It’s that time of year again in the CIS as the season begins to wind down and look to the playoffs with only four games left for most teams. As the season looks to the end every conference is beginning to see more clear who will be making the playoffs. It is passed the halfway point of the season and so it is time to look back and look forward towards the playoffs and the Vanier Cup. At the beginning of the year there were the teams that many thought would be good again this year. The McMaster Marauders, Laval Rouge et Or, and Calgary Dinos were all seen as true threats to the Vanier Cup at the beginning of the year. So far all three teams have lived up to their preseason expectations although the Rouge et Or are not the team they once were. They are still one of the best in the country but before this season they were always considered the best team in the country. Still undefeated the Rouge et Or are at the top of the conference but have not looked like the that team that uses the regular season as a warm-up and waits for the national playoffs. Now they are a team that wins but needs to focus to make sure nobody can sneak up on them. Meanwhile the Marauders and Dinos are completely comfortable at the tops of their leagues taking on every challenger with ease and looking like the best teams in the CIS. There are a number of other teams that were expected to do well despite not being first and they are living up to their expectations too. The Montreal Carabins, Western Mustangs, Acadia Axemen, and Guelph Gryphons have all looked good. These teams are on their way to the playoffs despite a massive failure in the last few weeks. They will all make it hard for the top teams and all have a shot at the title with some big upsets. Then there are those teams that have surprised everyone like the Windsor Lancers, Regina Rams, and the Queen’s Golden Gaels. The Gaels were expected to make the playoffs but being as good as they have been, only losing to McMaster, was not expected. Meanwhile Windsor and Regina are in the mix in both of their conferences as they look to continue a great run and could be the dark horses in the playoffs. There are also the teams that continue to struggle all season with no wins and no realistic shot at the playoffs. The Ottawa Gee Gees and Alberta Golden Bears are the teams with no wins this year and are now just looking to get one win and possibly play spoilers for the playoffs. The most exciting group are the teams on the bubble though as the playoff race really heats up with only 4 games left in the season. For the CanWest conference it will be between Saskatchewan and UBC for that final spot. Both teams have been disappointing with the Huskies winning only two games and the T-Birds only winning their first game this week. If the Thunderbirds can begin to put together wins they will challenge the Huskies for the last spot and it could come back to the last game of the season when both teams face each other. In the OUA there are more teams looking for a playoff spot and with only three games left in the season it will be a hectic sprint to the end. The biggest battle will be between the Laurier Golden Hawks and the Toronto Varsity Blues. Both have two wins this year and are looking to take the 6^th spot while fending off the Waterloo Warriors and York Lions who could make it in with some luck. In the RSEQ the playoffs will be decided between Sherbrooke and Concordia as both teams have two wins. The fight may come down to Week 6 when both team face off to take the advantage in the playoff race. In the AUS the playoffs are pretty even with Saint Mary’s, Mount Allison, and StFX all tied with one win. One team will be eliminated from the playoffs while the other two will face off in the semi-finals. It will be a tight battle between all three with every game marking the difference between playoff football and waiting until next season. There are only 4 weeks left, 3 in the OUA, for teams to make their mark as playoff spots will begin to disappear soon. It will be another great finish to the CIS season so sit back relax and enjoy the beginning of the road to the Vanier Cup.

CIS Top 10:
1. McMaster Marauders (1)
2. Calgary Dinos (2)
3. Montreal Carabins (3)
4. Laval Rouge et Or (4)
5. Queen’s Golden Gaels (5)
6. Regina Rams (7)
7. Western Mustangs (6)
8. Manitoba Bison (8)
9. Guelph Gryphons (–)
10. Acadia Axemen (–)

CIS Standings:

CanWest:
1. Calgary Dinos (10)
2. Regina Rams (8)
3. Manitoba Bison (6)
4. Saskatchewan Huskies (4)
5. UBC Thunderbirds (2)
6. Alberta Golden Bears (0)

OUA:
1. McMaster Marauders (10)
2. Guelph Gryphons (8)
3. Queen’s Golden Gaels (8)
4. Western Mustangs (6)
5. Windsor Lancers (6)
6. Laurier Golden Hawks (4)
7. Toronto Varsity Blues (4)
8. Waterloo Warriors (2)
9. York Lions (2)
10. Ottawa Gee Gees (0)

RSEQ:
1. Laval Rouge et Or (10)
2. Montreal Carabins (10)
3. Bishop’s Gaiters (4)
4. Concordia Stingers (4)
5. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (4)
6. McGill Redmen (2)

AUS:
1. Acadia Axemen (6)
2. Mount Allison Mounties (2)
3. Saint Mary’s Huskies (2)
4. StFX X-Men (2)

Key Scores:
#7 Regina Rams 30 – 27 Manitoba Bison #8
- The Rams and Bison met early in Week 5 to fight for the second place spot in the CanWest conference as both teams went back and forth with the Rams coming out on top and taking the second place spot with only a few weeks left in the season

Saint Mary’s Huskies 32 – 9 StFX X-Men
- The Huskies have struggled to earn a win this year as they went the start of the season without a win but it finally came as they took on the X-Men and got the win in Antigonish during homecoming making up for their own homecoming loss

Bishop’s Gaiters 26 – 18 McGill Redmen
- The Gaiters have struggled at the beginning of the season as they could not seem to get a win and continue competing at the top of the division but they were able to get their second win and get back into the fight in the RSEQ

#1 McMaster Marauders 33 – 27 Western Mustangs #6
- In the premier matchup of the weekend the McMaster Marauders took on their strongest competition yet in the Western Mustangs in a rematch of the 2011 Yates Cup as the Marauders came out on top yet again to remain undefeated and at the top of the OUA

Next Week:
#10 Acadia Axemen vs. StFX X-Men (October 6^th; 2:00 pm ADT)
- Acadia is looking to run away with the AUS division as they take on their rivals the X-Men while StFX is just looking to stay in the fight for a playoff spot and if they can pull off the win they will have a good shot

Ottawa Gee Gees vs. Toronto Varsity Blues (October 6^th; 1:00 pm EDT)
- The Blues are looking to end a long playoff drought and they will need to step it up in the last few weeks of the season if they hope to take the last spot this game could be essential as the Gee Gees are playing desperate to get their first win against the Blues who are on the bubble

#7 Western Mustangs vs. #9 Guelph Gryphons (October 6^th; 1:00 pm EDT)
- The Mustangs are coming off of a close loss to the Marauders and will be trying to recover against the Gryphons who are sitting above the Mustangs in the standings as both teams fight for the first round bye

#3 Montreal Carabins vs. #4 Laval Rouge et Or (October 7^th; 1:30 pm EDT)
- It is the matchup that everyone has been waiting for in the RSEQ as the top two teams finally determine who the best team in Quebec is as the Rouge et Or look to hold on to their top spot while the Carabins come for the title

Guelph Gryphons

The Guelph Gryphons have a pretty strong tradition of winning in the OUA but their 2011 season was extremely disappointing. The Gryphons went in to 2011 with high hopes as their team featured a number of good players that should have been able to make the playoffs if not challenge for the conference. The season started poorly as the Gryphons opened the season with a blowout loss to Ottawa and the season continued to fall apart. The Gryphons could only manage to win two games all season as they finished well outside of the playoffs race in a very disappointing year. The Gryphons will go into 2012 with a young team but one of the few young teams with some great potential. A good recruiting class from 2011 and one of the two best recruiting classes in the OUA for 2012 have made the Gryphons an exception to the rule that inexperienced teams generally don’t fare well. The offence has 10 returning starters from last year but that does not tell the full story as a number of these starters will be in their second year. This includes QB Jazz Lindsey who started halfway through the 2011 season but showed some promising signs. One of the best options for Lindsey will be his older brother Saxon who emerged as a true threat in 2011 and should be an essential part to the Guelph passing game. At running back the Gryphons will have Rob Farquharson back for his second year as will get to show his ability as a featured back for the first time. On the defence the Linebacking corps will be the key as Jake Reinhart and John Rush lead the team and could be joined by top CIS recruit Pat McGrath. On the line Cam Thorn will return for his 4^th year and will likely be joined by recruit Zack Mallough. The secondary is the one team most hit by the graduating class with three DBs no longer with the team. The Gryphons will see a return of a couple Defensive Backs though as Mark Durigon and Bryan Dunjko will be back and will be joined by the very athletic recruit Colin Mandich. The defence is clearly in a transition this year with 9 returning starters and a number of recruits that will look to make an impact in their first year. The Guelph Gryphons as a team are looking to recover from their 2011 season and will do it with a young but promising team. With the youth of the team there will be mistakes but that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent as they will probably fight for a playoff spot and may just make it in if everything goes right.

One to Watch:
John Rush, LB (Niagara Falls, ON)
- The second year linebacker has already seen tremendous success as he started every game in his rookie season and then joining Team Canada during the U-19 World Championship as he will act as a leader for the defence in Guelph this year

Laurier Golden Hawks

It wasn’t too long ago that the Golden Hawks were the dominant force in the OUA with back to back Yates Cups in 2004 and 2005. Since that time though the hawks have been in the mix but unable to put together a championship run. Last year the Hawks were sitting just on the edge of the playoffs with one game to go. It came down to the last game as the Golden Hawks were able to get the win while the Varsity Blues lost putting the Golden Hawks into the playoffs. The accomplishment did not last long though as they lost their first playoff game in a close battle with Queen’s University. The 2011 season marked a chance for many of the veteran talent to win a championship but unfortunately it did not pan out. Now in 2012 the Golden Hawks will see many of their veterans gone and an almost entirely new team lining up on the field. It will be a young team this year with many first year starters looking to take over and looking to continue the winning tradition of Laurier. On offence the biggest threat has left for the CFL as wide receiver Shamawd Chambers was drafted in the first round by the Edmonton Eskimos. Joining Chambers on the list of losses will be receiver Dillon Heap and QB Shane Kelly. In their places will be returning wideouts Alex Anthony and Russ Jirgens as well as NCAA transfer Travis Eman in a passing game with a lot of questions. The running game will have some experience though as Anton Bennett returns for his fourth year with the help of second year RB Dillon Campbell. It is still not something to lean on though as both backs have had moments of great play yet have not been able to really make an impact. On defence the Hawks will see a little more stability with two solid veterans remaining to lead the team. Linebackers Mitchell Bosch and Carlos Naranjo will both be returning for their fifth year on the Golden Hawks and are both coming off of career years. Other than these two the defence will be pretty fresh with the loss of defensive back Shane Herbert and linebacker Samuel Aird sure to have an effect on the team. One big positive for the Hawks this year will be the return of their kick returner Felix Odum who was one of the best in the country in 2011. Laurier has had a long history of making the playoffs as they have not missed the postseason in 9 years but this year the streak may be broken. A team that barely made the playoffs last year will enter a year with very few of their old leaders and although the recruit class was a good one they will not fill the holes left by the veterans. Expect the Golden Hawks to have a rough year with their young inexperienced team taking a beating and missing the playoffs.

One to Watch:
Alex Anthony, WR (Victoria, BC)
- After Shamawd Chambers left for the CFL the reigns were essentially handed over the Anthony who should serve as the go-to guy in the passing game as he will be the leader on a team with many young players

McMaster Marauders

The Marauders went into the 2011 season as a team that could be near the top of the conference but may struggle to beat the best teams in the conference like the Mustangs. Somebody forgot to tell the Marauders this though as they had a strong regular season going 7-1 and finishing tied for first place. The Marauders worked through the playoffs fairly easily as they outscored their opponents 81-32 in their two OUA playoff games. Moving on to the national playoffs the Marauders continued to run through everyone beating the Acadia Axemen 45-21 in the Uteck Bowl. This gave them the chance to win their first Vanier Cup but they would need to take on the Laval Rouge et Or to do so. In one of the best football games ever played the Marauders came out on top to become the Vanier Cup Champions for 2011. For the Marauders 2012 is an essential year to return to the national finals as they will see a number of veteran players playing in their last year before they graduate and move on from the program. This includes their offensive and team leader Kyle Quinlan who almost did not make it back to Hamilton after spending his summer as a member of the Montreal Alouettes. Quinlan will lead the charge for an offence that will return some of the key contributors to the Vanier Cup season. Quinlan will have his two favorite targets back in the offence as Michael DiCroce and Sam Fochesato both return for another year. In the backfield there had been little change until OUA All-Star Chris Pezzetta suffered a knee injury in the preseason. In his place will be Jimmy Hill who has plenty of experience as a relief back for Pezzetta last year. On defence the Marauders will see their biggest change as they have lost the heart of their defensive line. Mackenzie Dent, Roberto Filice, and Scott Caterine all graduated leaving a hole in the defence. The remaining veterans will be Tanvir Bhangu and Ben D’Aquilar who have had limited playing time and will represent a big question mark for the Marauders this season. In the linebacking corps the Marauders will return a number of veterans including Trevor Gary and Trevor Beaton but the most exciting return will be Aram Eisho who won the defensive player of the game in the Vanier Cup. In the secondary the Marauders will also see a number of veterans return including Mike Daly, Joey Cupido, and Stephen Dennis. Overall the Marauders defence will have a number of veterans returning despite having some holes that will need to be filled. The Marauders are the defending Vanier Cup champions and they will act like that this season with the return of Kyle Quinlan enough to say that they will likely be back on top. They will fight for the top spot this year again and may not get the #1 spot but they will get the bye and have a chance at the national picture.

One to Watch:
Kyle Quinlan, QB (South Woodslee, ON)
- Coming off of a summer where he learned from the best QB in Canada as a member of the Montreal Alouettes Quinlan is the key to this team as he will be the difference between the Marauders making the national playoffs or not

Ottawa Gee Gees

The Ottawa Gee Gees have been one of the more recent successful teams in the OUA as they have put together a long streak. In 2000 the Gee Gees continued a long run of success and reached the top of the CIS world winning the Vanier Cup. Usually a team would falter after winning the championship especially in university sports. Teams are changed so much over the course of the seasons that it is hard to continue having success when many veterans are gone. For Ottawa though it was the opposite. The 2000 Vanier Cup championship just launched a streak for the Gee Gees. They have yet to miss the playoffs since the 2000 Vanier Cup as they have consistently played well enough to make it into the playoffs. It has not always been successful though as many year the Gee Gees were in for a short time before being eliminated. This is what happened in 2011 as the Gee Gees once again made it into the OUA playoffs but could not get past the Windsor Lancers in the quarter-finals. In 29012 though the Gee Gees are looking to build on a 5-3 season and prevent being disappointed again. This year the biggest change for Ottawa will be their head coach as former CFL veteran coach Gary Etcheverry takes over on the sidelines with a new perspective for many of the players. On offence all of the key contributors from last year are back including starting QB Aaron Colbon and his favorite target Simon le Marquand. Both of these players had their growing pains last year and still managed to put together a potent attack. Along with veteran running back Brendan Gillanders the Gee Gees look to have a strong offence that is balanced enough to carry the team. On defence there will be no change as all 12 starters from last year will be back with one more year under their belts. In 2011 the defence was an inexperienced one but with everyone returning this year proves to be much better. Led by fifth year linebacker Tyler Sawyer and defensive lineman Ettore Lattanzio the Gee Gees are experienced and solid up front. It is the secondary that really helps this team though as the Gee Gees led the CIS in forced turnovers in large part thanks to a secondary that made it a bad day for every QB. Matt Bond-Lapointe and Chris Daly are the key figures in the defensive backfield with the ability to turn any mistake into a turnover. It is clear that the 2012 version of the Gee Gees are an experienced group and after 12 seasons in the playoffs it is hard to say that they won’t make it again. In fact after a 5-3 season with a young team the Gee Gees are looking poised to battle for the top spot once again this year. With so much experience and a great coaching staff expect the Gee Gees to walk into the playoffs near the top maybe even earning a first round bye in the playoffs.

