September 13, 2012

Gaels and Mustangs renew rivalry live on theScore

HAMILTON, Ont. - Expect fireworks on week two of University Rush on theScore, sponsored by Pizza Pizza, as the Western Mustangs visit Kingston to battle the Queen’s Gaels. Both teams enter the matchup with 2-0 records, both are coming off consecutive dominant wins, and both are currently ranked in the CIS top-ten with Western holding the No. 5 spot and Queen’s at No. 6. This game looks to be one of the most exciting of the young OUA season and it can be seen live on theScore on September 15 at 1 p.m.

The Mustangs boast a potent and well rounded offence, featuring CIS leading rusher Garrett Sanvido (Vancouver) and veteran quarterback Donnie Marshall (London, Ont.). Sanvido has rushed for 253 yards on 29 carries and is tied for the CIS lead with five touchdowns, while Marshall has gone 30-for-47 for 483 yards and four touchdowns. The powerful Mustang offence has averaged 58 points per game in wins over Waterloo and Toronto, and trails only McMaster in total league offence.

One of the keys for Western’s success thus far in 2012 has been strong offensive line play. There were questions about the line coming into this season with the loss of Matt Norman and Brendan Dunn to the CFL, however Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall has been pleased with the physical presence of 6-foot-7, 350-pound left tackle Shane Bergman (Teeterville, Ont.) and fourth-year lineman Eric Armitage (London, Ont.).

“Our offensive and defensive lines controlled both games and we have some experience and talent in both lines,” said Western head coach Greg Marshall. “Bergman has been here for a couple of years but has been playing very well and eliminating the mistakes. Eric Armitage is in his fourth year with us and he’s moving better and playing better than I’ve ever seen him play. He’s leaner and stronger and doing a great job for us this season.”

Where Western has managed to fly under the radar is their defence. Despite not having a single player with more than nine tackles, the Mustang defence tops the OUA in points allowed (17), points per game (8.5), passing yards per game (143.5), rushing yards per game (75.5) and sacks (12).

The Queen’s Gaels will make their second appearance of the season on University Rush on theScore. The Gaels spoiled the Laurier home-opener as they downed the Golden Hawks 42-16 last week on the first broadcast of the season.

The only man who has been able to match the five touchdowns scored this season by Garrett Sanvido is Gaels running back Ryan Granberg (Sherwood Park, Alta.). Granberg, the 2011 CIS leading rusher, had three scores in a season opening win over the York Lions before adding two more last week against Laurier.

Gaels quarterback Billy McPhee (Burlington, Ont.) is coming off his best game of the season after going 22-for-28 for 333 yards and two touchdowns against Laurier. The third-year pivot will look to continue his strong play and spread the ball around to a talented group of receivers including Justin Chapdelaine (Abbotsford, B.C.) who picked up seven catches for 176 yards and a touchdown, earning Porter player of the game honours in last week’s win.

The Gaels sit second in the OUA in scoring defence, allowing only 14.5 points per game, and third in total defence giving up only 330 yards per game through two games. The squad is led by defensive linemen Will Moodie (Kingston, Ont.) and Cory Dyer (Gananoque, Ont.), who have combined for 5.5 sacks on the year, as well as third-year linebacker Sam Sabourin (Stittsville, Ont.) who leads the team with 12 tackles. The Gaels didn’t allow a single rushing touchdown in the 2011 regular season, and so far in 2012 the stingy defence has kept their record clean in this category.

Queen’s also boasts rookie kicker Dillon Wamsley, a London, Ont. native. Wamsley was named OUA special teams player of the week in each of the first two weeks of the 2012 season, and currently sits tied atop the OUA in scoring with 30 points, matching teammate Ryan Granberg and Western’s Garret Sanvido.

The significance of any game against Western isn’t lost on Queen’s head coach Pat Sheahan, who has been a apart of 14 such contests. “You don’t need much to get your team up for a Queen’s/Western game,” said Sheahan. “This is a storied rivalry with lots of great chapters. Everyone takes this rivalry very seriously and motivating the players hasn’t been an issue this week.”

The Gaels and Mustangs have a long history dating back to the first meeting in 1929. Saturday’s game will mark the 87^th meeting of the perennial powerhouse programs, with Queen’s currently holding a 44-40-2 edge. More recently the teams have split the last 10 meetings, including a Gaels win in the 2009 Yates Cup en route to a Vanier Cup win, and a Mustang win in the 2007 OUA quarter-final. The two teams met last season in a meaningless game, where Queen’s posted a 37-0 win against a Western squad who elected to rest key starters in preparation for the playoffs.

Though it’s still early days in the 2012 OUA football season, this week three matchup has significant playoff implications. With both teams sitting at 2-0 atop the standings alongside McMaster, Saturday’s duel has the potential to determine a quarter-final bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

No one knows yet if the matchup between the Western Mustangs and Queen’s Gaels will be a defensive struggle or an offensive explosion. To find out, be sure to watch University Rush on the Score, sponsored by Pizza Pizza on September 15 at 1 p.m. to see who will make the jump to 3-0 and earn a leg up in the race to the 105^th Yates Cup.

Western Leaders

Passing

Donnie Marshall (London, Ont.)
30 completions, 47 attempts, 483 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception

Rushing

Garret Sanvido (Vancouver)
29 carries, 253 yards, 5 touchdowns

Yannick Harou (Gatineau, Que.)
21 carries, 170 yards, 1 touchdown

Receiving

Justin Sanvido (Vancouver)
13 catches, 206 yards, 2 touchdowns

Brian Marshall (London, Ont.)
9 catches, 118 yards, 1 touchdown

Defence

Sean Blake (Hamilton, Ont.)
9 tackles, 3 sacks

Ricky Osei-Kusi (Brampton, Ont.)
7.5 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble