell needs just
52 punt return yards to shatter the school's single-season record
of 302 set by Chris Ashman in 2002. Also a member of the U of R's
track & field team, Campbell won a Canada West gold medal in
the 60-metre dash in 2012.
GRAND CAYMAN: In his first year with the Rams and in his first year
as a starting quarterback since leading Punahou School to a Hawaii
state high school championship in 2008, Cayman Shutter has had a
seamless transition to the Canadian game. Shutter ranks second in
the CIS with 1207 passing yards and is on pace to threaten the
conference's single-season record of 2823 yards, which was set by
Calgary's Greg Vavra in 1983. He's currently one of only two CIS
quarterbacks that are averaging over 400 yards per game this
season.
RAMS IN THE NFL: The Rams have three players currently in the NFL,
led by defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (New Orleans) and punter Jon
Ryan (Seattle). Defensive tackle Stefan Charles is also on
Tennessee's practice roster. Only eight non-NCAA Div. I schools
have at least three current NFLers, led by five each from the
California University of Pennsylvania and Grand Valley State. Mount
Union (NCAA Div. III) and NCAA Div. II schools Midwestern State,
Missouri Western, Valdosta State, and Washburn join the U of R with
three players apiece.
RAMS IN THE CFL: In addition to their three NFL players, the Rams
also have seven players currently on CFL rosters. That list is
highlighted by Chris Getzlaf and Brendon LaBatte – who both
play key roles for the 8-2 Saskatchewan Roughriders – and
Brett Jones, who's starting at centre for the Calgary Stampeders as
a rookie. Long snapper Jorgen Hus attended camp with the St. Louis
Rams and has an excellent chance to catch on in the NFL or CFL this
year.
JANOTTA MOVING UP THE CHARTS: With a full season of CIS eligibility
remaining after this year, fourth-year slotback Jared Janotta is
moving up the U of R's all-time lists in several receiving
categories. Janotta is now tied with Neal Hughes for seventh in
school history with 111 receptions and also needs just five more to
pass Jason Clermont for sixth. He's No. 10 on the U of R's career
list with 1416 receiving yards and needs 73 more to pass Cory
Olynick for ninth, and also needs just one more touchdown catch to
become the eighth player in school history to hit double digits in
the category.
STEFANOVIC AMONG LEADERS: Despite being only in his first season of
CIS eligibility after redshirting in 2012, linebacker Michael
Stefanovic has piled up some impressive statistics throuh the first
three weeks of the season. He had three sacks last week against
Alberta, joining Stan Van Sichem as the only players in school
history to have at least three in a single game (Van Sichem
actually did this twice during the 2007 season, registering four in
one game and three in another). Stefanovic is tied for the Canada
West lead with three sacks on the year and is also the conference's
outright leader with six tackles for loss.
SACK WATCH: The Rams might have former defensive linemen Akiem
Hicks and Stefan Charles in the NFL right now, but it's Logan
Brooks that has a chance to take over as the school's all-time
sacks leader. Brooks has 11 sacks in his career with the Rams,
which put him into a tie with Sean Brimacombe for second place in U
of R history. He needs three more sacks to pass Stan Van Sichem for
first.
NEW LINE: The Rams graduated 20 fifth-year players from last
season's roster and lost two players early to professional
football, and no position got hit harder than the offensive line
where the team lost four starters and two key reserves. And the
Rams lost both Aaron Picton and Nathan Cugnet in Week 1 against
Saskatchewan, so they've gone with three first-year players and a
pair of first-year starters in their third season of eligibility -
Jeremy Zver, Kyle Paterson, Bryce McKinnon, Lyndon Smith, and Matt
Degelman. Despite the inexperience, the line didn't give up a
single sack last week at Alberta.
SMITH MAKES CIS DEBUT: The U of R landed heralded defensive tackle
Calvin Smith in the offseason, bolstering a defensive line that has
been extremely strong for the Rams over the past few seasons. Smith
missed much of the Week 1 game after being injured, but has
collected 7½ tackles and has been in on two sacks in the two
games since. This is his first action since 2010, when he played at
the NCAA Div. I level with the University of New Mexico. Coming out
of Hialeah HS in Hialeah, Fla., Smith was listed as a four-star
prospect by both Rivals.com and ESPN.
SWITCHING SPORTS - TAKE 1: Followers of U of R sports might see a
familiar name starting for the Rams on the offensive line, as
Jeremy Zver has been a key reserve for the men's basketball team
over the last two years and returns to football for the first time
since starring for Balfour Collegiate in 2010. Zver has appeared in
36 Canada West hoops games in his career.
SWITCHING SPORTS - TAKE 2: Running back Jens Johnson is in his
first year with the Rams after playing a Junior A career that
spanned three full seasons in the SJHL. Johnson spent two years
with the Weyburn Red Wings before splitting the 2012-13 season
between Weyburn and Notre Dame. A defenceman, Johnson collected 48
points in 150 career regular season SJHL games and played in a
total of 24 postseason games with the Red Wings and Hounds.
SWITCHING SPORTS - TAKE 3: Defensive back Jeff Propp has appeared
in all three games so far for the Rams and has collected a pair of
solo tackles. Propp, who was a multi-sport standout for Michael A.
Riffel HS in Regina, redshirted last season with the U of R's men's
basketball team and is in his first season with the Rams. He's
expected to play for the Cougars again this year under new head
coach Steve Burrows.
19:00 Toronto (1-3) at Windsor (2-2) (video webcast)
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September 22
13:30 No. 4 Montreal (3-0) at No. 1 Laval (3-0) (Radio-Canada TV & video webcast)