One to Watch:
Simon le Marquand, WR (Gatineau, QC)
- Marquand was a backup receiver for his first two years in the CIS but in 2011 he showed that he deserves to be front and centre in the Gee Gee offence amassing 867 yards good for second in the CIS as he will be a key leader in the 2012 campaign

Queen’s Golden Gaels

The Golden Gaels are another member of the OUA that has been around for generations as one of the first football teams in North America. As a result of this the Gaels have been one of the few teams to win a Grey Cup along with a Vanier Cup. Their latest victory came in 2009 when the Gaels rode an unbelievable season to win their 4^th Vanier Cup. It was a great year but for the Gaels the success didn;t carry through to the next few years. The Golden Gaels have been in the playoffs since their 2009 championship but they have failed to make it very far. This year they will look to get back to the success of 2009 as they hope to return to the national stage. The 2012 version of the Golden Gaels is an experienced one with 20 starters returning for another year. On offence the Gaels focus on the run with Ryan Granberg at the forefront of the offence. Granberg led the CIS in rushing yards last season with a breakout year and hopes to do the same this year and to help the Gaels back to the National playoffs. The passing game is led by second year starter Billy McPhee who will try to bring some balance to the Queen’s offence. McPhee will have a few weapons to pass to this season as well with CFL draft pick Giovanni Aprile and second year receiver Justin Chapdelaine. This trio should provide a good passing game as they will have one more aspect to their offence. On defence the Gaels will also be a team full of veteran talent that is sure to be a solid squad once again. Last year the defence was a big reason to the success as they did not allow a rushing touchdown all season. They go into the 2012 season riding a 137:39 shutout streak in the regular season. The Gaels did lose Frank Pankewich and Osie Ukwouma from the defensive line but there will be two solid young players to fill their shoes. John Miniaci and Derek Wiggan will take over as the leaders on the line with the two veterans gone. In the linebacking corps the Gaels will be led by Second Team All-Canadian Sam Sabourin who will be a great leader in the second level. The defensive secondary will be another great part to this defence with Second Team All-Canadian Andrew Lue and fourth year T.J. Chase-Dunawa. The mix of veterans with a few younger players for the defence means that the Gaels will once again be hard to score on. They may not be as stingy as last year but they will remain tough. There are better teams out there that will challenge the Gaels as they will likely need to fight through a lot to get back to the championship. Playoffs are a good bet for the Gaels but further than that will take a little bit of luck.

One to Watch:
Billy McPhee, QB (Burlington, ON)
- The last time the Gaels won a Vanier Cup they were led by one of the best QBs in the league and now Billy McPhee looks to become that QB as he hopes to build on a great 2011 to become one of the best QBs in the CIS

Toronto Varsity Blues

The Varsity Blues are clearly the most legendary team in the CIS as winners of the Grey Cup and Vanier Cups before any of them were household names. Lately though the Blues have been in some trouble as their legendary status seemed to haunt them more than it helped them. The Blues struggled to even find one win in the early 2000s as they went 0-48 from 2002-2007. But in 2008 the program began to find a bit more of a rhythm as they finally started to win. Then in 2011 they got closer than ever to breaking the playoff drought as they missed by two points on the last weekend. This year the Blues look to take that momentum and run with it to end a long playoff drought. Unfortunately for them it does not look too promising with a very big graduating class leaving for the real world. The Blues will suffer in a big way with a number of key players leaving with some moving on after their eligibility ran out and others moving to the CFL. On offence the team will need to move on from the Andrew Gillis era as the veteran QB graduated leaving Richard Quittenton to take over the offence. He will have some experienced receivers in Alex Pierzchalski and Paul de Pass to lean on in the passing game. A stint at Toronto Argonauts Training Camp should also provide Quittenton with a little more knowledge that he can use this year. In the backfield will be Daci Emiljano who led the team with a 7.4 yard average last year despite the run game not being a focal point for the team. The hardest area of the team for the Blues will be the defence as linebacker Wilkerson DeSouza left for the CFL while cornerbacks Dorian Munroe and Willie Sharpe graduated. It will be hard to fill these shoes for the young and inexperienced replacements. One of these replacements will be Kevin Kinahan who showed signed of life last year recording 20 tackles and earning 2 interceptions. If he continues to grow in his role he could be an impact player. Meanwhile filling the biggest shoes will be Broc Elliott who will need to replace Wilkerson DeSouza and lead the linebacking corps alongside Chris Johnson. The defensive line will need to step it up as well with James Bodanis and Everton Williams have mediocre years last year. The defence is in trouble for the Blues this year as many key players are no longer there. It will now be up to a group of veteran players to help lead the team together. It will be a tough year for the Blues and although the hope is high the momentum that had been built might fall away. The Blues have some good prospects for the upcoming season but they are just too inexperienced to win at a consistent rate. They will not return to their 0-8 season but they will continue the playoff drought as they will sit on the outside once again.

One to Watch:
Alex Pierzchalski, WR (London, ON)
- Pierzchalski went through a lot of battling to get his reps in 2011 and still ranked amongst the top 15 receivers in the OUA and now in 2012 he will be the featured receiver with a new QB as he looks to lead the offence into the playoffs for the first time in years

Waterloo Warriors

The Waterloo Warriors are a team that has been the centre of a lot of controversy over the last few years. In 2010 the Warriors had their season cancelled after a number of players were found to be using steroids. After one of the players had a stash of PEDs found in his locker the CIS decided that the program needed to be fixed. 2011 marked the return of football to Waterloo but after one entire year without a recruiting class and without a season the welcome back was not too great. The team went 0-8 in the 2011 season as an entirely new team was assembled with no real experience in any facet of the game. This year the Warriors are one more year removed from their suspension with one more recruiting class under their belt. Any holdovers that the Warriors did have from their non-season are now mostly graduated leaving very few veteran starters left for the team. Starting QB Evan Martin is no longer there along with leading receiver Dustin Zender leaving Brian Chris and Nick Anapolsky to lead the offence. Both players have had their time last year to learn the offence and will hope to step up their performance to create a potent offence. In the backfield will be one of the most experienced players on the team in Marco Visentin who ran for 172 yards last year. The best part of the offence for the Warriors will be their offensive line though as Matt Vonk leads a group of big blockers who may be able to provide a little more time for the offence to work itself out. On defence the team is in a little better shape as no big impact players left the team this year. Instead the defence will stay generally intact but the defence was not good last year allowing some massive scores. The Warriors are hoping that the year of experience many first time starters received last year will help them in 2012. Leaders like defensive back Brad Morton and defensive lineman Djordje Gavrilovic will need to step up and become the heart of the team. For Greg Zaitz the year of experience was a good one as he took home 38 tackles on the season as one of the few bright spots on the defence. Zaitz and Brendan Conway, who had 37 tackles last year, represent the future of the program as both are only going into their 2^nd year and look to continue improving. The Warriors are in a tough spot in 2012 as they continue to pay for the 2010 controversy and attempt to build a program from the bottom. With a little more experience in the roster the Warriors will be better but better for them may simply be making more games competitive rather than ending with a winning season. This year the Warriors will be out of the playoffs once again and could risk a 0-8 season if they cannot get an inspired performance against a low ranked team.

One to Watch:
Matt Vonk, OL (Burlington, ON)
- In a team full of young prospects Vonk represents the small corps of veterans left after the suspension of the 2010 season as he will need to step up as a vocal leader to help out a struggling Warriors team

Western Mustangs

The Western Mustangs have been one of the few consistently dominant teams in the OUA and the CIS. The Mustangs continued their storied tradition in 2011 after only losing one game all season and finishing first in the OUA. They took that momentum into the playoffs were they blew by the rest of the competition and headed to the Yates Cup. There they met an extremely hot team in the McMaster Marauders who ended Western’s run at a second Yates Cup in as many years. This year the Mustangs are looking to be back on top as the Mustangs are at the point were first place is the expectation. Under Greg Marshall the Mustangs have been a force with a great offence and great defence along with stellar recruiting classes. One of the biggest reasons for the latest success of the Mustangs has been the development of starting QB Donnie Marshall. Marshall had a great season last year but could not complete the season after an injury kept him out of the last three games. This year he will be back for his last year under centre and will look to Alex Thibaudeau and Brian Marshall for support in the receiving game. The backfield looks solid too but a little disappointing after CIS rookie of the year Tyler Varga left for the NCAA. With Nathan Riva out of years Garret Sanvido will take over with limited experience as it will be hard to match what Varga did in 2011. Meanwhile on defence the Mustangs will again return a number of key starters and bring up a number of top recruits. The secondary is the clear strength though with First Team All-Canadian Beau Landry at halfback leading the way. He will be joined by second team OUA All-Star Mike Spence and fourth year player Jamie Symianick. Still there will be some holes in the defence with only 6 returning players from last year as the team will need to replace players like David lee, Nick Riva, and Rob Hennesy. The defensive line will feature a top prospect from last year in Daryl Waud who had his season cut short after an injury. Along with Waud will be Rory Connop who transferred to Western from Boise State this year. In the second level the Mustangs will see their biggest drop off with Pawel Kruba one of the only returning players in the linebacking corps from last year. The Mustangs look solid again with a good offence and some good pieces on defence but they will need to lean on their defensive prospects if they hope to repeat their performance from last year. The defence may be a weakness, unless the Mustangs are really telling the truth about their prospects, while the offence will be a tough one to beat. Western may not enjoy the same season as last year but they will make the playoffs again and could be in the mix for a first round bye.

One to Watch:
Beau Landry, DB/LB (Kitchener, ON)
- The versatility of Landry helps the Mustangs greatly as he is a fast and strong DB and LB and in only his third year of eligibility the 2012 season will represent a chance to put his name on the map for upcoming drafts

Windsor Lancers

The Windsor Lancers have yet to make it very far in the OUA as they have possibly the least amount of history ion the conference. With no Vanier Cups and only one Yates Cup, won in 1975, the Lancers are a team that has yet to find their time. In 2011 the Lancers made a campaign to make the 2010s their time. In an offseason that expected little from them the Lancers were able to put together a 5-3 record and moved into the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. Then came the real surprise when the Lancers were able to get past clear favorites Ottawa. With the win Windsor moved on to the Yates Cup semi-finals but their breakout season ended there with a loss to Western. Still the Lancers had a renewed life and in 2012 they look to carry that into a new season where the goal is to take control of the OUA. On offence the Lancers will be led by Austin Kennedy who had a breakout season in 2011 ranking among the top five QBs in the CIS. He will enter his third year with a lot of confidence and some good experience as he looks to lead a potent passing game. On the other end of Kennedy will be a trio of good receivers led by First Team All-Canadian Jordan Brescacin along with Evan Pszczonka and Dylan Whitfield. A strong returning offensive line will also help the passing game as four veterans will return. The backfield was not a focus of the offence and with the loss of Shomari Grant will likely not be much of a weapon this year. Kamar Anglin will likely take over the rushing duties with the most experience out of the three running backs on the team. On defence the Lancers will be returning 11 of their 12 starters but unfortunately for them the one starter that left was their best player. The loss of Seamus Postuma will definitely hurt Windsor and the defensive line. There are no real replacements for Postuma but Garrit Post, Andrew Bakos, and Stephen Miller will all return to the team and look to fill the gaps. The linebacking corps is a different story as the entire lineup returns with Akeem Whonder, John Moynahan, and Brad Adams patrolling the second level. In the secondary the Lancers will also boast a team full of veterans including Second Team All-Canadian half back Matt McGarva who will help to lead the team after a breakout year in 2011. Along with McGarva will be Shea Pierre and Oduko Nwaesei to provide a solid last line of defence. The Lancers did not lose too many of their big playmakers and for that reason they will continue their upward trend. The goal of ruling the OUA is a distance off though as they will have some very tough competition from the top three teams. The Lancers will make the playoffs this year and could even make a run at the Yates Cup but they will still need a number of players to get to a higher level if they hope to make noise in the playoffs.

One to Watch:
Matt McGarva, DB (Surrey, BC)
- On a team with 11 starters returning from last year McGarva is the one with the most potential after being named a Second Team All-Canadian last year as he looks to improve on last year to help the Lancers into the playoffs

York Lions

The York Lions are a team that is among the Toronto curse as they are one of the two teams located in Toronto with both teams struggling over the past few years. The Lions have been unable to get out o the basement for years and have also struggle just to get wins. From 2008 to 2010 the Lions could not get a win. Last year marked the first win for the struggling program but it was only one win and was not enough to break a 7 year playoff drought for the Lions. This year the Lions are looking to finally break that streak by making the playoffs for the first time. The Lions are hoping that a mix of veterans and new recruits will push them over the edge in the OUA. On offence the Lions will have a veteran corps of wide receivers that they are hoping will be the key to their return to the playoffs. This veteran corps will include fourth year receiver William Austin, Jonelle Tolbert, Nathaniel Griffith, and Devonte Hobbs. All of these receivers will look to help a new QB under centre as the Lions welcome transfer Myles Gibbon who transferred from the NCAA. Gibbon will take over the offence as he hopes to become a savior to the York Football program. Behind Gibbon will likely be 5^th year running back Blair Yachetti to provide some change of pace if the offence needs it. The offence for the Lions is not the best but the addition of QB Myles Gibbon should be an improvement for the team. The defence will be a young one with multiple first or second years in starting roles. They will be led by leading tackler in 2011 and the Frank Cosentino MVP Trophy, York’s highest award, for his rookie year in 2011. This year he will be back with one more year under his belt and hopes to become one of the best linebackers in the CIS. The defensive secondary will see two talented second year players and a veteran leader on the team. Nana Nkanash and Jordan Nugent will start for their second year and will be led by Andrew Collymore. The biggest leader for the team will be on the line though as 5^th year defensive end Patrick Russell returns to anchor the line. Russell has been a strong leader for the Lions throughout their struggles and his return will help the rest of the defence adjust. The York defence is a team full of second year starters that will be looking to improve in their sophomore seasons and help the defence. The Lions are once again a team in trouble as they do not have any player on the team that can really break open a game. The Lions may want to make the playoffs but it does not look like they will make it back this year as they continue to stay in the basement of the OUA.

One to Watch:
Hussein Hazime, LB (Toronto, ON)
- A week before the 2011 training camp began Hazime walked on to the roster of the York Lions and in his rookie season broke out to be one of the top linebackers in the CIS as he won the Lions’ MVP award as he enters 2012 with a lot of expectation to lead the defence

Prediction:

1. Ottawa Gee Gees

2. McMaster Marauders

3. Western Mustangs

4. Windsor Lancers

5. Queen’s Golden Gaels

6. Guelph Gryphons

7. Toronto Varsity Blues

8. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

9. York Lions

10. Waterloo Warriors

Quarter-Finals:
Western Mustangs 28 – 21 Guelph Gryphons
- It will be a close game but the inexperience of the Guelph lineup against the experience of the Western veterans will be the difference as the Mustangs will move on to familiar territory as they take one step closer to the national picture

Windsor Lancers 31 – 28 Queen’s Golden Gaels
- It just seems that the Lancers are on the rise while the Gaels look to be slightly behind on their path back to the national stage and in a close game the team with the edge will be the Lancers who are poised to make some noise this year

Semi-Finals:
Ottawa Gee Gees 34 – 24 Windsor Lancers
- Although the Lancers seem to be on the rise and look like they could be a big threat this year the fact is that the Gee Gees are a more experienced and battle tested team will help them in the end to earn a berth in the Yates Cup

McMaster Marauders 32 – 27 Western Mustangs
- In a rematch of the 2011 Yates Cup the Marauders will continue to get the better of the Mustangs as a battle of QBs in Kyle Quinlan and Donnie Marshall who will face off to see who the best QB is in the OUA

Yates Cup:

Ottawa Gee Gees 42 – 38 McMaster Marauders

- The Gee Gees are looking strong this year and despite having to face the defending Vanier Cup champions Ottawa will still come out on top to represent the OUA in the national playoffs as they seem to be the best team in the OUA this year

Quarterback Drew Burko rushes for a first down (photo by Derek Mortensen for Electric Umbrella)

While the Huskies lost their first preseason game since they visited Laval in 2006, the players gained valuable experience and the coaches valuable insight, both more important than the final score on this night. What we saw was a strong performance from the starting offence and a challenging night, at times, for the starting defence, especially the secondary.

Drew Burko made his first CIS start at quarterback and showed he deserved his promotion to starting quarterback, looking poised in the pocket and showing off a strong, accurate arm. Burko finished his night mid-way through the second quarter, going 13 of 19 for 176 yards, a touchdown and an interception. His favourite receiver was second-year wide-receiver Kit Hillis, who showed he will be a threat this season by catching eight passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Lineman Zach Hart sacks Guelph quarterback Jazz Lindsey (photo by Liam Richards for Electric Umbrella)

On defence, the starting defensive line looked solid, as always, with Zach Hart and Levi Steinhauer leading the way with a strong pass rush. The linebackers were solid, filling the gaps and keeping the Guelph quarteback in the pocket, for the most part. The secondary, however, was not as strong as many had hoped, and much of this could be due to cornerback Luke Thiel sitting the game out, while rookie Keegan Arnyek and junior veteran Braxton Lawrence made their CIS debuts.

The Huskies held a 15-14 lead at halftime, but never seemed to find a groove and either weren’t able to move the ball or sustain drives until late in the second half. It seemed like Guelph took away what is usually an advantage for the Huskies, that being a hard-hitting, physical team, outhitting the Huskies and getting in the minds of the young receivers and running backs on the Huskie roster.

There were many positives to take away from this game, especially in individual performances. On defence, linebackers Richard Zacharias, who had five tackles, and Jaques Geyer, who had six solo tackles and three assisted tackles, may have played their way onto the roster. On offence, the play of Charlie Power, who had two catches for 49 yards, and rookie receiver Brydon Ozmun, who was a starter and had three catches for 29 yards, was promising.

Linebacker Jaques Geyer (photo by Liam Richards for Electric Umbrella)

What wasn’t so good was the space the Guelph receivers were able to create behind the Huskies’ secondary. The Huskies had their chances, but dropped two catchable passes that would have set the offence up in great field position. The offence had their own problems, with wide-open receivers dropping perfect passes and the offensive line allowing rushing Guelph linemen through too often. And then there were the penalties, which twice sustained Guelph drives because of unnecessary roughness calls.

