CIS FOOTBALL WEEK 6 SCHEDULE (all times local)
September 27
19:00 StFX (2-1) at Saint Mary’s (1-2) (video webcast)
19:00 Carleton (0-4) at Toronto (1-4) (video webcast)
September 28
13:00 McGill (2-2) at Concordia (0-4) (video webcast)
13:00 No. 3 Queen’s (4-0) at No. 2 Western (5-0) (Sportsnet 360)
Source: Serena Quinn, Western Sports Info
As the Western Mustangs celebrate Homecoming on Saturday, during
the 100th Anniversary of Western Athletics no less, the team also
gears up for a showdown with one of its original rivals: the
Queen's Gaels. The nationally televised matchup will be a fierce
battle of two of the top CIS teams as the undefeated number three
Queen's Gaels head to TD Stadium to face the also undefeated and
second-ranked Western Mustangs.
The Mustangs enter the contest with a 5-0 record and numerous OUA
and CIS honours so far this season. The Western squad is full of
momentum, leading the nation with 307 points scored in five games,
including their most recent 45-24 defeat over the Laurier Golden
Hawks last Saturday. The game marked the Mustangs eighth
consecutive win over the purple and gold to extend the winning
streak that began in 2008 and allowed Western to maintain their
hold atop the OUA standings.
Leading the way for Western this season has been the team's
high-powered offence that has averaged 61.4 points and 672.2 yards
per game. Second-year quarterback Will Finch has emerged as one of
the nation's top passers so far this season, throwing 1,884 yards
with 15 touchdowns and completing 73.9% of his throws. Alongside
Finch are receivers Brian Marshall and George Johnson who have both
been having stellar years of their own as the two lead the country
in both total receiving yards and receiving yards per game, while
Marshall also leads with seven touchdown receptions.
Queen's enters this weekend's game on a winning streak of their own
as the team has defeated all four opponents that they've faced this
season. Averaging 42 points and 405 yards per game, the Gaels are
led by fourth-year quarterback Billy McPhee and receiver Giovanni
Aprile on offence. McPhee finished 16-32 with 305 yards passing and
two touchdowns in the Gaels recent 36-21 victory against the Ottawa
Gee-Gees last weekend. Linebacker Sam Sabourn is leading the team's
defence and is coming off an impressive performance against the
Gee-Gees that saw him rack up an interception, two tackles, a
forced fumble, and a blocked extra point.
Saturday's game is expected to sell out as part of the biggest
Homecoming celebration across the country. With two undefeated CIS
teams going head-to-head in front of a packed stadium, the stage is
set for what could be a classic contest. Fans across Canada can
watch the game on Sportsnet 360 or listen live on 94.9 CHRW Radio
or on NewsTalk 1290 CJBK with Tom McConnell and legendary Mustangs
coach Larry Haylor calling the action.
13:00 No. 6 Guelph (4-0) at Waterloo (1-3) (video webcast)
Source: Waterloo Sports Info
The Waterloo Warriors take to the field for
their third home game of the season on Saturday, September 28 as
part of Waterloo's Reunion 2013 weekend. The black and gold
battle the Guelph Gryphons at 1pm at Warrior Field. Come
support your Warriors as they look for a bounce back game after
falling to cross-town rivals Laurier Golden Hawks 41-10 two weeks
ago.
For those that have purchased their alumni VIP tent pass, you can
access the tent by 11am. Access to the grandstand and berm
seating for the game will be available by noon. Grandstand seating
is on a first come, first seve basis.
Tale of the Tape:
Overall: Guelph 28 wins, Waterloo 16 wins
Last Meeting: Guelph won 47-17 on Sept. 15, 2012 in Guelph
Last 10 Meetings: Guelph 7 wins, Waterloo 3 wins. Last
Waterloo win came in in 2005 when the Warriors won 27-24 in
overtime.
13:00 No. 1 Laval (4-0) at No. 8 Bishop’s (3-1) (Radio-Canada TV & video webcast)
Source: Marty Rourke, Bishop's Sports Information & Sponsorship
SHERBROOKE, Que. – RSEQ University football heats up in Lennoxville on Saturday, Sept. 28 as the No. 1 Laval Rouge et Or are in town to face the No. 8 Bishop’s Gaiters. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. on Coulter Field. The Gaiters enter on a two game winning streak while Laval is perfect in their four games this year.
