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Men’s Football

Football Weekend Watch: Regular season comes to an end in OUA

U SPORTS Staff

The regular season comes to an end this weekend in the OUA, while the battle for playoff positioning will go on for an extra week in U SPORTS football’s three other conferences.

The Week 9 schedule is highlighted by a rematch of the last two Yates Cup finals as the nationally seventh-ranked Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (4-3) visit the top-ranked and reigning Vanier Cup champion Western Mustangs (7-0) at TD Stadium in London, Saturday at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (Rogers TV & OUA.TV).

While Western has already secured first place in Ontario for the fourth straight year, Laurier is currently in a four-way tie for fourth place... but mathematically on the outside looking in for the six-team  OUA playoffs.

For detailed OUA post-season scenarios, click HERE.

In the other conferences, the No. 2 Laval Rouge et Or (7-0), No. 3 Calgary Dinos (6-0) and No. 6 Saint Mary’s Huskies (7-0) have already clinched first position in the RSEQ, Canada West and AUS standings, respectively.

Laval wraps up league play on Sunday afternoon against visiting Sherbrooke (1-5), Calgary hosts Regina (1-5) on Friday evening, while Saint Mary’s (7-0) is off this week and will conclude its regular schedule at Acadia on Oct. 27.

Friday’s Regina-Calgary tilt kicks off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, live on SaskTel maxTV, TELUS Optik TV, Bell MTS and CanadaWest.TV.

Here is a game-by-game look at all Week 9 matchups as well as a detailed schedule, including all television broadcast and webcast info. 

OFF THIS WEEK

No. 4 Montreal (5-2), No. 6 Saint Mary’s (7-0), No. 9 Carleton (5-3).

FRIDAY

Regina (1-5) at No. 3 Calgary (6-0)

  • 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
  • SaskTel maxTV, TELUS Optik TV, Bell MTS & CanadaWest.TV

Last week (Regina): 32-17 home win vs. Alberta... Last week (Calgary): 34-16 home win vs. Manitoba... Last head-to-head matchup (Aug. 31, 2018 – regular season at Regina): Calgary 49, Regina 35… In a nutshell: Calgary has secured first place in the Canada West standings for the seventh time in eight years... Despite a 1-5 record, Regina can still qualify for the post-season... Two of the most potent offences in the nation are set to clash as the Dinos (556.2) and Rams (488.7) rank second and fifth in the country, respectively, in yards per game... Keep an eye on (Regina): With 44 catches in six games (tied for the Canada West lead), Ryan Schienbein, who had a career-best 54 two years ago, is on pace to challenge the single-season school record of 58 set in 2016 by Mitchell Picton... Keep an eye on (Calgary): With a U SPORTS-leading 2,450 passing yards in six contests, quarterback Adam Sinagra is on pace for a 3,267-yard campaign, which would shatter the single-season national mark of 3,186 set two years ago by Regina’s Noah Picton.

SATURDAY

No. 7 Laurier (4-3) at No. 1 Western (7-0)

  • 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • Rogers TV & OUA.TV

Last week (Laurier): 39-24 home win vs. Windsor... Last week (Western): 33-0 road win vs. Ottawa... Last head-to-head matchup (Nov. 11, 2017 – Yates Cup final at Western): Western 75, Laurier 32… In a nutshell: Western has clinched first place in the OUA standings for the fourth straight year... A win guarantees Laurier a post-season berth and, in case of a loss, the Hawks need wins by Waterloo and Queen’s on Saturday to advance... Western and Laurier have met in each of the last two Yates Cup finals, both in London, with the Hawks prevailing 43-40 two years ago and the Mustangs dominating 75-32 last fall... Keep an eye on (Laurier): Thanks to an eight-catch performance last Friday, reigning conference MVP Kurleigh Gittens Jr. now has an OUA-record 200 over his four-year career, good for fifth place on the all-time national list (behind four players who all played five years of U SPORTS football)... Keep an eye on (Western): Quarterback Chris Merchant enters Western’s conference finale with a 74.0 completion percentage, which would set a single-season OUA record and would rank fourth on the U SPORTS list.

No. 5 Ottawa (5-2) at Queen’s (3-4)

  • 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • YourTV & OUA.TV

Last week (Ottawa): 33-0 home loss vs. Western... Last week (Queen’s): Bye... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 4, 2017 – regular season at Ottawa): Ottawa 14, Queen’s 13… In a nutshell: Ottawa has already punched its ticket for the OUA playoffs and the Gee-Gees can secure second place and a first-round bye with a win, but a loss could drop them to as low as fifth... Currently sitting in eighth place, Queen’s needs a win over Ottawa and victories from Western, Guelph and Windsor on Saturday in order to claim the sixth and final OUA post-season berth... Keep an eye on (Ottawa): Fourth-year cornerback Jamie Harry leads the nation with five interceptions in seven games and has 13 in his career, just two shy of the school record set by Chris Banton (1988-1989 / 1991)... Keep an eye on (Queen’s): Fifth-year senior Nate Hobbs needs 127 passing yards against the Gee-Gees to become the fourth quarterback in U SPORTS history with back-to-back 2,500-yard seasons (Tommy Denison, Queen’s, 2002-2003; Michael Faulds, Western, 2008-2009; Derek Wendel, Ottawa, 2015-2016).