The Huskies have a week to correct the mistakes and regain their discipline before the Alberta Golden Bears come to town. Things won’t get easier with running backs Dexter Janke and Shane Buchanan and defensive back Bryce McCall possibly out with injuries. Things only get harder from here.

Quote: “We weren’t ready to play at the start. They really took it to us, physically. I’m not so concerned about the score, but I am concerned about the fact that we didn’t hit anybody. We paid a physical price for it. It looks like we’re going to lose a couple guys for a little bit and that just tells me we got out-hit, big time.” – Head Coach Brian Towriss in the post-game news conference.

Statistics:
Huskies Guelph
First Downs 26 27
Passing 24-43-348 yards 17-24-357 yards
Rushing 24-105 yards 34-123 yards
Total Offence 68 plays, 424 yards 62 plays, 363 yards
Penalties 14-125 yards 15-133 yards
Fumbles 1, 1 lost 1, 1 lost
Interceptions 0 3

Records in 2011: Huskies: 5-3, second in Canada West (finished 2011 ranked tenth in the FRC-CIS Football Top Ten); Guelph: 2-6, eighth in the OUA.

The Huskies celebrate a win over Windsor last season (photo by Steve Hiscock for Liam Richards Photography)

Head to head history: Saskatchewan defeated the Gryphons 33-9 in the 1996 Churchill Bowl. Coaches Brian Towriss, Bart Arnold, Ed Carleton, Mike Harrington, Darryl Burko, Brent Schneider and Aaron Moser were all a part of that team, with Schneider and Moser players at the time.

What’s on the line: Roster spots for a lot of hopeful players. The Huskies will be testing out a new set of linebackers while looking for backup defensive backs and defensive linemen, backup and possibly starting receivers and backup running backs. Players who make a big splash on special teams may find themselves in the lineup before those ahead of them on the depth chart, so expect some big plays from a few faces we didn’t see in the lineup last year.

Guelph is in a similar position, looking to add many new faces after an underwhelming season in 2011. They had what some believe to be one of the better recruiting classes in the CIS (although these rankings are highly suspect, as few recruits out of major cities are known by these ranking organizations).

Key players:

Saskatchewan

• Quarterback Drew Burko – the highly recruited high school star with the Aden Bowman Bears and Team Saskatchewan will make his CIS debut. The 6-4, 215 lb. Burko spent last season as the show team quarterback, practicing against the best defence in the Canada West. He will be counted on to provide consistency and ball control in his first year behind centre.
• Running Back Dexter Janke – after splitting time with Ben Coakwell last season, the second-year player will be the starting running back, looking to become one of the stars in the conference after posting 307 yards rushing and four touchdowns along with his 182 yards and one touchdown through the air. Janke is a dual threat, with tremendous hands and great route running to go along with his elusiveness and speed out of the backfield.
• Defensive Back Geoff Hughes – in his second year on the team, Hughes looks like he is the frontrunner for the boundary side halfback spot. In his limited time as a rookie last season, Hughes had 6.5 tackles, a breakup and a forced fumble. He showed up to camp in tremendous shape and should fit nicely in an otherwise very veteran secondary.
• Linebacker Corbin Eskelson – entering his fifth year of eligibility, Eskelson is looking to make an immediate and lasting impact on a team looking to fill all three linebacker positions. Eskelson comes in with impressive credentials, being named the 2010 PFC defensive player of the year with the Saskatoon Hilltops, and his leadership and veteran presence will help the transition to new starters.

Guelph

• Quarterback Jazz Lindsey – after finishing seventh in the OUA with 1127 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions in his rookie season, Lindsey will be eager to play with some new talent around him and improve on his first-year numbers. Lindsey’s not afraid to take off with the ball to avoid the pass rush, running 21 times for 98 yards last season.
• Running Back Rob Farquharson – the 5-9 Farquharson finished led the Gryphons with 322 yards and four touchdowns last season, good for 14th overall in the OUA. He is entering his third year on the team and will likely be a major contributor as a veteran on what is a very young team.
• Linebacker Jake Reinhart – the fifth-year senior led the OUA and finished third in the CIS with 62.5 tackles last season. He will be relied on for his consistency on a defence that was without many big stars last season.
• Linebacker John Rush – entering his second year, Rush will be looking to improve on his 2011 season which saw him record 32 tackle, three tackles for a loss and one sack. Rush was a tournament all-star at the IFAF under 19 world championship last month, where played for world champion Team Canada along with Huskies Keegan Arneyek and Glen Joorisity.

Roster moves: A few players will likely sit while they nurse injuries. Veterans like linebacker Seamus Neary are known commodities, so their health for next Friday against Alberta is more important.

What they’re saying: “We want to go and execute our offence, for sure. Defensively, we will probably keep it pretty simple. There’s no question that Alberta’s going to be down here watching the game,  so we don’t want to be showing a lot of different things. We want to see our people and see what we do, but we’re not going to show everything.

Every time you play, you’re going for the win, but we’re not going to sacrifice playing time for the young guys just to go in an win it. We have a script of who is going to go in and when,  and we expect to play well. It is an evaluation, not so much for who’s going to start at this point, but there’s anther 13 or 14 spots on the travel roster that we’ve got to evaluate.” Head Coach Brian Towriss on what he would like to get out of the game with Guelph.

““I was so excited when I received the call from Brian. I wanted to play a preseason game, as much for the coaches to get their act together as well as seeing the rookies perform. The last thing I want to do is play somebody that we’ll face in the next two months. I wanted to take the guys out of province and, preferably, fly. This is about teaching the guys; hopefully at some point during their careers they’ll have to travel to play a Vanier Cup or something, and this will be part of that training. I can’t thank Brian, his staff, and the organizers, enough; we’ve been quite demanding in terms of meeting rooms and practice times…they’ve been phenomenal. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great test – I know that western football is tough. I’ve actually encouraged our event staff to come out, because I’ve heard wonderful things about the Huskies’ game day experience, and I’ve seen some clips on YouTube – you guys do it right!”” Guelph Head Coach Stu Lang on the invitation to play the Huskies in Saskatoon.

What to expect: Expect a hard hitting game that both teams will come out to win. They have each spent time evaluating film of each others last two regular season games from 2011 and they will know a few tendencies and formations and have some surprises prepared. Windsor was a surprisingly strong opponent last year, and with the Gryphons’ excellent recruiting class, they should provide the Huskies with a good game. Who knows — they may even be the second team from east of Manitoba to beat the Huskies at Griffiths (Laval, in the 2006 Vanier Cup, is the only team of the six from the OUA, RESQ and AUS who have visited Griffiths to beat the Huskies at home, where they are 7-1 against eastern opponents).

This will be a great game to watch some of the future Huskie starters show their abilities. On defence, expect big games from defensive backs Travoy Martinez, Keegan Arneyek, Braden Richards and Spencer Krieger, linebackers Jordon Hilgers, Jaques Geyer and David Craig Penner and defensive linemen Brayden Twarynski, Glen Joorisity and Caleb Eidsvick. On offence, look for receivers Brydon Ozmun, Dan Laventure, Julan Lynch and Christian Gottenbos, running backs Shane Buchanan, Devin Logan, Jarvis James, Drew Bexson and Brandon Stewart, offensive linemen Clinton Reeder, Evan Johnson, Evan Rutherford and Ryan Breadner and quarterback Matt Bonaca. These players will be contributors to this team, some of them this year.

For many, this will be the first time they wear a uniform and experience the spectacle of game-day. Let’s make it extra special for them (and our opponents from Guelph) by providing a big, noisy crowd for them to play in front of.

Go, Dogs, go!

There is optimism surrounding the Guelph program as they have been upgrading their facilities and are coming off of a successful offseason on the recruiting trail. “The advice I got, when I began my career as a head coach (2010), regarding hiring staff, was to make sure that your staff are great recruiters. That was good advice; my staff doesn’t mind staying out late at night in the cold weather in order to get 5 – 15 minute talks with 15, 16, and 17 year olds. This has really born fruit. My offensive coordinator, Todd Galloway, my defensive coordinator, Kevin MacNeill, and the other coaches have just done a wonderful job. This year, especially, we had a lot of holes on the offensive line and Mike MacDonald, our OLine coach, brought in a handful of guys that played for Team Ontario or played on all-star teams – we’re quite excited. We’ve added a wonderful receiver from Nova Scotia, A’dre Fraser, who was one of the best players in the maritimes and played for Team Canada in the most recent under-19 championship. We’ve also added a receiver from B.C., in Mike Carney. This is the first time Guelph’s history, to my knowledge, that we’ve brought in two recruits from opposite ends of the county. Todd Galloway used to be on the staff at Saint Mary’s, and Kevin MacNeill used to coach special teams at UBC, so this has given our program some connections to different parts of the country.” Coach Lang then went on to describe their relatively inexperienced roster. “We have a very young team. Last year, most of our key positions were manned by first-year guys. Outside of maybe York or Waterloo, we may have the youngest team in the OUA, but it bodes well for the future.”

Coach Lang is now entering his third year as Guelph’s head coach, and he was asked if that changes his expectations regarding his program. “Historically, Guelph has sort of been a middle-of-the-road team. We’re trying get into that elite level. We talk a lot about sustained success – we don’t want to just have one good year. How do we build a team that is going to be 5-3, 6-2, 7-1, or possibly 8-0 on a routine basis? We’ve started with some things such as renovating the lockers and building arguably the best workout centre in the OUA conference. We’re excited about our new turf that is being installed right now. We’re hoping these upgrades will attract recruits, which will provide success. We’re not there yet; generally speaking, a coach is given 4 years because that’s a recruiting cycle, so from my standpoint we’re halfway there. We’ll just keep building”.

When it comes to setting goals for the 2012 season, Coach Lang believes in leaving that to the players. “Following our last spring practice, we have a team dinner where the team captains will present the goals for the upcoming season. They talked to the players, met as a group, and then presented the goals. There are normally 4 or 5 goals each year – one is always to win the Yates. One of our goals is to come out of the gate much faster, because we’ve been slow starters. So, we’ll actually start evaluating our first quarter performances.” Lang then went on to jokingly state that “I get pressure from my boss for a home playoff game, so I know what his goal is. But from our standpoint the goals are more about improvement and being better at certain aspects of our game, as opposed to saying that we’re going to be 6 – 2.”

The Gryphons were looking to play a non-conference game this season, and Coach Lang was excited to receive a phone call, and invite, from Huskies’ head coach, Brian Towriss. “I was so excited when I received the call from Brian,” he stated. “I wanted to play a preseason game, as much for the coaches to get their act together as well as seeing the rookies perform. The last thing I want to do is play somebody that we’ll face in the next two months. I wanted to take the guys out of province and, preferably, fly. This is about teaching the guys; hopefully at some point during their careers they’ll have to travel to play a Vanier Cup or something, and this will be part of that training. I can’t thank Brian, his staff, and the organizers, enough; we’ve been quite demanding in terms of meeting rooms and practice times…they’ve been phenomenal. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great test – I know that western football is tough. I’ve actually encouraged our event staff to come out, because I’ve heard wonderful things about the Huskies’ game day experience, and I’ve seen some clips on youtube – you guys do it right!”

One topic that has been on the minds of Coach Towriss, the Huskie football program, and our fans, has been the idea of an interlock, or out-of-conference, game being on each team’s annual schedule, perhaps during the Thanksgiving long weekend. Coach Lang was asked for his reaction to this. “Joe Paopao, the head coach at Waterloo, said something interesting at our OUA meeting, that if we want to prepare our players for the CFL, we’ll have to play more games. I thought that was such a simple idea that I was wondering why I hadn’t thought of it. Something like that would be great, but I wouldn’t necessarily want it to count in a team’s standings. It would be great for the players. Thanksgiving is a great idea as to when it could take place. Unfortunately, a lot of times things like this come down to schools and money.”

As far as next week’s non-conference game, the Gryphons have received some 2011 game film, of the Huskies, to study. “Brian and I agreed to exchange video of the last two regular season games. Both my offensive and defensive coordinators played against the University of Saskatchewan when they were at Laurier, so we have a little sense of what to expect.” While coming away with a victory would certainly please Coach Lang, he does have other goals for the game as well. “I want to make sure that all of my players get a chance. It’s low risk – if we lose it doesn’t hurt us in the standings. I’ll have a chance to play my third string quarterback, who’s a rookie, for part of the game. I’ve got to see him under battle conditions. We typically put together 3 or 4 squads, and they’ll each play a quarter, or a quarter and a half.”

The Gryphons will be playing a style of offence that Coach Lang likes to describe as “simple complexity”. “We want to be complex to our opponent, but simple to ourselves. Basically, that means running the same plays from a variety of formations and motions. We’ve stolen an idea from the University of Oregon where we have a forms period – we just run formations and motions and don’t cross the line of scrimmage. In a minute we can probably run about 10 plays. On defence, one of the reasons that I hired Kevin MacNeill was that I liked his swagger – I thought that the defence needed this. We’ll be more of a blunt instrument, so to speak, as opposed to a knife. We want to be hostile. Each year, Kevin chooses an item to symbolize our defence, and this year it’s a lunchbox. He feels that we don’t have superstars, but we have guys who come to work and do a good job.”

Coach Lang was asked if he could identify a couple of Gryphon players, on each side of the ball, for Huskie fans to keep an eye on. “Our QB, Jazz Lindsay, is what I would call sort of a U.S. style of quarterback; he has a good arm but can also run with the ball. He runs the option/zone read plays quite well. I’ve already mentioned the receiver A’dre Fraser – he’s fleet of foot and we’re expecting good things from him. On defense, Jordan Thompson is a rookie defensive end who is lightning fast and creates a lot of headaches for the offensive line. And our middle linebacker, John Rush, is a team captain and is going to be our leader of the future.”

As we finished our conversation, Coach Lang again expressed some praise for the Huskie organization. “You guys do things so well out there. One of the things I learned from my business background is to ‘steal with pride’. We’ll be taking notes and pictures, and will come back from our trip with a lot of good ideas.”

Thank you to Coach Lang for talking football with Huskie Outsider. We look forward to seeing the Gryphons in action against our Dogs, next Friday. If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets for the game vs. Guelph, you can do so by phoning 966-1111.

“Things are good,” remarked BT about the off-season training. “The guys are sure working hard; we have 25 – 28 guys that are consistently here training. I know that they are real fit and strong. That’s our core group – a lot of those guys are starters and have been around for a little while.” Coach was asked how much of an advantage it is for the guys who take part in “Bart U” (the name of the Huskies’ summer training program). “I think it’s huge,” he replied. “It started, really, at the end of the season with our new facility. The fact that you have 20 or more of the guys together at one time works in their favour; they’re pushing each other and working a lot harder when they’re out there as a group. They’re a very dedicated group who have busted their tails. We see the explosiveness in a couple of them.”

Offensive line recruit, Drew Digout (seen here during spring camp), has been a regular attendee at “Bart U” (photo Liam Richards)

The Huskies will be replacing all 3 starting linebackers from last season. “We will miss Peter Thiel a little bit,” Coach commented regarding the Huskies’ linebacker making the Edmonton Eskimos’ roster. “We thought that we would likely get him back, but we’re pleased for him.” There were a lot of talented linebacker prospects in spring camp, which should lead to a great competition come fall. “If there is one spot where we thought that we had several young guys that could play, it’s at linebacker, and they’re going to get their chance now. There’s 6 or 7 kids that we’re looking at – we’re going to have a hard time determining who is going to travel, let alone who is going to start. It’s good news for guys like Jaques Geyer and Ronald Mwamba. It’s also looking good for Corbin Eskelson now.” Eskelson is a former PFC defensive player of the year in 2010, who took last year off after exhausting his junior eligibility. “We weren’t sure exactly where he would fit in, but he certainly gives us some experience and is a guy who covers the pass very well. He’s a welcome addition.”

Former PFC standout at linebacker, Corbin Eskelson, is a recent commit to the Huskies (photo Liam Richards)

The Dogs will have the luxury of depth at positions other than linebacker as well. “We’ve got some depth on the DLine for the first time in a few years. We have 3 solid edge guys, maybe four (Joel Seutter and Levi Steinhauer are the returning starters at DE), along with two veteran inside guys who are very good (Zach Hart and David Rybinski), plus a top young recruit in Brayden Twarynski. We’re solid there.”

Brayden Twarynski will have a chance to make an impact, along the defensive line, as a freshman (photo Liam Richards)

The offensive line endured their struggles last season, with Patrick Neufeld moving to the CFL, Cam Redl sitting out the year while rehabbing a knee injury, a committed recruit changing his mind, and a couple other OLinemen sitting out with injuries. Even though Ben Heenan has moved on after being the first overall selection in the CFL draft, things are looking up for the unit in 2012. “I think we’re ahead of where we were last year, at this point, along the OLine,” Coach Towriss stated.