A week ago the Gaiters (3-1) cruised to a 40-18 victory over the Concordia Stingers in front of their homecoming crowd on Saturday. The Rogue et Or (4-0) had a duel on Sunday with the No. 4 Montreal Carabins (3-1). They were able to sneak by the Carabins 16-9 and with the win extend their home undefeated streak to 60 games.
Gaiters quarterback Jordan Heather (Oromocto, N.B.) was named RSEQ Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after he amassed 354 yards passing while going 17-for-25 and throwing two touchdowns. The history major also eclipsed 6000 yards passing for his career. Heather currently leads the RSEQ in passing, averaging 305.2 yards per game. He has also been given the protection he needs as the Gaiters have allowed a league-low five sacks.
The Rouge et Or are undoubtedly led by their defence. They have allowed just three offensive touchdowns and 31 total points, the fewest in Canada. Laval, the defending Vanier Cup champions started the season as the nation’s top ranked team and have not relinquished that spot.
A season ago, Laval edged out the Gaiters 28-22 on Coulter Field before rolling 57-7 in Quebec City.
“They are the defending champs,” said Gaiters head coach Kevin Mackey. “They are well coached, disciplined and physical. We have to play mistake-free football, work hard, play as a team and stay disciplined ourselves. If we do that I think we can be successful.”
The battle of top-10 teams will take place on Coulter Field on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. The No. 8 Bishop’s Gaiters host the No. 1 Laval Rouge et Or. The game will be available in French on Radio Canada television and in English on the web at http://live.streamit.ca/?player=2129.
Follow the Gaiters any time of day at www.gaiters.ca.
13:00 Ottawa (2-3) at York (2-2) (video webcast)
Source: York Sports Info
The York University Lions football team will
play host to the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 28)
at the annual Homecoming game.
Kick-off is set for 1pm at York Stadium, and the game can
also be watched live online on LionsTV. In addition to the action
on the field, plenty is happening around the stadium for the fans
in attendance, including a trip giveaway to Australia courtesy of
TravelCUTS and Topdeck Travel, free commemorative Homecoming 2013
t-shirts for the first 500 fans, food trucks, face painting and
more. (For more information on the ultimate 10-day trip for two to
Australia, click here.) Click here for contest rules and
regulations.
The contest promises to be an exciting one, featuring two of the
best offences in the conference battling for an important third win
in the OUA standings. The Gee-Gees are currently second in the OUA
with an average of 523 yards per game, which has helped them post a
2-3 record, while the Lions are fourth with an average of 438 per
game and a 2-2 record.
The Lions are coming off a big 50-34 victory over the
Carleton Ravens last weekend on the road, putting up the most
points in one game since posting 55 in a win over Waterloo in 2004.
The triumph pulled the squad back up to .500 on the year, and the
Lions are currently tied with Ottawa and McMaster for fifth place
in the OUA standings with four points.
York has alternated wins and losses through its first four
games and won its only other contest at York Stadium this year, a
33-20 victory over Laurier in Week 3.
The Gee-Gees, meanwhile, enter this weekend on the heels of a
pair of losses to the top two teams in the conference. Two weeks
ago they lost 83-27 to No. 2 Western and last week fell 36-21 to
No. 3 Queen's. Prior to that Ottawa won two in a row, defeating
Waterloo 44-32 and Toronto 34-10.
The Lions won the most recent meeting between the two squads,
knocking off the Gee-Gees 47-36 last year at York Stadium.
Two fifth-year quarterbacks with similar skill sets will go
head-to-head for their teams, with York's Myles Gibbon (Montreal)
and Ottawa's Aaron Colbon (Ottawa) among the league leaders in both
passing and rushing yards. Gibbon ranks fifth in the OUA, and first
among quarterbacks, with 75.25 rushing yards per game and is also
sixth with 227.5 passing yards, while Colbon leads the OUA in
passing yards per game (378.4) and eighth in rushing yards (63.8).
Gibbon has posted 10 touchdowns (eight passing and two rushing) and
Colbon 17 (15 passing, two rushing).
Gibbon's favourite targets this year have been fifth-year
receiver William Austin (St. Catharines, Ont.) and rookie Jason
Charland (Quebec City). Austin has 13 catches for 210 yards and two
touchdowns, and Charland 14 receptions for 164 yards and a pair of
scores. Ottawa's top receiver is Nicolas Dagher (Beirut) with 27
receptions for 420 yards and two touchdowns.