Waterloo (4-3) at No. 8 Guelph (4-3)

  • 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • Rogers TV (tape delay) & OUA.TV

Last week (Waterloo): 34-16 home win vs. McMaster... Last week (Guelph): 46-8 home win vs. Toronto... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 30, 2017 – regular season at Waterloo): Guelph 53, Waterloo 49… In a nutshell: Waterloo and Guelph face similar playoff scenarios: they would both qualify automatically with a win, could advance despite a loss, but could also drop out of the post-season picture entirely... The high-flying Warriors, who rank first in the OUA and second in the country in passing yards per game (354.9), are looking for their first playoff appearance since 2003... Keep an eye on (Waterloo): With 12 touchdown catches in seven games, Tyler Ternowski needs one more on Saturday to tie the single-season OUA record held jointly by Laurier’s Stefan Ptaszek (1994) and Queen’s Craig Spears (2003) and three more to match the U SPORTS mark of 15 set in 1995 by Calgary’s Don Blair... Keep an eye on (Guelph): Heading into the final conference game of his career, fifth-year kicker Gabriel Ferraro ranks third on the all-time U SPORTS list with 87 field goals, two shy of the OUA record held by Ottawa’s Lewis Ward (2012-2017) and four shy of the national standard set by Calgary’s Johnny Mark (2011-2015).

Alberta (2-4) at No. 10 UBC (3-3)

Last week (Alberta): 32-17 road loss vs. Regina... Last week (UBC): 20-10 home win vs. Saskatchewan... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 28, 2018 – regular season at Alberta): Alberta 26, UBC 21… In a nutshell: With two games remaining in the regular season, the Thunderbirds sit in second place in the Canada West standings as they hold the head-to-head advantage against both Saskatchewan (3-3) and Manitoba (3-3) but things could change quickly as Alberta, currently sitting in fifth place, holds a five-point head-to-head cushion over UBC going into Saturday’s matchup... Coming off a four-interception performance against Saskatchewan, the T-Birds ball-hawking defence hopes to take advantage of a Golden Bears offence that ranks last in Canada West in both points (17.3) and total yards (354.8) per game... Keep an eye on (Alberta): Linebacker Zach Mann leads Canada West in solo tackles (40), total tackles (44) and tackles per game (7.3)... Keep an eye on (UBC): With 153 career receptions, fourth-year senior Trivel Pinto needs 10 catches over UBC’s next two games to break Brad Coutts’ school record of 162 set from 1996 to 2000.

StFX (4-2) at Bishop’s (0-7)

Last week (StFX): Bye... Last week (Bishop’s): 31-9 road loss vs. Acadia... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 15, 2018 – regular season at StFX): StFX 42, Bishop’s 2… In a nutshell: StFX can clinch second place in the AUS standings with a win as the X-Men have swept their two-game series against 3-3 Acadia, while Bishop’s will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year and for the second consecutive season since coming over from the RSEQ conference... The X-Men’s nationally fourth-ranked rushing attack (184.0 yards per game) faces the Gaiters’ 19th-ranked rush defence (170.3)... Keep an eye on (StFX): With two league games remaining, Jordan Socholotiuk, who leads U SPORTS with 129.5 rushing yards per contest (777 in total), could threaten the single-season school record of 1,103 set by Paul Brule way back in 1966... Keep an eye on (Bishop’s): Sophomore linebacker Louve Moussenguet has a team-leading 38.5 tackles in seven games, good for fifth place in the AUS.

McMaster (4-3) at Windsor (1-6)

  • 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • YourTV, Cable 14 & OUA.TV

Last week (McMaster): 34-16 road loss vs. Waterloo... Last week (Windsor): 39-24 road loss vs. Laurier... Last head-to-head matchup (Oct. 14, 2017 – regular season at McMaster): McMaster 29, Windsor 13… In a nutshell: Despite the fact they’ve allowed more points (158) than they have scored (134) so far this season, the Marauders can still finish as high as second in the OUA standings and the only scenario that would see McMaster miss the playoffs is a loss on Saturday combined to wins by Ottawa, Laurier and Guelph... Windsor is out of the post-season picture for the fourth consecutive year... Keep an eye on (McMaster): Tommy Nield’s average of 21.2 yards per reception is tops in the OUA and ranks third in the country... Keep an eye on (Windsor): After catching six balls in two games last year in his rookie season, Tristan Carter has a team-leading 38 in seven contests this fall, good for fifth place in the OUA and eighth in the nation.