Having previously played for the Hilltops, Lane Bryksa adds some valuable experience to the Huskies’ OLine

The rushing attack, and offence for that matter, were inconsistent last season, but there is reason for optimism here as well. “With Dexter Janke having a little bit more experience, the running game should be stronger – we’re expecting a big year out of him. We should be able to get out of the gate a bit better on offence.”

Dexter Janke

Coach Towriss was asked to look ahead to late August and the Huskies’ non-conference game when they’ll host the Guelph Gryphons, a team who is looking ahead to the 2012 season with optimism after a successful winter of recruiting. “All the arrangements were finalized at the end of June. They’re going to be bringing out around 60 players, and we’ll dress about 65.” BT views this game in a similar fashion to last season’s non-conference game vs. Windsor. “They’re kind of an up and coming team in the OUA. They got better as the year went on last year, and they expect to be in the upper-middle part of their conference this year. It’ll be a good test for us. They’re hungry, and they’ve heard from some of the other programs that coming here for a game is a pretty good experience. Last year’s game certainly gave Windsor some confidence heading into their conference schedule.” Even though this isn’t a conference game, the Huskies really hope for a good turnout. “We’d like to get a great crowd, because this is a game that we have to pay for,” he added. “It would be nice to put 5000 people in here for that game.” The game will also help prepare the Huskies for a tough conference season. “It’ll expose us to another style of play, much like last year. When we scrimmage, we’re throwing 24 of our own guys out there at the same time, so we cut the risk of injury in half by hosting this game. It’ll also provide us with a good test in order to get ready to play Alberta to open the CanWest season.”

As summer training continues, Huskie Outsider will try and catch up with a few of the players to get their perspective on both their workouts and the season ahead.

The CIS is coming quickly to an end as there are only two weeks left in the season for most of the conferences. With the AUS, RSEQ, and CanWest conferences finishing in the next two weeks there is one conference that is finishing next week. The OUA is a larger league that contains 10 teams making their schedule somewhat shorter as they play 8 games in total with no weeks off. The large conference also forces them to end their regular season before everyone else to accommodate the six teams that make the playoffs. With these teams making it the top two teams in the conference earn a first round bye in the playoffs and this is an essential part to the season as there is no bye week in the OUA. This year in the OUA there is yet another battle raging on as with most years. With The now top ranked Western Mustangs earning another win against the Toronto Varsity Blues they remained undefeated. The Mustangs also clinched another OUA regular season championship and the first round bye. With Western alone at the top there is still a battle for the last bye week as McMaster currently holds the second spot in the OUA with a 6-1 record but they have some close company. In third and fourth place stand Queen’s Golden Gaels and the Ottawa Gee Gees with 5-2 records. With one game left the Marauders could lose their second spot by tying the Gaels who handed them their only loss to date. The Gee Gees will get their chance to take out McMaster as they will play each other. The Gee Gees could overtake the Gaels with a win putting them into the second spot but if the Gaels win their game they will have the chance to take the spot depending on point differential. It will be a big game to determine who will get the much-needed week off and the losers will have to continue fighting through the playoffs. The OUA is almost figured out as all but one spot is closed. Western, McMaster, Queen’s, Ottawa, and Windsor have all clinched their spot but the Laurier Golden Hawks are sitting on the bubble. With Guelph and Toronto breathing down their neck for the last spot in the playoffs and with Toronto facing the winless Waterloo Warriors the biggest game will be between Laurier and Guelph as they battle directly for the last spot. The OUA is almost finished its season and with a number of battles to watch for in their last week the end of the CIS season should be an exciting one. Meanwhile the other conferences are still fighting for the playoffs with two more weeks to go. In the West Calgary clinched the conference while Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Regina will all be fighting for a spot in the next two weeks. The AUS does not have a champion yet but two teams have clinched while StFX and Mount Allison will fight it out for the last playoff spot. The RSEQ has a tight race for the top spot between Laval and Sherbrooke while Concordia and Bishop’s fight for the last spot. The CIS season is starting to wind down but the most exciting part of the season is just beginning. With the last two weeks starting next weekend the CIS will begin to heat up with one loss ending any hope for certain teams.

As teams prepare for the playoffs the CIS lost yet another undefeated team after an appeal by the Montreal Carabins. As you may recall last week Saint Mary’s earned another win on their record making them undefeated. The win was given to them due to an illegible player used by the Montreal Carabins. This week the Carabins submitted an appeal on the decision forcing the CIS to take the win away from the Saint Mary’s Huskies until the appeal is resolved. With this and a win this weekend the Huskies went to 5-1 on the year and back into a tie for first place with the Acadia Axemen. With their undefeated season halted and Laval losing last weekend there are only two undefeated teams left and both have clinched their conference. The Western Mustangs took on Toronto but did not have their dominant performance. The Mustangs still won convincingly 21-9 against a team that has struggled this year. The Mustangs clinched the OUA with the win and remained on two of the CIS rankings as one of two undefeated teams. Next week they will look to complete their undefeated season against Queen’s who will be playing for a playoff spot. Meanwhile Calgary faced off with a longtime CanWest rival the Saskatchewan Huskies. Calgary won the game by a convincing margin with a 20-8 score. Calgary joined Western as the undefeated teams in the CIS. Calgary still has two weeks to finish their undefeated season and they will do this against Manitoba and UBC. Calgary and Western will continue to fight for their undefeated seasons as they hope to remain without a loss as they go into the playoffs.

CIS Top 10:

1. Western Mustangs (1)

2. Calgary Dinos (2)

3. Laval Rouge et Or (3)

4. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (4)

5. McMaster Marauders (6)

6. Montreal Carabins (5)

7. Saint Mary’s Huskies (8)

8. UBC Thunderbirds (9)

9. Ottawa Gee Gees (10)

10. Saskatchewan Huskies (7)

Standings:

AUS:

1. x-Saint Mary’s Huskies (5-1)

2. x-Acadia Axemen (5-1)

3. StFX X-Men (1-5)

4. Mount Allison Mounties (0-6)

CanWest:

1. y-Calgary Dinos (6-0)

2. x-UBC Thunderbirds (4-2)

3. Manitoba Bisons (3-3)

4. Saskatchewan Huskies (3-3)

5. Regina Rams (2-4)

6. Alberta Golden Bears (0-6)

OUA:

1. y-Western Mustangs (7-0)

2. x-McMaster Marauders (6-1)

3. x-Queen’s Golden Gaels (5-2)

4. x-Ottawa Gee Gees (5-2)

5. x-Windsor Lancers (4-3)

6. Laurier Golden Hawks (3-4)

7. Guelph Gryphons (2-5)

8. Toronto Varsity Blues (2-5)

9. York Lions (1-6)

10. Waterloo Warriors (0-7)

RSEQ:

1. x-Laval Rouge et Or (6-1)

2. x-Sherbrooke Vert et Or (6-1)

3. x-Montreal Carabins (4-3)

4. Concordia Stingers (3-4)

5. Bishop’s Gaitors (2-5)

6. McGill Redmen (0-7)

x-Clinched Playoff Spot   y-Clinched Conference

Key Scores:

#2 Calgary Dinos 20 – 8 Saskatchewan Huskies #7

- Calgary continued their unbeaten streak against their longtime CanWest rivals and clinched the top spot in the conference

#8 Saint Mary’s Huskies 37 – 18 StFX X-Men

- Saint Mary’s would be undefeated again this week if not for an appeal but they put this behind them to win their game and ensure a spot in the playoffs

#1 Western Mustangs 21 – 9 Toronto Varsity Blues

- Western remained one of two unbeaten teams as they beat Toronto whose playoffs dreams were set back by the loss

#3 Laval Rouge et Or 57 – 9 Bishop’s Gaitors

- Laval came off their first loss in over a year in a big way against Bishop’s who will continue to try to put together wins for a playoff berth

Key Matchups Next Week:

StFX X-Men vs. Mount Allison Mounties (Oct. 21^st; 7:00 pm AT)

- The X-Men will be trying to stave off the Mounties as they play for a playoff spot against the only team that can unseat them

Laurier Golden Hawks vs. Guelph Gryphons (Oct. 22^nd; 1:00 pm ET)

- With one week left the Golden Hawks will play the Gryphons in a game that could decide the last playoff spot in the OUA

#10 Saskatchewan Huskies vs. Regina Rams (Oct. 22^nd; 7:00 pm MT)

- A win by either of these teams could go a long way to earning the last CanWest playoff spot with only two weeks to go

McGill Redmen vs. Bishop’s Gaitors (Oct. 22^nd; 1:00 pm ET)

- McGill has no wins this year and will be out of the playoffs but could play spoiler to Bishop’s who will try to inch closer to a berth in the playoffs

The CIS saw a monumental shift as the league went from three undefeated teams to three undefeated teams but changed the names of those undefeated teams. The Laval Rouge et Or have been undefeated starting from last year’s season and have continued this trend into this year. They have been ranked #1 since the start of the season and have proven that they are the team to beat. Meanwhile their longtime rival, the Montreal Carabins, have had an up and down season that has seen them ranked in the top 10 most of the season but has also seen them lose three games this year. Laval and Montreal faced off in a rivalry between the two cities of Montreal and Quebec City. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Laval would win this game handily but the Carabins had one positive. Laval had been struggling as of late coming very close to losing with their offence failing to produce and their defence needing to win games for them. The Game started with Montreal getting on the board first with a field goal but Laval responding with a long TD drive led by Bruno Prud’homme and finished by the QB with a TD pass. Adding two more Rouge points the Rouge et Or led 9-3 at halftime but had some trouble with the offence struggling to produce much more than their one drive. The second half saw Montreal climb back into the game with back-to-back field goals tying the game at 9. Laval continued to struggle on offence as they earned their last points on a field goal going ahead 12-9. After a safety Montreal took advantage of their last possession with less than a minute to go. With 56 seconds left in the game Montreal’s Rotrand Sene ran the ball 13 yards for a TD to put them ahead 17-12. Laval had a chance to score and go ahead but they couldn’t do it as they took their first loss in over a year. Montreal’s defence was the star of this game as they sacked Prud’homme 8 times and earned an interception against him. As Laval took their first loss the CIS should have seen just two undefeated teams but due to a rules violation the Saint Mary’s Huskies took Laval’s spot as the third undefeated team. Montreal was again involved in the reshaping of the league as during a win over Saint Mary’s, The Huskies only loss all season, on September 17^th the Carabins had used an ineligible player. Mike Dubuisson was supposed to be serving a three game suspension imposed by Football Quebec for a brawl in a Junior game last season. As a result of the use of this player Montreal was forced to forfeit the game giving Saint Mary’s a 1-0 victory and erasing their only loss all season. With their win over StFX this week the Huskies are now 5-0 joining the undefeated teams that became one team short over the weekend. The other undefeated teams were all in action this week as well as the CIS begins their sprint to the Vanier Cup.

With Laval taking their first loss of the season and Saint Mary’s erasing their only loss there were two teams still undefeated without any conditions. The Western Mustangs have been one of the most dominant teams in the CIS this year and will take full advantage of Laval’s loss. They almost were not able as the Guelph Gryphons gave them a scare and almost knocked off yet another undefeated team. The Mustangs were in a back and forth game with the Gryphons as both teams led with the lead changing five times. The Mustangs came out to an early lead but only earning two field goals. Guelph was then able to score a TD and add a field goal to go ahead 10-6. So the game was on as both teams went back and forth taking the lead and then losing it until the fourth quarter. The Gryphons went ahead with less than 8 minutes left after scoring a TD to go up 29-24. Then Western showed why they are still undefeated scoring a TD almost immediately after Guelph to go up 30-29. Western then added a field goal to put them ahead for good as the Mustangs won the game 33-29 and remained undefeated to join Saint Mary’s and the only other undefeated team the Calgary Dinos. The Dinos had a week off along with the rest of the CanWest conference and so still remain undefeated on the year. With one of the undefeated gone there is another to take the place the CIS still has three undefeated teams. These are the teams to watch as they all reach the end of the season and enter the playoffs with only three weeks left, two for the OUA.

CIS Top 10:

1. Western Mustangs (2)

2. Calgary Dinos (3)

3. Laval Rouge et Or (1)

4. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (4)

5. Montreal Carabins (6)

6. McMaster Marauders (5)

7. Saskatchewan Huskies (7)

8. Saint Mary’s Hukies (8)

9. UBC Thunderbirds (9)

10. Ottawa Gee Gees (–)

Standings

AUS:

1. Saint Mary’s Huskies (5-0)

2. Acadia Axemen (4-1)

3. StFX X-Men (1-4)

4. Mount Allison Mounties (0-5)

CanWest:

1. x-Calgary Dinos (5-0)

2. Saskatchewan Huskies (3-2)

3. UBC Thunderbirds (3-2)

4. Regina Rams (2-3)

5. Manitoba Bisons (2-3)

6. Alberta Golden Bears (0-5)

OUA:

1. Western Mustangs (6-0)

2. McMaster Marauders (5-1)

3. Ottawa Gee Gees (4-2)

4. Queen’s Golden Gaels (4-2)

5. Windsor Lancers (4-2)

6. Laurier Golden Hawks (3-3)

7. Toronto Varsity Blues (2-4)

8. Guelph Gryphons (1-5)

9. York Lions (1-5)

10. Waterloo Warriors (0-6)

RSEQ:

1. Laval Rouge et Or (5-1)

2. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (5-1)

3. Concordia Stingers (3-3)

4. Montreal Carabins (3-3)

5. Bishop’s Gaitors (2-4)

6. McGill Redmen (0-6)

x-Clinched Playoff Spot

Key Scores:

#8 Saint Mary’s Huskies 40 – 16 StFX X-Men

- Saint Mary’s remained undefeated after earning a win by default last when Montreal’s win was taken away and now beating the X-Men for the top of the AUS

#2 Western Mustangs 33 – 29 Guelph Gryphons

- The Mustangs just escaped the Guelph Gryphons to remain one of three teams that are undefeated this year

#6 Montreal Carabins 17 – 12 Laval Rouge et Or #1

- The Carabins knocked off the top team in the CIS beating the #1 ranked Laval Rouge et Or and ended their undefeated streak dating back to last year

#4 Sherbrooke Vert et Or 38 – 11 Bishop’s Gaitors

- The battle for the Mayor’s Cup between the two teams from Sherbrooke, Quebec but it was not very close as Sherbrooke University took advantage of 5 Gaitors turnovers to win the game

Key Matchups Next Week:

#2 Calgary Dinos vs. #7 Saskatchewan Huskies (Oct. 14^th; 7:00 pm MT)

- The rivals face off again as Calgary looks to face off against their toughest challenge the Saskatchewan Huskies

#5 Montreal Carabins vs. McGill Redmen (Oct. 15^th; 1:00 pm ET)

- Montreal comes off a big win against Laval and will face their crosstown rivals in McGill as they try to continue their march to the playoffs.

#1 Western Mustangs vs. Toronto Varsity Blues (Oct. 15^th; 1:00 pm ET)

- The Mustangs remain undefeated and will look to continue this trend into the top spot in the OUA playoffs by beating the Varsity Blues

Mount Allison Mounties vs. Acadia Axemen (Oct. 15^th; 2:00 pm AT)

- Acadia was given a blow when Saint Mary’s got their undefeated season back and they will take it out on Mount Allison as they continue to fight for first place

The Windsor Lancers are headed to the playoffs for the first time in five years after beating Guelph 41-21 at Windsor Stadium. Bob Bellacicco spoke with the elated bunch after the victory.

In this story: Bob Bellacicco, Cory Fernandes, Austin Kennedy, Matt McGarva, Seamus Postuma, Joe D’Amore

The CIS did not change much this week but there were some big developments in the top teams throughout the weekend. Both Western and Laval were in action on the weekend as they looked to maintain their #1 and #2 ranking in the CIS. It should have been generally an easy week for the top two teams as the Mustangs faced off against the 1-2 Laurier Golden Hawks in the OUA. The #1 team faced off against what should have been their easiest test of the season as they faced 0-3 McGill. Laval did not make it easy on themselves as they took on McGill at home but could not get their offence going. Laval looked fine for their first drive as they marched down the field for 74 yards and ended the drive with a 2 yard TD run by Rene Levesque. The ball then went to McGill and the Rouge et Or looked to start their dominance as they earned a safety making it 9-0. Then the Redmen began to turn the game around on defence as they were able to shut the Rouge et Or down and did not let them get another TD the entire game. McGill attempted to get back into the game on offence but Laval’s defence was able to keep them at bay. By halftime the score remained 9-0 with both teams unable to get much going on offence. The second half continued the same as both teams had trouble in a defensive battle. McGill began to climb back into the game earning a safety in the third quarter putting the score at 9-2. Laval pulled ahead for good with a field goal in the fourth quarter just before McGill added another safety. Laval barely escaped their matchup with one of the worst teams in the RSEQ but they remained undefeated. It will be interesting to see how Laval recovers from the close game and if they can stay undefeated or if McGill has given some stronger teams a blueprint to beat the Rouge et Or. Meanwhile in the OUA the #2 Western Mustangs continued to lean on their first year running back Tyler Varga to win games. The Mustangs were facing off against the 1-3 Golden Hawks and proved that they are one of the best teams in Canada by getting past Laurier. The scoring started with the Golden Hawks returning a punt for a TD as the Mustangs went into an early hole. The Mustangs then took over as Tyler Varga scored twice and the defence earned a TD to put the score at 21-7. Before the half the Golden Hawks were able to mount a comeback tying the game at 21. Western mounted their own comeback at the start of the second half as they earned two TDs and a field goal to go ahead 34-21. Laurier managed to add one more TD to keep the score close but Western left with the win again. Laval and Western remained undefeated and remained the top two teams in the CIS. It is looking closer to a guarantee that these two teams are destined to meet in Vanier Cup if they continue their strong play. Both teams struggled this week but earned the wins and if they continue to win they will be in Vancouver by the end of the season.