Both squads also have top rushing attacks, with York's Errol
Brooks (Toronto) ranking third in the OUA with 93.75 yards per game
and Ottawa's Brendan Gillanders (Orleans, Ont.) fifth with 73 per
game.
With both offences firing on all cylinders, the result of the
game may come down to which team can get the important defensive
stop. The Lions are sixth in the OUA, allowing an average of 406.75
yards per game, and the Gee-Gees are ninth with a mark of 501.4 per
game.
York's leader on defence has been fourth-year defensive end
James Tuck (Aurora, Ont.), who has 24 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two pass
break-ups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
The game is free for all York students. Tickets can be
purchased at the gate on game day. Adult tickets are available for
$10, non-York students, seniors over 55 years of age and York
alumni and staff are $7 and youth under 13 are free. Alumni can get
a free ticket for the game by pre-registering at
yorku.ca/alumni/homecoming.
13:00 Windsor (3-2) at Laurier (1-4) (Rogers TV Waterloo - tape delayed & video webcast)
Source: Jamie Howieson, Laurier Sports Info
WATERLOO, Ont. - Although the calendar has not yet flipped to
October, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks' (1-4) season is on the
line this Saturday as they host the Windsor Lancers (3-2) in
their annual Homecoming game.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at University Stadium. Fans are reminded that a limited number of tickets will be available for sale at the University Stadium box office starting on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
With a packed house expected for the game, Laurier will undoubtedly have home field advantage with them against the Lancers. Over the last 10 years, the Hawks are an impressive 7-3 on Homecoming, including a 33-18 win over Windsor back in 2008. The Hawks will need their fans to be the 13th man once again this weekend as a Laurier victory will put them right back into the race o f the sixth and final playoff spot in the OUA.
Entering Week 6 of the OUA season, the young Hawks have stuck to their mantra of improving week in and week out. That held true last week despite a 45-24 setback to the No. 2 Western Mustangs. In that contest, Laurier jumped out to a 10-0 lead and were leading Western 17-12 at halftime. Even after Western responded in the second half, the purple and gold only trailed the Mustangs by a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter before eventually losing. Despite the loss, head coach Michael Faulds felt that the purple and gold had put forth their best performance of the season.
On the other side of the ball, the Lancers enter this week on a two-game winning streak following a 26-11 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues last Saturday. However, it was a bitter-sweet victory for Windsor as they lost starting quarterback Austin Kennedy of Windsor, Ont., during the game due t o a knee injury and the Lancers pivot is questionable heading into this weekend.
The key to victory between these two squads will most likely come down to the play of their defences. Windsor and Laurier are fourth and fifth in the conference in points allowed this season which points to a game that could be low scoring on Saturday. The two teams are equally stingy in giving up passing yardage to opposing offences which means everything could boil down to the running game. For the Hawks that bodes well for them as primary back Dillon Campbell of Whitby, Ont., is currently ranked first in the conference in rushing yards with 538.
Fans who are unable to attend the game will be able to watch the live webcast on Hawk TV or listen to the live audiocast on RadioLaurier.com.
HAWKS TO WATCH: The aforementioned Campbell has been a breakout star in the OUA this season and has rushed for over 1 00 yards in his last three games...quarterback James Fracas of Waterloo, Ont., will make his first Homecoming start against Windsor...the rookie pivot has thrown for 382 yards and rushed for two touchdowns in his first two starts...OUA Special Teams Player of the Week Thomas Majka of Mississauga, Ont., has been outstanding for Laurier this season as he is currently fifth in the conference in tackles with 33...kick returner William Pitt-Doe of Mississauga, Ont., is only 49 yards shy of break Dillon Heap's team record for kick return yards in a season
13:00 Regina (1-3) at No. 10 Manitoba (2-2) (video webcast)
Source: Manitoba Sports Info
The #10 Manitoba Bisons football team return to their new stadium – Investors Group Field – on the U of Manitoba Fort Garry campus after two games on the road. They will host the Regina Rams in the annual Homecoming Game on Saturday, September 28 with kickoff at 1 p.m. CT. Tickets available at: ticketmaster.ca
This is the first Homecoming Game at the new stadium and in a quirk of the schedule, the first meeting against Regina since the Homecoming Game returned in 1999.