Manitoba (3-3) at Saskatchewan (3-3)

  • 4 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
  • SaskTel maxTV, TELUS Optik TV, Bell MTS & CanadaWest.TV

Last week (Manitoba): 34-16 road loss vs. Calgary... Last week (Saskatchewan): 20-10 road loss vs. UBC... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 7, 2018 – regular season at Manitoba): Saskatchewan 48, Manitoba 46… In a nutshell: Saskatchewan holds a precious two-point head-to-head cushion heading into Saturday’s contest thanks to a wild 48-46 win in Winnipeg in early September, when Manitoba had a chance to send the game to overtime but missed a two-point conversion with 59 seconds left in regulation... The Huskies (313.2) and Bisons (312.0) are ranked fifth and sixth in the country, respectively, in passing yards per game... Keep an eye on (Manitoba): Kicker Brad Mikoluff leads the country with an average of 43.2 yards per punt... Keep an eye on (Saskatchewan): Colton Klassen leads Canada West and ranks second in the nation with seven touchdown catches.

Acadia (3-3) at Mount Allison (2-4)

  • 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • Bell Aliant Fibe TV1 & AUStv.ca

Last week (Acadia): 31-9 home win vs. Bishop’s... Last week (Mount Allison): 28-16 road loss vs. Saint Mary’s... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 15, 2018 – regular season at Acadia): Acadia 38, Mount Allison 26… In a nutshell: An Acadia win on Saturday would secure a post-season berth for the reigning conference champion Axemen and would also eliminate the Mounties from playoff contention... Acadia and Mount Allison’s rushing attacks are ranked sixth and seventh in the country, respectively, with 176.5 and 174.0 yards per game... Keep an eye on (Acadia): Defensive lineman Thomas Grant leads AUS with 4.5 sacks in six games... Keep an eye on (Mount Allison): Fifth-year running back Kiel Ambursley leads the country with a remarkable 186.0 all-purpose yards per game.

McGill (1-5) at Concordia (2-4)

  • 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
  • TVA Sports & StretchTV

Last week (McGill): 57-13 home loss vs. Laval... Last week (Concordia): 24-0 road loss vs. Montreal... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 15, 2018 – regular season at McGill): Concordia 33, McGill 26… In a nutshell: Concordia, which scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter on Sept. 15 to take the first end of the cross-town battle, can clinch third place in the RSEQ standings with another win over McGill combined to a Sherbrooke loss at Laval... The Stingers have won eight of nine against the Redmen since 2014, their lone head-to-head setback over that period being a 21-8 loss on home turf on Oct. 22, 2016... Keep an eye on (McGill): Third-year halfback Benjamin Carré is tied for the RSEQ lead with four interceptions, good for second place in the nation... Keep an eye on (Concordia): Jarryd Taylor leads the country with an average of 22.7 yards per catch and ranks first in the RSEQ with 521 receiving yards.

York (2-5) at Toronto (0-7)

Last week (York): 35-20 home loss vs. Carleton... Last week (Toronto): 46-8 road loss vs. Guelph... Last head-to-head matchup (Sept. 23, 2017 – regular season at York): York 41, Toronto 16… In a nutshell: Despite a lopsided loss in last year’s Red & Blue Bowl, Toronto has won eight of its past 10 against York and leads the all-time series 30-18... The cross-town rivals are both eliminated from playoff contention... Keep an eye on (York): Despite missing one game earlier this fall, fourth-year senior Colton Hunchak ranks third in the country with a school-record 53 receptions... Keep an eye on (Toronto): Third-year defensive lineman Malcolm Campbell leads the OUA and ranks second in U SPORTS with 11 tackles for a loss.

SUNDAY

Sherbrooke (1-5) at No. 2 Laval (7-0)

  • 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Last week (Sherbrooke): Bye... Last week (Laval): 57-13 road win vs. McGill... Last head-to-head matchup (Aug. 24, 2018 – regular season at Sherbrooke): Laval 14, Sherbrooke 1… In a nutshell: Laval, which has secured first place in the RSEQ standings for the 13th time in 14 years, is looking for the seventh unblemished regular season in program history, having previously accomplished the feat in 2013, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2005 and 2000... Sherbrooke, which can still qualify for the playoffs despite its 1-5 record, is 0-28 all-time against the Rouge et Or... Keep an eye on (Sherbrooke): Gabriel Polan is the most utilized running back in the RSEQ with 85 carries and ranks second in the conference with 404 rushing yards... Keep an eye on (Laval): Heading into the final conference game of his career, fifth-year quarterback Hugo Richard is closing in on a number of career milestones: he needs two touchdown passes to break the RSEQ record of 68 set by Sherbrooke’s Jérémi Roch; 20 passing yards to become the seventh pivot in U SPORTS history to reach the 10,000 plateau; one TD run to become the first player in U SPORTS annals to pass for 60 majors and rush for 30 more.