The rest of the CIS also went through some tight games as the top teams looked to remain on top and some teams looked to get some respect. The Calgary Dinos are the other undefeated team in the CIS and they took on one of their biggest challenges of the season. Calgary has struggled when they travel to the University of Saskatchewan and they had to put their undefeated record to the test there in week 4. The Dinos were able to preserve their perfect season as they beat the Huskies 38-24 as they make a bid at the top spot in the CIS. Meanwhile in the AUS the Acadia Axemen were just looking for some respect as they remained unranked at the start of week 4 despite their perfect record. With only four undefeated teams in the CIS the Axemen were hoping to crack the top 10 but have not received much consideration. They looked to give the voters more to think about as they took on StFX and were able to handle them winning 33-14. The home of the strongest competition, the OUA, also saw a new riser as Windsor recovered from their first loss of the season in week 3 with a win over Waterloo and McMaster remained a strong contender with a win over Guelph. The RSEQ has also been a strong conference and the cream is beginning to rise as Sherbrooke and Montreal both got wins as they look to keep up with Laval. The CIS is in full swing and the question will be who can remain undefeated the longest. With four contenders in Western, Laval, Calgary, and Acadia the fans will be watching closely as all of these teams try to continue their streaks.

CIS Top 10:

1. Laval Rouge et Or (1)

2. Western Mustangs (2)

3. Calgary Dinos (3)

4. Montreal Carabins (4)

5. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (5)

6. McMaster Marauders (6)

7. Saint Mary’s Huskies (8)

8. UBC Thunderbirds (9)

9. Saskatchewan Huskies (7)

10. Ottawa Gee Gees (–)

Standings

AUS:

1. Acadia Axemen (3-0)

2. Saint Mary’s Huskies (2-1)

3. Mount Allison Mounties (0-3)

4. StFX X-Men (0-3)

CanWest:

1. Calgary Dinos (4-0)

2. UBC Thunderbirds (3-1)

3. Manitoba Bisons (2-2)

4. Saskatchewan Huskies (2-2)

5. Regina Rams (1-3)

6. Alberta Golden Bears (0-4)

RSEQ:

1. Laval Rouge et Or (4-0)

2. Montreal Carabins (3-1)

3. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (3-1)

4. Concordia Stingers (2-2)

5. Bishop’s Gaitors (1-3)

6. McGill Redmen (0-4)

OUA:

1. Western Mustangs (4-0)

2. McMaster Marauders (3-1)

3. Ottawa Gee Gees (3-1)

4. Windsor Lancers (3-1)

5. Queen’s Golden Gaels (2-2)

6. Toronto Varsity Blues (2-2)

7. Guelph Gryphons (1-3)

8. Laurier Golden Hawks (1-3)

9. York Lions (1-3)

10. Waterloo Warriors (0-4)

Key Scores:

#3 Calgary Dinos 38 vs. 24 Saskatchewan Huskies #7

- Calgary remained undefeated against their biggest test in Saskatchewan and remain one of the top teams in the country

#2 Western Mustangs 34 vs. 28 Laurier Golden Hawks

- The #2 team in the country escaped a close game at Laurier with freshmen Tyler Varga taking control with three TDs

Acadia Axemen 33 vs. 14 StFX X-Men

- Acadia was looking to remain undefeated against their rival StFX and with the win hope to crack the top 10

#1 Laval Rouge et Or 12 vs. 4 McGill Redmen

- Laval could not get their offence going as they won a defensive struggle at home against the now 0-4 McGill Redmen

Key Matchups Next Week:

Acadia Axemen vs. Saint Mary’s Huskies (Oct. 1^st; 2:00 pm ADT)

- Acadia will face a tough test in Saint Mary’s as they look to remain undefeated and remain on top of the AUS standings

York Lions vs. Western Mustangs (Oct. 1^st; 1:00 pm EDT)

- The Western Mustangs will look to continue their strong season against the struggling York Lions

Laval Rouge et Or vs. Concordia Stingers (Oct. 2^nd; 1:00 pm EDT)

- Laval will try to continue their winning streak against the Concordia Stingers who will be looking at McGill to see how to shut down the top teams offence

Alberta Golden Bears vs. Calgary Dinos (Oct. 2^nd; 1:00 pm MDT)

- The battle of Alberta College version gets underway as Calgary will try to stay undefeated against their provincial rivals in Alberta

Blue Jays Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The Blue Jays are not making the playoffs again this year but they will have an impact in the wild card race. The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are in a heated race with the Rays only down by two games. The Jays will try to play spoilers yet again as they travel to Tampa Bay this weekend to try to take the series from the Rays. If the Jays can do this the Rays will be in tough having only one more series to get back into the race. If the Rays can win against Toronto they may make the playoffs again. Although the Jays are not in the playoffs they are becoming a very important matchup in the last week of the baseball regular season. This series will be very important for the playoff race and should be an entertaining one as the Jays have been playing very well against some very good teams.

Date: Friday September 23 – Sunday September 25

Time: 7:00 pm (Fri.-Sat.)/1:30 pm (Sun.)

Channel: Sportsnet (Fri.-Sat.)/Sportsnet One (Sun.)

University Rush: #6 McMaster Marauders vs. Guelph Gryphons

University Rush continues as the CIS season enters its fourth week with the McMaster Marauders and the Guelph Gryphons. The Marauders are one of the top teams in the CIS with a 2-1 record as their only loss has come at the hands of the #2 Western Mustangs. Meanwhile Guelph has been a big underachiever as they were predicted to be much better this year than they are. With the OUA still up for grabs the Gryphons will try to turn their season around against the #6 Marauders who will be trying to get back to their early #3 ranking.

Date: Saturday September 24^th

Time: 1:00 pm

Channel: The Score

NCAA Football: #2 LSU Tigers vs. #16 West Virginia Mountaineers

LSU has been a bit of a surprise this year as they continue to fight through controversy and are now favorites to play Oklahoma in the National Championship Game. They will face strong competition in a rising West Virginia team who will be looking to knock off the top team. If LSU can win this game they will be making a good bid for their #2 spot but if they lose the likely hood of them getting back to the National Championship conversation is very small. The Mountaineers will be looking to try to continue their rise up the NCAA rankings and can launch past a few teams with the win on Saturday night.

Date: Saturday September 24^th

Time: 8:00 pm

Channel: ABC

UFC 135: Jones vs. Jackson

The UFC will hold another promotion this Saturday but this time it will be on Pay per View and will also involve a title fight. Jon Jones is the youngest champion in UFC history and will defend his Light Heavyweight belt against a former champion and MMA veteran. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has claimed that Jones has no power and has even claimed that Jones has put a spy in his training camp. With Rampage using these tactics against a young fighter who knows what will happen as both fighters will go out to try to claim the title that has exchanged more hands than any other belt in recent history. The title will be won but before that a UFC hall of famer in Matt Hughes will fight his last fight against Josh Koshcheck. After this fight Hughes will retire as one of the best welterweight fighters in history with more wins than any other fighter.

Date: Saturday September 24^th

Time: 5:30 (Prelims)/9:00 pm (Main Card)

Channel: Facebook and Sportsnet/Spike TV (Prelims)/Pay per View (Main Card)  

Formula One: 2011 Singapore Grand Prix

The Formula 1 season is beginning to wrap up with 6 races left but the driving championship could be decided in Singapore. The annual Singapore Grand Prix will be held again under the lights at night that has now become the tradition every year. Under the lights a young Sebastian Vettel will be looking to get his 9^th win of the season and lock up the driver’s championship. To do this he will need a third place victory or better to do this. Vettel and the Red Bull team have had a successful campaign this year but anything can happen at the race. We will have to wait and see what happens this time in Singapore and watch Sebastian Vettel to see if he can lock up the championship.

Date: Sunday September 25^th

Time: 7:55 am

Channel: TSN

Touchdown Atlantic: Calgary Stampeders vs. Hamilton Tiger Cats

The CFL will travel out East again this year for Touchdown Atlantic between the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger Cats. The CFL will be travelling to Moncton, New Brunswick for their annual football display to the East Coast of the Country. Some consider these games as a test to see if the East Coast can support a team as the CFL will probably be expanding to 10 teams after 2012 when Ottawa returns. Meanwhile the game will continue the playoff push for the CFL as the Stampeders look to take control over the Western Conference and the Ti-Cats look to keep up with the Blue Bombers and Alouettes in the East.

Date: Sunday September 25^th

Time: 1:00 pm

Channel: TSN

NFL Football: Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

The oldest rivalry in the NFL will continue as the Bears and the Packers will play for the 183^rd time as these teams have played each other since 1921. This year the rivalry has not changed as both teams do not like each other especially after their last meeting in the NFC Championship Game. The Packers won the game and moved on to the Super Bowl while the Bears were left questioning their QB. This year the Bears have had some big issues on their offensive line that will be exposed with the relentless attack of the Green Bay defence. Meanwhile the Packers’ pass defence is ranked worst in the league as Jay Cutler will try to take advantage and earn revenge for last year’s loss. This game never disappoints as both teams play above their potential no matter how good or how bad they are performing.

Date: Sunday September 25^th

Time: 4:15 pm

Channel: City TV/FOX

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Sylvania 300

The Sprint Cup continues with the second race at New Hampshire International Speedway for the Sylvania 300. The Sprint has started and the first winner was Tony Stewart who survived a crazy first race to take the win. With the win Stewart took the 2^nd place position in The Sprint Cup standings while Kevin Harvick remains on top. Meanwhile defending champion Jimmie Johnson is in 8^th spot as he continues his struggles this year. Tony Stewart will look to get his second win as Harvick will look to keep hold of his 1^st place position for the championship.

Date: Sunday September 25^th

Time: 2:00 pm

Channel: TSN

The CIS went into the third week of the season with the top teams asserting their dominance over the competition. This was true of the Western Mustangs as they took on their equals from last year in the Ottawa Gee Gees. Last year the Gee Gees were one of the best teams in the nation and won the OUA regular season title. As they marched towards the Vanier Cup they met the Western Mustangs in the Yates Cup final. The Gee Gees season ended when the Mustangs beat them in the Yates Cup. This year the Mustangs are favorites to win the OUA but the Gee Gees were hanging on through two weeks of the season. The opportunity to assert themselves as the top team in the OUA came in week three when Western faced off against Ottawa and a 2010 Yates Cup rematch. The Mustangs have used a surprising star in their young season and against the Gee Gees they leaned on him again. Freshman running back Tyler Varga has been the centre of the Mustang offence and against Ottawa he was used this way again. Varga ran for 145 yards and 2 TDs against the Gee Gees on Saturday leading his team to the win. The game started with both teams battling hard as Western could only manage 2 field goals to go up 6-0. In the second quarter Ottawa was able to get within a field goal of the Mustangs as the first half finished with Western ahead 6-3. The second quarter opened with Ottawa kicking a field goal again to tie the game up 6-6. That was the last time the Gee Gees got close as the Mustangs began to pull away behind the arm of Donnie Marshall and the legs of Varga. Marshall was able to find Zach Bull in the second half to widen the gap in the game. As the #2 team made sure everyone knew they were the best team in the OUA the #1 team in the nation made sure everyone knew they were still the team to beat in Canada. The Rouge et Or took on their rivals in the RSEQ in Sherbrooke Vert et Or and the big red machine was just that as they remained undefeated. Laval survived an early scare as they were led by Bruno Prud’Homme threw three TDs and over 300 yards as they seem like they are on their way to another undefeated season and another Vanier Cup berth if they continue their strong play.

The rest of the CIS was also hard at work as the two Toronto teams made an impact and two teams from the other conferences also remained undefeated. The Toronto Varsity Blues made it on TV for the first time in years and they took advantage of it beating the Guelph Gryphons. The other Toronto team was the York Lions who were challenging the Varsity Blues at their longest losing streak as they had not won a game in the last three years. This week they went up against the Waterloo Warriors who are starting over after a program suspension last year. York surprised most as they were able to snap their streak and beat the Warriors to get their first win in three years in overtime. In the CanWest conference the Calgary Dinos pulled away for the top spot as well when they beat Regina 51-1 while their biggest challengers, the Saskatchewan Huskies, could not keep up losing to Manitoba giving Calgary the undisputed first place spot in the West. The AUS started their cross conference series as the four teams took on teams from the RSEQ. The two teams looking to take the top spot were the favorite Saint Mary’s Huskies and the Acadia Axemen. The Huskies took on a good team from Montreal and came very close to earning the win but lost 11-10. Acadia took on the McGill Redmen and were able to get passed the McGill team easily winning 38-9. Acadia remained undefeated and took the top spot in the AUS while the Huskies dropped to second place at 1-1. The CIS is underway in week three and the cream is rising to the top as the Western Mustangs, Laval Rouge et Or, and the Calgary Dinos seem to be making their bid already to earn a  spot in the Vanier Cup playoffs.

CIS Top 10:

1. Laval Rouge et Or (1)

2. Western Mustangs (2)

3. Calgary Dinos (3)

4. Montreal Carabins (6)

5. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (5)

6. McMaster Marauders (7)

7. Saskatchewan Huskies (4)

8. St. Mary’s Huskies (8)

9. UBC Thunderbirds (–)

10. Manitoba Bisons (–)

Standings

AUS:

1. Acadia Axemen (2-0)

2. Saint Mary’s Huskies (1-1)

3. Mount Allison Mounties (0-2)

4. StFX X-Men (0-2)

CanWest:

1. Calgary Dinos (3-0)

2. Manitoba Bisons (2-1)

3. Saskatchewan Huskies (2-1)

4. UBC Thunderbirds (2-1)

5. Alberta Golden Bears (0-3)

6. Regina Rams (0-3)

RSEQ:

1. Laval Rouge et Or (3-0)

2. Concordia Stingers (2-1)

3. Montreal Carabins (2-1)

4. Sherbrooke Vert et Or (2-1)

5. Bishop’s Gaitors (1-2)

6. McGill Redmen (0-3)

OUA:

1. Western Mustangs (3-0)

2. McMaster Marauders (2-1)

3. Ottawa Gee Gees (2-1)

4. Toronto Varsity Blues (2-1)

5. Windsor Lancers (2-1)

6. Guelph Gryphons (1-2)

7. Laurier Golden Hawks (1-2)

8. Queen’s Golden Gaels (1-2)

9. York Lions (1-2)

10. Waterloo Warriors (0-3)

Key Scores:

#2 Western Mustangs 41 vs. 13 Ottawa Gee Gees #9

- The Mustangs faced off against their Yates Cup opponents from last year and remained undefeated.

#1 Laval Rouge et Or 40 vs. 27 Sherbrooke Vert et Or #5

- Laval took on what might be their last big challenge this year as they took on Sherbrooke and remained undefeated.

York Lions 20 vs. 18 Waterloo Warriors

- The York Lions broke their long losing streak of three years beating the Waterloo Warriors in overtime

Key Matchups Next Week:

#4 Saskatchewan Huskies vs. #3 Calgary Dinos (Sept. 23^rd; 7:00 pm MDT)

- The Calgary Dinos are in first place but the Huskies want to take it away as they will look to beat the Dinos and draw even in the CanWest conference race.

Saint Mary’s Huskies vs. Mount Allison Mounties (Sept. 24^th; 1:00 pm ADT)

- Saint Mary’s and Mount Allison will face off as a part of Touchdown Atlantic in Moncton, N.B. as a precursor to the CFL game on Sunday.

StFX X-Men vs. Acadia Axemen (Sept. 24^th; 7:00 pm ADT)

- The rivalry will be renewed as StFX will try to get their season back on track against the best team in the AUS so far.