Manitoba is now 2-2 in the young 2013 conference season after a suffering a 48-24 road loss to #5 Calgary on Fri., Sept. 20. Regina lost 37-27 at home to UBC on Sat., Sept. 21 and fell to 1-3 in the season.
This game has playoff implications as the season moves into the second half of the schedule. Calgary stays in first place with a perfect 4-0 record then Saskatchewan is in second at 3-1 followed by Manitoba and UBC tied for third with 2-2 record, then Regina out of a playoff spot in fifth at 1-3 and Alberta in last with an 0-4 record.
Earlier this season, both teams met in a pre-season game at Regina with the Rams winning 30-25 (Aug. 23/13). Last season, Regina won the only game between the two teams by a 30-27 score at Regina (Sept. 28/12). Manitoba last hosted Regina in 2011 season and lost 31-22 on Oct. 29 and has not won against them at home since 2008.
This is the lone conference regular season meeting this season between the two teams.
In early 2013 conference regular season stats, Manitoba is tied for first in scoring offence (39.8 points per game) while Regina is third (35.5). On scoring defence, Regina is third (36.5) and Manitoba stands fifth with 39.2. On total offence, the Bisons lead with 559.5 yards per game while the Rams are fifth at 476.0. On total defence, Regina is second (448.2 yards per game) and Manitoba is fifth (520.8). Individually, Anthony Coombs leads the conference in all-purpose yards with 952 and second with eight overall TDs while Jordan Yantz is second in Canada West passing with 1,361 yards and first with 12 TDs.
Bison Football Notes: The game can be heard live on radio on UMFM 101.5 (umfm.com) or available on live webcast at: canadawest.tv
14:00 No. 7 Saskatchewan (3-1) at UBC (2-2) (SHAW TV & video webcast)
Source: UBC Sports Info
Vancouver, BC - In search of their first home win of the season, the UBC Thunderbirds (2-2) play host #7 Saskatchewan Huskies (3-1) Saturday afternoon at David Sidoo Field at Thunderbird Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm as the second half of the season officially gets under way.
The 'Birds are coming off their second win of the year, defeating the Regina Rams 37-27 in the Saskatchewan capital. UBC is a perfect 2-0 on the road, but has yet to put up a 'W' on home field despite having fourth quarter leads in both their home losses to Calgary and Manitoba.
Saskatchewan, a perennial powerhouse under head coach Brian Towriss, now in his 30th season at the helm, is ranked seventh in the nation and the only blemish on their schedule so far this season is a 36-24 loss to Calgary.
"The Huskies are fundamentally sound, well coached, and limit their mistakes," said UBC head coach Shawn Olson. "Regardless of their record, you know they will be a tough team to play and we are looking forward to the match up, especially our running game going against their strong defensive front."
UBC continues to lead the conference in rushing yards per game (244.5 yards/game) thanks to the play of the offensive line up front and the ability of running back Brandon Deschamps. The third year back leads the entire country in rushing yards (685) and is only 100 yards off his season total last year. However, he will have his hands full with the top run defence in the country. A team that very well could boast the best defensive line in the Canada West. The Huskies have allowed just 123.8 yards per game on the ground this season.
"The key for Brandon is to not get taken down by low tackles as he did a couple of weeks ago against Manitoba," said Olson. "Because he is so tough to bring down, teams have resorted to diving at his feet, so if he can keep his feet up and get past the first wave he will be tough to stop."
Saskatchewan also boasts a league high 18 sacks on the season, that is nine more then the second place team. Joel Seutter leads the way with 4.5 sacks.
Defensively, the 'Birds will be looking for a little retribution against Saskatchewan quarterback Drew Burko who torched UBC last year for 649 yards passing and eight touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes in two wins. Look for Miguel Barker to be matched up against First Team All-Canadian receiver Kit Hillis. Despite having a quiet year so far (19 receptions, 177 yards), Hillis has the ability to be a game changer. Last September he made 14 receptions for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the Huskies 39-34 win over UBC.
Saturday officially marks the half way point of the 2013 season and the Thunderbirds find themselves in fourth place (the final playoff spot) behind Manitoba (2-2), Saskatchewan (3-1), and Calgary (4-0). However, if this year has proven anything it's that there is much more parity in the conference and anything could happen in the final four games of the year.
"We haven't been perfect this season, but we have shown a lot of resolve and effort," said Olson. "This group has the ability to bounce back, to not be phased by an early deficit, and know every game isn't over until the final whistle blows."