Guelph Gryphons (1-1) at Toronto Varsity Blues (1-1) [1:00 PM]

I bet somebody in programming at The Score looked at this game and said, “We’ve got a game against an up-and-coming Toronto team against Guelph who could win it all.” No, I’m kidding. They actually said, “Guelph might be good and Toronto isn’t going winless. Let’s save some money and show this game.” I mean, you’ve got Laurier vs. Queen’s and Ottawa vs. Western also on the slate this week which looked like quality games before the season started. What a blatant cost-saving measure by The Score. It’s embarrassing as an OUA fan but you just have to take it because no one else will give the OUA regular season time on a national broadcaster. Anyway, the Gryphons are going to demolish the Blues. It’s just a matter of how close it will be. After all, Toronto hasn’t scored a major yet this season.

Broadcasters:
TV: The Score

#9 Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-0) at #3 Western Mustangs (2-0) [1:00 PM]

Contrary to what TV says, this is your OUA game of the week. Western has absolutely dominated in its two games so far this season by putting up a total of 134 points. Leading the way for the Stangs offence is freshman Tyler Varga who has run for 229 yards and 7 touchdown. The whole offense is really based around the rush attack. Of Western’s 17 offensive TDs, 15 have come on the ground. They’re also averaging 410 yards per game on the ground. Ottawa has one of the better run defenses in the OUA this season so they could be in with a shot. But it all comes down to shutting down Western’s ground game. Donnie Marshall won’t win this game through the air unless Ottawa gives up the deep ball. If Ottawa can stifle the run, they can win this game.

Broadcasters:
TV: Rogers TV 13 (London)
Online: SSN Canada
Radio: CJBK 1290 AM (London)

Laurier Golden Hawks (1-1) at Queen’s Gaels (0-2) [1:00 PM]

If you’re a fan of the Tricolour, you’re really hoping that your boys can catch the Hawks while they’re down. Laurier gave up a come-from-behind loss to the Windsor Lancers for the first big upset of the OUA season. For Queen’s, their only hope in this game will come if the offense gets going. In two games, Queen’s has not scored a point on offence and have managed all of 8 points on the season (two safeties, one rouge and a 47-yard field goal). The problem is that the offensive line isn’t protecting QB Billy McPhee. With some time, McPhee is looking good under centre. The defense has done their best to keep the Gaels in the games but unless the offense shows up and gives the crowd a chance to sing the Oil Thigh, it’ll be 0-3 for the 2009 Vanier Cup champions.

Broadcasters:
TV: TV Cogeco 13 (Kingston)
Radio: CFRC 101.9 FM (Kingston)

York Lions (0-2) at Waterloo Warriors (0-2) [1:00 PM]

Actually, maybe this will be the OUA game of the week. It might (legitimately) be the most intriguing matchup in the OUA this week. In its games against Laurier and Toronto this season, the Lions have given up 56 points while managing to put up a grand total of 15 points. While Waterloo’s defense has been worse, giving up 151 points in two games, they have actually managed to put up 35 points. This one won’t be pretty but I don’t think anyone knows who will come out on top in this one. The important thing for both teams to remember is that this is their best (and probably only legitimate) opportunity to win a game this season.

Pregame Coverage:
Warriors Put Their Fans To The Test (The Record)

Broadcasters:
Online: SSN Canada

#7 McMaster Marauders (1-1) at #10 Windsor Lancers (2-0) [7:00 PM]

Here’s a legitimately interesting battle for so many reasons. First, we have two top ten ranked teams doing battle. You can question both teams’ claims to their ranking after Mac’s destruction at the hands of Western and the fact that Windsor is Windsor. The fact remains that we have a Marauders team that was expected to contend for the Yates Cup and a Windsor team that was expected to be in the bottom four and both teams are defying the expectations. To make matters more interesting, Mac QB Kyle Quinlan was suspended after being charged with one count of assault and two counts of assaulting a police officer on Wednesday night / Thursday morning. Now Mac is without their top gun. If the Lancers can pounce on the freshly wounded Marauders, they could all but clinch a playoff spot and start the year 3-0. Who but the most delusional Lancers fan would have thought that was possible.

Pregame Coverage:
McMaster football player suspended (McMaster Daily News)
QB Kennedy Leads Lancers To Victory (Windsor Star)

Broadcasters:
TV: TV Cogeco 11 (Windsor)
Radio: CHML 900 AM (Hamilton), CJAM 99.1 FM (Windsor)

OUA Standings

1. Western Mustangs (2-0)
2. Ottawa Gee-Gees (2-0)
3. Windsor Lancers (2-0)
4. Laurier Golden Hawks (1-1)
5. Guelph Gryphons (1-1)
6. McMaster Marauders (1-1)
7. Toronto Varsity Blues (1-1)
8. Queen’s Gaels (0-2)
9. York Lions (0-2)
10. Waterloo Warriors (0-2)

CIS Football Rankings

1. Laval Rouge et Or
2. Western Mustangs
3. Calgary Dinos
4. Saskatchewan Huskies
5. Sherbrooke Vert et Or
6. Montreal Carabins
7. McMaster Marauders
8. Saint Mary’s Huskies
9. Ottawa Gee-Gees
10. Windsor Lancers

Blue Jays Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees

The Blue Jays are not mathematically out of the playoff race but have not realistically been in the race for the last two months. This doesn’t mean that they can’t put on a good performance with a very young team as they look ahead to the 2012 season. They will also have the ability to change the face of the playoff race in the AL East as they have done before. They can play spoilers to the AL East leading New York Yankees who are trying to fend off the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays, who are coming on strong at the end of the season. If the Jays can take the series the playoff race will get even more interesting as New York, Boston, and Tampa will all be fighting to the bitter end for an opportunity to play in October.

Date: Friday September 16 – Sunday September 18

Time: 7:00 pm (Fri.)/1:00 pm (Sat.-Sun.)

Where: Sportsnet (Fri.-Sat.)/Sportsnet One (Sun.)

CIS University Football: Toronto Varsity Blues vs. Guelph Gryphons

The Score’s University Rush will enter its second week after showing a big game in week 1 between two ranked teams. This week they will be showing two unranked teams as University of Toronto Varsity Blues will take on the Guelph Gryphons. Toronto will be looking to finally get into the playoffs this year but will need to go through some tough competition in the OUA. This includes the Guelph Gryphons who will be looking to get into the Top 10 with a good performance against Toronto.

Date: Saturday September 17

Time: 1:00 pm

Where: The Score

Battle on the Bayou (UFC Fight Night)

The UFC is back with their next UFC Fight Night this time in New Orleans, otherwise known as the Battle on the Bayou. The Main event will be a battle of welterweights in Jake Shields and Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger. Other main card matchups include the return of Alan “The Talent” Belcher against the Canadian Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald and two former “The Ultimate Fighter” winners as Court “The Crusher” McGee takes on Dongi “The Ox” Yang and Jonathan Brookins will fight Erik “New Breed” Koch.

Date: Saturday September 17

Time: Prelims 5:30 pm/Main Card 9:00 pm

Where: Prelims on Facebook/Main Card on Rogers Sportsnet and Spike TV

NCAA College Football: #1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. #5 Florida State Seminoles

The Oklahoma Sooners are the top team in the NCAA and will have a target on their back for the rest of the season if they remain #1. This will be the case in week 3 of the NCAA Football schedule as the #5 Florida State Seminoles will look to knock off the Sooners. If the Sooners lose they will not be able to get back to #1 unless the other teams, like Alabama and LSU, lose so every game is essential. If the Seminoles win they will move up in the rankings and begin to make a very strong bid for the National Championship. With this kind of pressure the game is guaranteed to be a good one and both teams have the talent to put on a show.

Date: Saturday September 17

Time: 8:00 pm

Where: ABC

Rugby World Cup: Canada vs. France

The Canadian Rugby team kicked off their Rugby World Cup against Tonga last Wednesday with a 25-20 win. This time they take on an increased challenge in the #5 ranked Les Bleus of France in their second game. The Canadians hope to repeat their surprise performance against Tonga where they were not necessarily better than the Tongans statistically, aside from tackles, but used the infamous Canadian heart to pull out a come from behind win. If the Canadians can beat the French they will be in a good spot to advance out of their very tough pool that includes the host nation New Zealand All Blacks.

Date: Sunday September 18

Time: 4:00 am (Replay at 4:00 pm)

Where: TSN

CFL Football: Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Montreal Alouettes  

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are beginning to look human again after starting the season strong meanwhile the Montreal Alouettes are beginning to look human for once. The Bombers are at the top of the Eastern Conference after starting a strong 2011 season backed by their defence and the play of their QB Buck Peirce. The Montreal Alouettes have been the best team in the East for years but are sitting at #2 this year and have had some issues being as dominant as they would like to be. With Pierce not at 100% and the Alouettes look beatable for the first time in years this game should be a good one and will be for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Date: Sunday September 18

Time: 1:00 pm ET

Where: TSN

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Geico 400

The Chase for the Sprint Cup begins this weekend with the Geico 400 as Jimmie Johnson will look to increase his streak. Johnson has won the last five Sprint Cups Championships, a NASCAR record. This year Kyle Busch is ranked #1 going into the Chase and there will be many challengers for the title. Jimmie Johnson is always a favorite after winning 5 in a row but with only one win this year he will have to have a big burst in the final races. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch are also favorites for the Cup as they have driven strongly this year. The Chase all starts in Chicago with the Geico 400 that marks the beginning of the Chase.

Date: Sunday September 18

Time: 2:00 pm

Where: TSN2

Sunday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons

Yes that is a picture of Michael Vick in a Falcons jersey but it is not a mistake as the talk is swirling about this image. Michael Vick will make his return to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for the first time since he returned to the NFL. This time he will not be in his Falcons jersey as he will be guiding a Super Bowl Favorite in the Philadelphia Eagles into another Super Bowl favorite Atlanta Falcons. Not only will everyone be listening on Sunday Night to see what reception the Atlanta fans will have but this game could have big implications on the playoff picture in the NFC, yes even in week 2.

Date: Sunday September 18

Time: 8:15 pm

Where: TSN/NBC

Guelph Gryphons

2010 Record: 4-4, 5th place, Lost in OUA Quarter-Final

Key Players: Chris Rossetti (QB), Jedd Gardner (R)
Key Arrivals: Saxon Lindsay (R), Vladimir Vesovic (OL)
Key Losses: Nick FitzGibbon (RB), Adam Dunk (LB), Matt Rossetti (LB)

2011 Outlook: Coach Stu Lang is entering his second year at the helm of the Gryphons and quarterback Chris Rossetti is back for his second year at starting QB. He won’t be hurting for threats in the passing game with Gardner and Lindsay as capable targets. However, the ground game is going to take a major step back this year. Nick FitzGibbon was one of the best rushers in the OUA and the Gryphons are going to have to find someone to step up to fill the void. The new tailback doesn’t have to be a world-beater. Just enough of a threat to take heat off Rossetti. The other side of the ball is in rougher shape. A lot of big names left due to graduation after last season. Overall, the Gryphons are poised to perform better this season than last. It’s just a matter of the pieces coming together. A top four finish is easily within reach.

Laurier Golden Hawks

2010 Record: 4-4, 4th place, Lost in OUA Semi-Final

Key Players: Shane Kelly (QB), Shamawd Chambers (R), Shane Herbert (DB)
Key Arrivals: Kelvin Muamba (R), Josh Perry (DL), Chris Ackie (LB)
Key Losses: Evan Pawliuk (QB), Giancarlo Rapanaro (K/LB)

2011 Outlook: If you want a darkhorse team for this season, take the Hawks. While Mac, Guelph and Western are deservedly garnering a lot of attention, Laurier is returning 17 starters from last season. That experience and general competitiveness (Laurier won four of their last five regular season games after starting 0-3) can carry them far this season. As if the Hawks needed more inspiration to compete this season, it’s WLU’s 100th anniversary of being founded this year. Expect Laurier to be in the final four this season. Anything more definitely wouldn’t be a stretch.

McMaster Marauders

2010 Record: 6-2, 3rd place, Lost in OUA Semi-Final

Key Players: Kyle Quinlan (QB), Joey Nemet (RB), Ryan Chmielewski (LB)
Key Arrivals: Max Cameron (R), Sean Smith (OL), Aram Eisho (LB)
Key Losses: Jordan Kozina (RB), Kevin d’Hollander (R), Justin Glover (OL)

2011 Outlook: The Marauders were very close to making it to the Yates Cup last season. They were only one score away from toppling Western in the semi-final. I should note that their two losses came on the road to Western and Ottawa. This was a very good team last season and is a great team this season. They’ve made the semi-finals the last two seasons and if they can’t past the semi-final in 2011, this season will be a disappointment. They’re going to contend for the Yates Cup this year. It’s just a matter of if they can pull it off.

Ottawa Gee-Gees

2010 Record: 7-1, 1st place, Lost in Yates Cup final

Key Players: Steven Hughes (R), Nick Lecour (LB) Matt Falvo (K)
Key Arrivals: Derek Wendel (QB), Keven Carmichael (DT), Alexandre Labonté (LB)
Key Losses: Brad Sinopoli (QB), Cyril Adjeity (R), Matthew Bolduc (R),  Chayce Elliott (DB)

2011 Outlook: When you have to replace your Hec Crighton Award winning quarterback, you’re probably not in as good shape as you were last season. The biggest task for the Gee-Gees this season is finding offense without Brad Sinopoli under center. They’re also have to replace about nine other fifth-year starters who graduated after last season. Basically, this year’s Gee-Gees squad can be found in the dictionary as the picture next to “rebuilding.” Making the playoffs will be probably the best they can manage this season.

Queen’s Gaels

2010 Record: 3-5, 6th place, Lost in OUA Quarter-Final

Key Players: Billy McPhee (QB), Osie Ukwuoma (DL), Dan Village (K)
Key Arrivals: Jesse Andrews (RB), Curtis Carmichael (R), Christophe Smith (DB)
Key Losses: Matt O’Donnell (OL), Chris Ioannides (R), Devan Sheahan (R)

2011 Outlook: With three starting receivers and two starting offensive linemen graduating, to say that the Queen’s offense is in a rebuilding phase would be an understatement. Billy McPhee, in his second year as the starter, will have to carry the load for the offense and may spend most non-gamedays soaking in an ice bath thanks to the young offensive line. However, the defense is in good shape and will be the ones that will have to salvage victory this season for Queen’s. Despite the young offense, they’ve got a favourable schedule that avoids Guelph so a two or three loss season is well within reach.

Toronto Varsity Blues

2010 Record: 3-5, 7th place

Key Players: Andrew Gillis (QB), Aaron Milton (RB)
Key Arrivals: Richard Quittenton (QB), Dorian Monroe (S)
Key Losses: Hugo Lopez (S), Kyle Kennedy (S), Derek Batchelor (DB)

2011 Outlook: Greg Gary takes over as head coach of the Blues. He takes over a team that might be on the cusp of the playoffs (depending on how optimistic you are). The big question for the Blues is whether last season’s win over Ottawa was a fluke or a sign of things to come. After all, this team managed to beat York and Ottawa but lose to Windsor all at home. Their third win was a forfeit win over Laurier. The 2010 team was more or less an enigma. This season’s team has to decide whether it’s a contender or a pretender because it can easily fit either.

Waterloo Warriors

2010 Record: Program suspended for 2010 season

Key Players: Luke Balch (QB), Evan Martin (QB), Jordan Verdone (LB)
Key Arrivals: Ryan DiRisio (RB), Jesse House (OL), Brendan Conway (LB), Kyle Wasson (LB)
Key Losses: Most of the team before the 2010 season

2011 Outlook: I’m not really sure what to say about the Warriors heading into this season. After the administration suspended the football program for the 2010 season, most folks would have said that the program was completely dead. Yet here they are for another kick at the can. This is basically a brand new team compared to the squad that took to the field in 2009. Most of the star players left for other schools/teams in 2010. It’s going to be a rough season for the Warriors this year. A one-win season would be an accomplishment considering what they’ve been through.

Western Mustangs

2010 Record: 7-1, 2nd place, Yates Cup champion, Lost in Uteck Bowl

Key Players: Donnie Marshall (QB), Jerimy Hipperson (RB), Matt Norman (OL), Mike Van Praet (DL)
Key Arrivals: Peter Gray (LB), Byron Perez-Archambault (LB)
Key Losses: Adrian Kaiser (LB), John Surla (LB), Craig Butler (DB)

2011 Outlook: The losses on the defensive side of the ball have to scare the Mustangs faithful. The d-line is relatively unchanged from last season’s yates Cup winning squad. It’s everything behind the front four that needs an overhaul heading into this season. The offense remains relatively unchanged from the prior year with the same core of skill players expected pound the ball up the middle and chase down Donnie Marshall airballs. That seems to the lot in life for Western football squads since I started covering the team. One side of the ball gets sorted out while the other has to rebuild. Even that Vanier Cup final squad in 2008 had a rebuilding offence to start the season. If it’s not one thing, it’s the other. The final four is almost a given for the Stangs this year. There’s a lot of good teams between them and a Yates Cup repeat, though.

Windsor Lancers

2010 Record: 2-6, 8th place

Key Players: Sam Malian (QB), Austin Kennedy (QB), Jordan Brescacin (R), Akeem Whonder (LB)
Key Arrivals: Sebastien Rimbert (K), Gilbert Stewart (RB), Marcus St. Aubin (DB)
Key Losses: Robert Eeuwes (K), Matt Bucknor (DB)

2011 Outlook: The Lancers aren’t poised to be an OUA powerhouse this season but they’ve definitely been in worse shape. Mike Morencie is out as head coach which can only be seen as an improvement considering the Lancers only racked up 33 wins in 101 games with him at the helm. Joe D’Amore takes over at head coach for a team that returns nine offensive starters and 10 on defense. Normally, bringing back that many starters would mark good things for the season. However, those 19 starters played for a two-win squad in 2010. I don’t think they’re playoff bound but I don’t think they’ll drop below last season’s finish. After all, they have games against Waterloo and York this season and managed to avoid Western.

York Lions

2010 Record: 0-8, 9th place

Key Players: Nick Coutu (QB), Coach Warren Craney’s expected 18 new starters
Key Arrivals: Dylan Belair (WR), Michael Livingston (DE), Robinson Akintade (DB)
Key Losses: Boris Radulovic (OL), Micheal Boyd (WR), Jason Marshall (DB)

2011 Outlook: I’d like to say that I have a positive outlook for the Lions this year but I really don’t. After being absolute rock bottom in the CIS last season, there’s nowhere but up for them this year. Their only hope to get off their nearly four-year losing streak is to beat a returning Waterloo Warriors team in Week 3. For the record, York’s last win was on September 29, 2007, in the annual Red and Blue Bowl.

In the biggest Conference of the CIS there is one more team competing for the Yates cup this year. Last year Waterloo’s program was suspended due to the discovery of performance enhancing drugs in student’s lockers. This year they will return but with many of their players transferring or graduating they, most likely, will not threaten. University of Toronto and York University will be in this boat with Waterloo although The Varsity Blues have shown more signs of life. The ones to watch will be the Western Mustangs, McMaster Marauders, and the Guelph Gryphons as all three of these teams have remained strong and look to improve on their seasons last year. The defending Champs represent the nation’s capital as the Ottawa Gee Gees rode on the arm of Brad Sinopoli to the Yates Cup Finals. Ottawa lost the game in a thriller to the Western Mustangs by a score of 26-25. With Sinopoli gone to the CFL, Ottawa will have to try and pick themselves up from the loss and try to make a run again. The OUA is the big league in the CIS and with the divide in the league it seems as though the top teams may shuffle but the bottom teams may just stay at the bottom.

Ottawa Gee Gees

The Gee Gees had a rough season last year but battled through to earn the #1 spot in the OUA after squeaking out a number of victories by only one point. They could not continue the success in the playoffs however after a loss to their rivals by a last-minute field goal. During the offseason the Gee Gees suffered a number of losses including their QB and team leader in Brad Sinopoli who won the CIS Hec Crighton Award. The loss of Sinopoli will definitely hurt the Gee Gees but they will lean on a return of their running back. Brendan Gillanders was injured for the majority of the season last year and is looking to make a strong return in 2011. On the defensive side the Gee Gees have lost a number of key players but are still returning some veteran presence including Tyler Sawyer, LB and Chris Daly, DB. Ottawa will have to look towards their defence to provide the wins as their offence will see some struggles, especially at the beginning of the season. Even with these issues Ottawa will probably be able to make the playoffs again. Whether or not they can take the #1 spot is another concern altogether as they will face some stiff competition from the other powerhouses in this conference.

Western Mustangs

The Western Mustangs had a successful season last year as they ended up as the #2 team in the country, behind Laval, and were the #2 team in the OUA. They were able to take the team to the Yates Cup where they beat the Ottawa Gee Gees on a last-minute field goal and then moved on to the Uteck Bowl. That’s where the trip came to an end as they lost in another close game to the eventual Vanier Cup Champions the Laval Rouge et Or. This year the Mustangs look to repeat the success and take it further in order to increase their record 6 wins in the Vanier Cup. The Mustangs will attempt to do this by returning essential veterans like their QB Donnie Marshall along with their one-two punch backfield with Nathan Riva and Jerimy Hipperson. These offensive players have one more year under their belt and it will probably only go up from there. Defensively the Mustangs will lean on their defensive line led by Mike Van Praet and David Lee whose mantra this year will be “get to the QB.” Along with these returning stars the Mustangs also feature the best recruiting class in the CIS that will provide them with people to fill the holes and keep them good for a while. The Mustangs are looking very tough this year and could be on their way to the Vanier Cup playoffs yet again.

McMaster Marauders

The Marauders have been pretty consistent over the last two years finishing both years with a 6-2 record. They also finished their season in the Yates Cup Semi-Finals for the past two years and are hoping to finally get over the hump this year. They will have a good shot as they will be returning some key components to their team. On offence Kyle Quinlan, QB will be back to lead the offence along with his two weapons Michael DiCroce and Matthew Perissini. The pass attack will be strong and will be complimented by their returning running back Joey Nemet. On defence there will be a total of 10 starters returning keeping their defence solid for the 2011 season. Led by linebacker Ryan Chmielewski the Marauder defence will look to help out the experienced offence into the Yates Cup and finally win for the first time in 7 years. The first team All-Canadian, Chmielewski, will be helped by some of his second team All-Canadian returnees in Roberto Filice (DL), Scott Caterine (DL), and Joey Cupido (DB). The Marauders will look to build on the success of the last two years as they will try to challenge Western and the other strong competitors in the OUA.

Laurier Golden Hawks

The Golden Hawks finished in the middle of the pack last year going 4-4 and finishing in 4^th place in the OUA. They moved on in the Yates Cup playoffs beating the Guelph Gryphons in the quarterfinals but losing to the Ottawa Gee Gees in the semi-finals. This year they will try to get back to the Yates Cup and win it like they did in 2004 and 2005. With a returning cast and a strong recruiting class the Golden Hawks will make a push but will have to compete with some strong competition to win the Yates Cup. Returning QB Shane Kelly will have a strong cast of receivers to throw to this year as he has three returning stars. Top 10 CFL prospect Shamawd Chambers will line up with laurier’s leading receiver Dillon Heap and former rookie of the year in Alex Anthony. Although Shane Kelly may not be one of the best QBs in the league the cast surrounding him could help him to a great season. The defence will return some of their core players including linebackers Mitchell Bosch and Daniel Bishop as well as a cornerback that was invited to the Toronto Argonauts in Shane Herbert. The Golden Hawks have a solid core of players returning that will allow them to make a run. The one thing standing in their way will be the stronger core returning with the Western Mustangs and the McMaster Marauders.

Guelph Gryphons

Last year the Guelph Gryphons did pretty good in the packed OUA conference going 4-4 and earning a playoff spot. Entering the playoffs the Gryphons were hurt by key injuries to their QB corps as Chris Rossetti and backup Luke Nangle were both unable to play. This left the Gryphons with essentially nothing but a running game. They lost to the Laurier Golden Hawks in a blow out 42-10 and missed out on a great opportunity. This year Guelph will try to learn from their experience last year and make a run at the Yates Cup. On offence they will ride on the shoulders of Third year QB who hopes to stay healthy all year Chris Rossetti. He will be able to throw to one of the best receivers in the OUA as Jedd Gardner returns after attending a CFL camp. On defence they will have some big holes to fill as linebackers Adam Dunk and Matt Rossetti have both moved on. These holes will be filled by the good depth they have as well as more of a concentration on their rookie of the year defensive end Kalvin Seilis who will be looked upon to make an even bigger contribution to the team this year. Guelph is considered by many as a rebuilding team but I’m not convinced. I think this team could go far this year and even challenge for the Yates Cup. If they can make up for their losses in the offseason I would expect the Gryphons to play very late in the season.

Queen’s Golden Gaels

In 2009 one of the most storied football schools in Canada finally went back on top winning the Vanier Cup. In 2010 the story was not the same as they lost the majority of their veteran leadership to graduation and the CFL. Although they didn’t repeat the success of the 2009 season they still managed to get a playoff spot giving them the chance to repeat. Their inexperience showed as they were beat by the more experienced McMaster Marauders in the Quarter finals. This year the Gaels will look to get back to their successes from 2009 as they return many of the young players from 2010. They will do this using their defence as 2010 OUA Rookie of the Year Sam Sabourin will join Stephen Laporte, LB and John Miniaci, DL in a strong defensive team. This defensive side may have to suffer through some growing pains on the offence as there will be a few changes. Billy McPhee will take over the offence as last year’s QB,   Justin Chapdelaine, will move to wide receiver to pursue a CFL career. As McPhee gets adjusted the offence will lean on veteran running backs Ryan Grabberg and John Widgett. The Gaels may have too many growing pains to challenge for the Yates Cup but they could be fighting for a playoff spot by the end of the season.

Toronto Varsity Blues

The Varsity Blues have a storied history but in the last decade this history has gone unnoticed as they have not had a winning record in that period. Last year they came off of a slow improvement after losing every game for 6 years until 2008. The Blues had their best season in a decade last year winning 3 games and finishing 7^th, one spot away from the playoffs. This year they will continue this rebuild as their goal for this year will be to make the playoffs for the first time since 1995. They will do this led by their new coach and Grey Cup Champion Greg Gary who will be working with a veteran squad. This may be the time for the Blues to make a run as they will be carried by their graduating class. No graduate will be more important than 5^th year QB Andrew Gillis who showed how good he can be last year against the Ottawa Gee Gees when he earned the CIS and OUA offensive Player of the Week. He will have some help on offence as Michael Prempeh will return as the main target in the receiving game. Defensively the Blues will have some work to do as only 6 starters will return from last year. They will be led by their linebacking corps that features Kevin Asare, Wilkerson DeSouza, and Adam Fehler. They will also be returning an essential part to their pass defence as 4^th year DB Willie Sharpe will be back to lead the secondary. The Blues have a veteran presence on both sides of the ball but their one weakness may be the defence but with the strength of the linebackers it may be fine. I would expect the Blues to have a good chance at making the playoffs this year in the 6^th spot breaking the drought.

Windsor Lancers

Last year Windsor did not have a good season as they missed the playoffs again going 2-6 and only beating two struggling teams in the Varsity Blues and York Lions. They have struggled in the past not being able to break through the tough conference and into the playoffs. Last year they finished with a 2-6 record and in 8^th place. This again saw them on the outside looking in again as they will look to begin a true rebuilding phase in 2011. They will attempt to rebuild starting from the top with new coach Joe D’Amore who brought in a good recruit class that will give the Lancers some future prospects. The offence will be led by a QB duo of Sam Malian and Austin Kennedy with their main weapon in receiver Jordan Brescacin. Defensively the team will be led by three main players in Akeem Whonder (LB), Seamus Postuma (DL), and Shea Pierre (DB). The Lancers are trying to rebuild with a new localized recruiting class but it does not seem that they will have what it takes to compete with the big programs this year. The concentration from Windsor seems to be one of building a good team for the future and this might hurt them in the near future. They may have a chance at competing for a playoff spot but I wouldn’t hold my breath for the Windsor Lancers to be playing late in the season.

York Lions

The York Lions were one of two teams in the CIs that had not won a game in multiple years and both of those teams ended up being from Toronto. With Toronto ending their losing streak two years ago the York Lions are beginning to make a run at the losing record that was held by the Varsity Blues. They are now at the three-year mark having not been able to muster a win in three seasons. They are hoping to break that streak this year as they build on their strongest performance last year. Although they did not win a game they did gain more yards on offence and allowed less on defence than they had in previous years. Nick Coutu will return to lead the offence under QB coach Nick Faulds and will throw to his top receiver Jonelle Tolbert. Added to this will be local running back recruit George Daniel. On the defensive side the Lions will have to overcome the departure of 6 starters. Linebacker Steven Reading will continue to lead his team with the help of newcomer and one of the top recruits Marcus Grandison, DB who earned All-Star bids for Toronto and the GTA. The Lions are at the beginning of their rebuilding phase and will not compete for a playoff spot. For York this year is simply a way to continue to build for the future where they will hopefully return to the playoffs.

Waterloo Warriors

The biggest story in the OUA in 2010 involved the Waterloo Warriors but it was not for their performance, instead it was a cause of performance enhancing drugs. The Warriors had their season ended before it began after players were found with PEDs. As a result of this the Warriors lost a number of players who either transferred or stopped playing football for the year and graduated. This year the Warriors are essentially an expansion team with a recruiting class of 40 players in order to start a new chapter in Warriors football. The offence will return 8 players, 2 will sit out due to transfer rules, including a set of QBs and a solid receiving corps. Luke Balch and Evan Martin will likely split the QB duties, although Balch can also play receiver, and will throw to a solid receiving corps led by Dustin Zender. Along with the passing game newcomer Ryan DiRisio, RB will be looked to as a sign of the future of the Warriors program. On the defensive side of the ball they will be led by two returning interior lineman as Aaron King and Djordje Gavrilovic. They will be adding two linebackers in their recruiting class as Brendan Conway and Kyle Wasson will join the Warriors as they rebuild their program. The Warriors won’t be in contention anytime soon but they may be back to a good team in a while when their big recruiting class gets some experience. Look for Waterloo to be at the bottom of the conference this year but they could pull off some good victories as something to build on.

Conference Predictions:

1. Western Mustangs (8-1)

2. Guelph Gryphons (7-2)

3. McMaster Marauders (6-3)

4. Ottawa Gee Gees (5-4)

5. Laurier Golden Hawks (5-4)

6. Toronto Varsity Blues (4-5)

7. Queen’s Golden Gaels (4-5)

8. Windsor Lancers (3-6)

9. Waterloo Warriors (3-6)

10. York Lions (0-9)

OUA Quick Facts:

Schools:

Guelph Gryphons (Guelph University: Guelph, Ontario)

Laurier Golden Hawks (Wilfrid Laurier University; Kitchener, Ontario)

McMaster Marauders (McMaster University; Hamilton, Ontario)

Ottawa Gee Gees (University of Ottawa; Ottawa, Ontario)

Queen’s Golden Gaels (Queen’s Univeristy; Kingston, Ontario)

Toronto Varsity Blues (University of Toronto; Toronto, Ontario)

Western Mustangs (University of Western Ontario; London, Ontario)

Windsor Lancers (University of Windsor; Windsor, Ontario)

York Lions (York University; Toronto, Ontario)

Waterloo Warriors (University of Waterloo; Waterloo, Ontario)

Trophies:

Yates Cup

- Created in 1898 and is the oldest football trophy in the world

- Awarded to the best team in the OUA

- Named after Dr. H.B. Yates who donated the trophy

- Western Mustangs have won the Yates Cup 29 times

- 2011 winner will move on to the Uteck Bowl

#6 Queen’s Gaels (3-5) at #3 McMaster Marauders (6-2)

I think that the TV folks picked the wrong game to televise. I’m sure that they don’t want to spend any more time in Hamilton than they have to. Anyway, the first time these two teams met was in Week One and the Marauders scraped out the win by less than a score. Against the big squads, Queen’s has actually looked alright. They lost one score games to Guelph and Mac and pushed Ottawa to overtime. The problem with both teams is consistency. Just when you think that the Gaels are set to push back into the top half of the OUA, they lay an egg the next week. Mac has trouble putting forward 60 minute efforts as their games against Laurier, Ottawa and Toronto illustrate. Queen’s could catch the Marauders napping and move on to take on Ottawa in another interesting matchup. I think that Mac’s week off should help them sort out any issues they might have for this week at least.

Pregame Coverage:
Bring on the Playoffs (Kingston Whig-Standard)

Broadcasters:
TV: TVCogeco 13 (Kingston), Cable 14 (Hamilton)
Radio: CFRC 101.9 FM (Kingston), CHML 900 AM (Hamilton)

#5 Guelph Gryphons (4-4) at #4 Laurier Golden Hawks (4-4)

Denny Green gets a lot of love for his unintentional catchphrase “They are who we thought they were!” Can we all agree that the Gryphons are who we thought they were? In their regular season meeting, Laurier didn’t just beat Guelph but annihilated them. The only points that Guelph scored came when Laurier conceded a safety. Add to that the fact that Guelph hasn’t looked impressive at all this season. Their only reasonably convincing wins this season came over Windsor and York. Even Toronto gave them all they could handle. Their only respectable loss came against Western but the rest looked like Guelph didn’t even show up (including the Mac game where they closed the gap in the final quarter). I think everyone would be shocked if Guelph keeps it within a couple of scores at the end, let alone win the game. I know defense wins championships but offense still wins games. I haven’t much offense out of Guelph this season against a proper football team.

Pregame Coverage:
Football Gryphs on Road for Playoff Opener (Guelph Mercury)
Montoya Playing Blame Game, Not Football (Big Man on Campus)

Broadcasters:
TV: The Score
Online: Radio Laurier

CIS/OUA News and Notes

Just a reminder: The lowest remaining seed after today’s games will go to Ottawa to play the first seeded Gee-Gees in the early game. The remaining team will go to London to play the Western Mustangs in the day’s late game.