The game will be shown live on Shaw TV and will be webcasted at canadawest.tv.
17:00 No. 5 Calgary (4-0) at Alberta (0-4) (video webcast)
Source: Alberta Sports Info
This weekend at Foote Field will showcase the
two youngest teams in Canada West football as the Alberta Golden
Bears host the Calgary Dinos on Saturday, September 28 at 5:00
p.m.
While the two teams combine to have 59 first-year players and 28
sophomores, the difference is that the Golden Bears are rebuilding
from the ground up under new head coach Chris Morris, while the
five-time defending Canada West champ Dinos appear to be reloading
in Blake Nill’s eighth year.
The Bears are 0-4 this season, including a heart-breaking overtime
loss to UBC, while the Dinos, ranked No.5 in CIS, are 4-0.
Morris has 36 of those 59 rookies on his roster, including 13 who
are starting for the Bears. He also has 20 second-year players, and
a game plan to build the program over the next five years, which
includes the members of the 2014 recruiting class that have already
been announced. Although the Bears have yet to win a game this
season, there have been many positive signs for the future.
Chief among those has been the play of rookies Ed Ilnicki and Tylor
Henry. Both have been standouts on an offence that has been more
productive this year than in the past three seasons. Ilnicki, a
burly running back from Spruce Grove, is fourth in conference
rushing yards, with an average of 99 per game. He has rumbled to a
total of 396 yards in his first four CIS games, including a 60-yard
touchdown rush last week against Saskatchewan, which was his second
career CIS TD.
His counterpart on the Dinos is Mercer Timmis, a sophomore who has
rushed for 495 yards and a whopping nine touchdowns. Timmis has
also out-touched Ilnicki 92 to 75, as the Bears boast a quarterback
who likes to run in Ryan Schwartz, calling his own number 37 times
while collecting 255 yards and three touchdowns.
When Schwartz isn’t rushing, or dishing to Ilnicki, his
favourite target through the air has been first-year receiver Tylor
Henry. The Edmonton product, and former Edmonton Wildcat, has
double the amount of catches of the next Alberta receiver, and he
is second in Canada West in receptions per game (8.2) and receiving
yards (402). Henry, however, is a dual threat as he also returns
kicks for the Bears. Named the Canada West Special Teams Player of
the Week in week 3, Henry has accumulated 198 punt return yards and
the third best all-purpose yardage in the conference with 704.
Henry and Ilnicki are pillars of Morris’s rebuilding efforts
of offence, which also includes first-year starters in offensive
lineman Lincoln Untereiner, receivers Adam Zajdel, Jordan
Perreault, and Tak Landry as well as running back/receiver Aundrey
Webster.
Despite that youth, Alberta has managed to score 35+ points in
three of their four games this season, and they have gained the
third-most yards in Canada West with an average of 483 per
game.
The Dinos, meanwhile, have 23 freshmen on their roster this season,
eight of whom are starters. Despite the loss of several notable
players to both the CFL and graduation, as well as in some cases
the NFL, the Dinos have seemingly not missed a beat. At 4-0, they
remain the team to beat in Canada West and are almost guaranteed a
playoff spot once again.
Calgary brings the stingiest defence in the conference to Edmonton,
as Nill’s group is giving up just 26.5 points per game. But,
they do yield 459 yards against on average.
Up front, aside from Timmis, Calgary has quarterback Andrew Buckley
and fifth-year receiver Chris Dobko. Dobko is the first-look
receiver for Buckley, having caught 24 passes for 368 yards, while
Buckley, pressed into service after returning starter Eric
Dzwilewski suffered a game one injury, has tossed for 1,096 yards,
and averages 274 per game. He trails Schwartz, who has thrown for
1,238 yards, for an average of 309.5 per game, but both QBs are in
their first year as a CIS starter.
With the two teams combining to have 87 rookie or sophomore
student-athletes, including stars in the making like Ilnicki,
Timmis and Henry, the Battle of Alberta should be one to watch over
the next few seasons.
Saturday’s tilt represents Alberta last home game until
October 26 when they host Manitoba in the last game of the regular
season. The Bears are on the road for their next two games,
traveling to Regina (October 5) and UBC (October 19).
19:00 Mount Allison (1-2) at Acadia (1-2) (Eastlink TV & video webcast)
September 29
13:00 Sherbrooke (1-3) at No. 4 Montreal (3-1)