The latest round of CIS rankings came out on Tuesday. Laval is still on top of the polls to no one’s surprise. Western, despite the close call against Toronto, occupy the #2 spot which is obviously tops among OUA teams. Ottawa sits 4th despite losing to Toronto earlier in the year. McMaster is the third and final OUA squad in the CIS Top 10 at 7th.

And speaking of CIS Top Tens, Alberta leads the latest CIS men’s hockey poll. Western is the only Ontario team on that list in 6th place. Two Quebec-based OUA hockey teams made the list. McGill made the list at #2 while Concordia slotted in at 9th.

OUA Regular Season Standings
1. Ottawa Gee-Gees (7-1)
2. Western Mustangs (7-1)
3. McMaster Marauders (6-2)
4. Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks (4-4)
5. Guelph Gryphons (4-4)
6. Queen’s Gaels (3-5)
7. Toronto Varsity Blues (3-5)
8. Windsor Lancers (2-6)
9. York Lions (0-8)

Note: Information on broadcasters has been pulled from athletic department websites, the OUA website, and various articles read during the week. We make no guarantees over the completeness or accuracy of the listings.

Guelph Gryphons (4-3) at #5 Ottawa Gee-Gees (6-1)

Neither team has all that much to play for. Guelph will finish fourth and have a home game in the first round of the playoffs whether they win or lose to Ottawa. Even if they fall to 4-4 and Toronto somehow upsets Western, they’ll hold the tiebreaker. A win won’t put them past McMaster so it’s just a tune-up for the playoffs and a likely semi-final matchup with the Gee-Gees. That’s assuming that Ottawa wins. They only need to match Western’s result to top the OUA for the regular season. If Ottawa loses and Western wins, unlikely but not entirely implausible, then the Mustangs will finish first in the OUA and have home field for the OUA playoffs. The winner of the Yates Cup still has to hit the road for the Uteck Bowl so the regular season really stops mattering after the opening kickoff of the Yates Cup game.

Pregame Coverage:
D.J. Bennett Spoils The Ballot (Big Man on Campus)
Sinopoli Taking CIS by Storm (Peterborough Examiner)

Broadcasters:
TV: The Score
Online: SSN Canada

York Lions (0-7) at Queen’s Gaels (2-5)

After laying an egg in the second quarter against Laurier, Queen’s has left themselves needing some favours to get it. They aren’t big favours, though. They need to win this gimme over York to have any chance. Then, they need Western to beat Toronto and Laurier to beat Windsor. That will leave them tied with Toronto at 3-5 in 6th. By virtue of decimating the Blues earlier in the season in Week 7, the Gaels have earned the tiebreaker and will make the playoffs. Who would have thought that the defending Vanier Cup champs would have to rely on a tiebreaker to make the playoffs? In their defence, they lost a lot of star players after winning the national title last year. As for York, they should aim for two scores on the day and not just field goals. Yeah, if Queen’s can put up two majors, it’ll be over then.

Pregame Coverage:
York Receiver Finds Inspiration in Ailing Grandmother (Toronto Star)
Revised Eligibility Rules Cost Montoya, WLU Golden Hawks Dearly (Inside Halton)

Broadcasters:
Radio: CFRC 101.9 FM (Kingston)

Toronto Varsity Blues (3-4) at #2 Western Mustangs (6-1)

It’s Senior Day at TD Waterhouse Stadium today. The ‘Stangs always seem to play big when sending their seniors off at home and it’ll be tough to envision them winning by anything but a big score against the Blues. Toronto is still in the playoff hunt and sit 5th heading into this week. They’re also more likely to fall out of the top six than Laurier. If Toronto wins, they’re in. It’s as simple as that. A Laurier loss this afternoon opens up a whole can of worms which doesn’t help Toronto very much. By the way, Western’s 76-0 win last week over York was the most points scored in school history and the biggest margin of victory in school history. The second stringers also got a fair whack of action and will be expect to get lots this afternoon too.

Pregame Coverage:
Mustangs’ Defence Builds Insurmountable Barrier (London Free Press)

Broadcasters:
Radio: CJBK 1290 AM (London)

Laurier Golden Hawks (3-4) at Windsor Lancers (2-5)

It’s pretty simple for the Golden Hawks. Win and you’re in. They’ll be 4-4 which Queen’s can’t beat to drop them out of the playoffs. Lose and all hell breaks loose. Let’s try to run through all the possible permutations of what happens if Windsor pulls off the extremely unlikely upset.

Scenario 1:
Windsor wins (3-5). Laurier loses (3-5). Queen’s loses (2-6). Toronto wins (4-4).
Pretty simple and straight forward so it goes first. It’s a straight tiebreaker for 6th place between the Lancers and Hawks. Because Windsor just beat Laurier in this scenario, they go to the playoffs and the Hawks are done.

Scenario 2:
Windsor wins (3-5). Laurier loses (3-5). Queen’s loses (2-6). Toronto loses (3-5).
Queen’s is out straight away. Then we have a three-way tie for fifth. Windsor would win that spot based on a 2-0 head-to-head-to-head record. Then Toronto and Laurier’s head-to-head record would be used to separate the two. Because of the forfeit, Toronto gets the tiebreaker and a playoff birth after so many years of futility.

Scenario 3:
Windsor wins (3-5). Laurier loses (3-5). Queen’s wins (3-5). Toronto wins (4-4).
Toronto slots in 5th. Windsor, Laurier and Queen’s are 1-1 in three-way head-to-head competition. The next tiebreaker is point difference in head-to-head games. Heading into Week 9, Laurier is 9 points ahead of Queen’s so they would have to lose by 8 or less to go to the post-season. Lose by 10 or more and Queen’s goes though. A nine point Laurier loss eliminates just Windsor. Then we restart the tiebreaker with the WarHawks and Gaels and Laurier goes on in head-to-head record.

Scenario 4:
Windsor wins (3-5). Laurier loses (3-5). Queen’s wins (3-5). Toronto loses (3-5).
While all these scenarios are unlikely, if Windsor does pull off the near unthinkable and beats Laurier, we could have a four-way-tie for the final two playoff spots. Queen’s and Windsor will both have 2-1 records in play between the four teams and would separate themselves for an individual tiebreaker. Queen’s beat Windsor so they would get 5th spot. If my interpretation of the OUA’s tiebreaker rules is right, then Windsor goes back in for another tiebreaker. As mentioned above, Windsor is 2-0 in the three-way head-to-head with Laurier and Toronto in this scenario. That means they sneak into the playoffs.

Pregame Coverage:
Having Some Fun with the OUA Playoff Picture (The CIS Blog)

Broadcasters:
Online: Radio Laurier
Radio: CJAM 99.1 FM (Windsor)

CIS/OUA News and Notes

If DJ Bennett is going to keep making a mockery of the CIS Top 10 ballots, I insist upon getting a ballot for next season. At the very least, I feel compelled to prove that not all Western grads/media types are morons. DJ does a competent job on the sidelines but put him in the ballot box and we’re hosed.

By the way, Laval is still on top of the standings. Western moved up from 3rd in the polls to 2nd while Ottawa moved up one spot to 5th after Calgary’s loss to Saskatchewan. McMaster also moved up one spot to 8th thanks to Bishop’s being blown out by Laval.

The CIS released the first men’s hockey Top 10 of the year. Alberta is on top which seems to be more or less the norm. Two Ontario teams made the list. In 8th is Ryerson which surprises me because I thought teams playing in Maple Leafs Gardens generally sucked (though I don’t think they’re playing at the Gardens quite yet). Western made the list in 10th. Sadly, DJ Bennett couldn’t drum up enough support to get Guelph into the Top 10.

OUA Standings
1. Ottawa Gee-Gees (6-1)
2. Western Mustangs (6-1)
3. McMaster Marauders (6-2)
4. Guelph Gryphons (4-3)
5. Toronto Varsity Blues (3-4)
6. Laurier Golden Hawks (3-4)
7. Queen’s Gaels (2-5)
8. Windsor Lancers (2-5)
9. York Lions (0-7)

Note: Information on broadcasters has been pulled from athletic department websites, the OUA website, and various articles read during the week. We make no guarantees over the completeness or accuracy of the listings.

A week before hosting their own homecoming game, the Western Mustangs spoiled the party in Guelph with a 15-8 win over the Gryphons (3-1). Jerimy Hipperson rushed for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Stangs who improved to 4-1 in front of almost nine-thousand fans at Alumni Stadium. Donnie Marshall rushed for 116 yards and passed for the exact same number in the victory. The Mustangs return home for their homecoming game next week against Queen’s.

#5 Western Mustangs (3-1) at #10 Guelph Gryphons (3-0)

And this is your OUA game of the week. Western currently sits in second in the OUA standings and Guelph is the only team that has a realistic chance of knocking Western out of a first-round bye. A Guelph win here would give them the tiebreaker over UWO and it would take help from Windsor or Laurier (assuming Gryphon losses to Ottawa and McMaster) to put the Mustangs back in second. Both teams are coming off ugly wins last week with the refs and Queen’s gifting a win to Guelph on national TV last week and the Mustangs picking up an ugly win of the Lancers. As I said last week, Guelph has proven nothing so far. I would not call them an OUA top two team nor a CIS top ten team. The only way they’re going to change anyone’s mind (unless you’re named DJ Bennett who doesn’t any non-Top 10 schools outside Ontario) is to beat Western convincingly. Otherwise, I’d say this one is the Mustangs’ to lose.

Pregame Coverage:
Heaven Forbid, Don’t Hurt Their Feelings (Big Man on Campus)
Welcome To The 2010 Fraudulent Bowl (Big Man on Campus)

Broadcasters:
TV: The Score
Radio: CJBK 1290 AM (London)

#2 Ottawa Gee-Gees (4-0) at Queen’s Gaels (1-2)

Okay, I was slightly wrong last week. Queen’s isn’t quite a OUA top four team. That’s not to say that they weren’t the better team against Guelph. Turnovers, bad calls and Ben Chapeldaine were the only things keeping the Gaels from beating Guelph. However, even if Billy McPhee turns in the performance of his life, the Gaels will need a lot of help to secure the win. Ottawa pulled out a huge comeback win over Mac last week. Penalties and picks nearly did them in. One week is a short time to shore up the execution and having to go to Richardson Stadium as a collective bunch of imploding basket cases is not what the doctor ordered. Ottawa should win this game but I also expect it to be a lot closer than it should be.

Pregame Coverage:
Bleeding Tricolour: Football for its Own Sake, Again (The CIS Blog)
Big Gaels Receiver Sidelined Following Injury (Kingston Whig-Standard)

Broadcasters:
TV: TV Cogeco (Kingston)
Radio: CFRC 101.9 FM (Kingston)

Windsor Lancers (1-3) at #8 McMaster Marauders (2-2)

This game is just what the doctor ordered for Mac. Back to back losses to Western and Ottawa have dropped this team from Yates Cup favourite to needing to take the long road to get to the OUA final. Windsor is unlikely to put up much of a fight. The Marauders have to put up points fast and keep the Lancers off the board while the first team rests on the sidelines. Actually, now that I think about it, I think that resting the first team would be a bad idea. They’ve gone two weeks with a drubbing and a come-from-behind loss. Putting up easy points would help boost everyone’s confidence.

Broadcasters:
TV: Cable 14 (Hamilton)
Radio: CHML 900 AM (Hamilton), CFMU 93.3 FM (Hamilton)

York Lions (0-3) at Laurier Golden Hawks (1-2)

This one has the potential to be ugly. The Hawks beat the Varsity Blues by 31 and the Lions are worse than Toronto. The interesting thing is that the Lions were actually able to keep U of T within one score so maybe they’ve turned a corner. More likely, I would say that if the line on this game is under five scores, I’d take Laurier to cover. And if the Guelph game last week taught us anything, it’s that teams seem to get a good boost from the bye week break.

Broadcasters:
Online: Radio Laurier

CIS/OUA News and Notes

Just a little over a year after seeing Eric Glavic transfer to the Calgary Dinos (and come one game from a Vanier Cup), the St. Mary’s Huskies have lost another QB. Jack Creighton announced that he is transferring out of Halifax after being benched in Week 2. Nobody’s entirely sure if he’s leaving SMU because of the benching or because he’s homesick. Creighton is from the Niagara area and now fans of every southern Ontario team without a reliable option under centre is hoping he’ll sign up with their squad. The frontrunners are expected to be the two Waterloo teams. The Warriors’ QB looks like the new starter at Queen’s and the Golden Hawks are 1-2. Both could probably use a proven option at starting quarterback.

It looks like the return of the Carleton Ravens to OUA football action will be sooner rather than later. The school’s athletic department says that they are well on track for a 2012 revival. The Ravens will be borrowing heavily from Laval’s business model to ensure long-term sustainability of a program that was cut in 1999. Laval relies on donations and sponsorship money to fund the team. However the new Ravens football team gets off the ground, they have to submit its application to the OUA by May 2011.

As a follow-up to last week’s D.J. Bennett controversy, he’s still largely uneducated about CIS football outside Ontario. He said in his post about the CIS Top 10 “It seems like the rest of the voters beliefs are starting to fall in line with mine.” I don’t know whether to laugh at his arrogance or cry because this guy is part of broadcast crew for OUA football on national TV. He ranked Guelph 6th for beating two pushovers that will end with one win between them (York and U of T) and getting a gift against Queen’s. The rest of the voters got Guelph pushed to 10th. He also ranked Western at 3rd while the field put them closer to 5th. Sorry, D.J., you might be an ex-Mustang star but I’m taking the field over you every time.

Standings
1. Ottawa Gee-Gees 4-0
2. Western Mustangs 3-1
3. Guelph Gryphons 3-0
4. McMaster Marauders 2-2
5. Queen’s Gaels 1-2
6. Laurier Golden Hawks 1-2
7. Toronto Varsity Blues 1-3
8. Windsor Lancers 1-3
9. York Lions 0-3

Note: Information on broadcasters has been pulled from athletic department websites, the OUA website, and various articles read during the week. We make no guarantees over the completeness or accuracy of the listings.

Guelph Hurricanes announce that University of Guelph students will receive 1/2 price entry to this Thursday’s game vs. Waterloo Siskins.

The Hurricanes have several U of Guelph students on the team and this would be a great (and economical) way for students to support the team.

Location: The Sleeman Centre

Game Time: 7:45 pm

New Guelph Hurricanes Head Coach Jim McEachern

Former Elmira Sugar Kings assistant coach, MacEachern is no stranger to Guelph Hockey.

Before he took on the role with the Sugar Kings in 2008 he was an assistant coach with both the University of Guelph Gryphons Women’s Hockey Team and the Guelph Dominators.

“When a university is born out of the Ontario Agricultural College and is home to the world class Guelph Turfgrass Institute, to have anything less than a beautifully groomed and manicured football field is almost inexcusable.”

Guelp returning the ball during the 100th Yates Cup - but what about that grass?

The above is the lead from the article “Kicking Grass”, written just before last year’s 100^th Yates Cup football championship.  The article goes on to explain how a carefully orchestrated team of grounds workers and athletics staff worked feverishly to prepare the football field so that it looked it’s best for the first playoff game hosted by the University of Guelph in 21 years.  I work for athletics and even had a small hand in preparing the stadium for that game.

I do have one small concern though.  And I want you to know, the context is not lack of pride, rather it is excessiveness of pride, if excessiveness is a proper English word.  To be blunt, the turf wasn’t beautifully groomed and manicured, and that, is inexcusable, because it could have been better.  The field could have been just as immaculate as those soccer fields.  Failed potential always irritates me.  From what I understand, in the midst of the live telecast during last year’s Yates Cup, one topic of the colour commentary was the dismal state of the turf.  And it was pretty dismal again this year, with the exception of the Home opener, since the field hadn’t been played on since that game.

Guelph kicking off to Western during the 100th Yates Cup

The solution the athletics crew came up with to solve this problem was simple -  Let the GTI take care of the football field.  I don’t mean to suggest that the grounds crew is incapable of caring for the field, or that they don’t have pride in their field, because believe me they do.  It is the most precious couple of acres to them on the entire campus, but they just don’t have the capacity to give it the attention it deserves.  Think of how good our field might look under the care of the GTI.  Think of how good all the athletic fields might look under the care of the GTI.  I’ll say it again; the fields could have been just as immaculate as those soccer fields.  And, it could be like a co-op kind of thing.  The GTI could set aside placements for its students to learn firsthand what it takes to keep turf looking the best it possibly can, while earning credits!  If I were a GTI student, I think it’d be pretty cool to have the oppourtunity to brag about how good my field looked on TV.  Such a program would undoubtedly have positive benefits for the GTI.  For starters, when the colour commentators say “Wow, this field sure looks great, I wonder who maintains it?” on national TV, the answer would be “The Guelph Turfgrass Institute”.   Publicity, publicity, publicity.  Hopefully the next time the Gryphons host the Yates Cup, the commentators can say “Wow, Check out that grass… It looks great!”.