October 13, 2006
LANCERS MARCH INTO GUELPH TO BATTLE GRYPHS ON UNIVERSITY RUSH
GUELPH - Almost a year ago to the day, the Guelph Gryphons and Windsor Lancers hooked up for one of the most classic match-ups of the Ontario University Athletics football season. In dire need of a win to clinch a playoff berth, the Gryphons hit paydirt late in the fourth quarter to pull out a 22-19 win, shocking a packed house at the University of Windsor Stadium and a national television audience watching at home. On Saturday, October 14, the Lancers get a chance to spoil the party as they bring their vaunted ground attack into face the Gryphons on The Score's University Rush broadcast, beginning at 2:00 pm. The game is sponsored by Pioneer Petroleums.
The scenario one year later is similar for these two OUA programs - Windsor (4-2) is firmly entrenched in a playoff position, while the Gryphons (2-3-1), in their first year under the watch of rookie head coach Kyle Walters, once again need a win to keep any thoughts of the post-season alive. Windsor head coach Mike Morencie is well aware of that and expects to face a hungry and intense team Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
"We're scared to death of their offensive talent," says the Windsor boss. "They have some prime-time people on that unit who are difficult to defend. And they've got a good defensive front. They're real solid.
"We'll try to force our will on them and run the ball."
Not many programs can do that better than the Lancers, who boast the nation's leading rusher in Daryl Stephenson, last week's Canadian Interuniversity Sport offensive player of the week following a 247-yard, four-touchdown outburst in a 41-28 win over the York Lions. The big London, Ont. native has averaged an eye-popping 147.7 yards per outing en route to CIS-best totals of 886 yards and 10 touchdowns. With rookie running mate Nick Romain producing seven more scores earlier in the season, the Windsor ground game has evolved into a force behind a tough and effective offensive line.
Windsor can get it done in the air, too, evidenced by first-year starter Dan Lumley's three first-quarter touchdown passes that did in the Queen's Golden Gaels at their Homecoming in Kingston a few weeks back. The key for Morencie and his staff is to find that perfect blend.
"We seem to be too unbalanced one way or another," he says of his offence. "Last week, we ran the ball really well. But we're always struggling to find that balance.
"In terms of the passing game, what people fail to realize is that Dan hasn't quarterbacked much in the past couple years and each week, he seems to knock more rust off his game."
The Gryphons have had some of their own issues on the offensive side of the ball, though the pieces are there to break out. Second-year quarterback Justin Dunk enters the game as the CIS passing leader with a nation's best 1,791 yards. The Guelph native has completed 115 of 207 attempts for 12 touchdowns, second most in the CIS, but some miscues (11 interceptions) have hurt the talented and athletic sophomore. With veteran targets Dave McKoy and Jeff Keegan, last year's 2005 receiving yardage leader, Dunk has aired it out often.
"We knew coming into this year that our offensive line would be very inexperienced and our receivers were very good," says Walters. "That combination forced us to become a passing team. I'm not entirely comfortable handing the ball to a second-year player and having him decide the outcome of the game but we are who we are. Justin has responded and made some big plays for us. He needs to learn to take care of the ball and make better decisions but again, he is very young and I've accepted that some of those negative things are going to happen in this style of offence."
Walters knows this week is a must-win situation if Guelph hopes to make it back to the OUA playoffs. They have demonstrated an ability to play solid football at times, including a good performance in a disappointing 24-17 OT loss to the defending Vanier champion Laurier Golden Hawks in week one.
"The biggest concern is the inability to close out a couple of games that we were in a position to win," says Walters. "I wanted this team to compete with the upper tier teams and we definitely accomplished that but it is little consolation at this point in the year."
While Guelph needs the win to stay alive, Windsor could still possibly host a playoff game with victories this Saturday and next week against Laurier. The Lancers only two losses have come in close games against the nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders and the Western Mustangs in weeks four and five.
"We were leading Mac 17-5 at half and that loss seemed to carryover to the Western game," says Morencie. "But we got things going last week. These next two games are very important.
"But I can tell you we're not looking ahead to Laurier at all."
Windsor Leaders
Passing
Dan Lumley - 67 completions, 131 attempts, 1,245 yards, seven touchdowns, six interceptions
Rushing
Daryl Stephenson - 117 rushes, 886 yards, 10 touchdowns
Nick Romain - 21 rushes, 337 yards, seven touchdowns
Receiving
Glenn MacKay - 21 receptions, 470 yards, five touchdowns
Bryan Dufour - 10 receptions, 185 yards
Mike Harrington - seven receptions, 169 yards, one touchdown
Defence
Sasha Glavic - 26 solo tackles, six assisted tackles, one sack, one interception
John Celestino - 24 solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles, two sacks
Tyler Horricks - 18 solo tackles, 9 assisted tackles, four sacks
Guelph Leaders
Passing
Justin Dunk - 115 completions, 207 attempts, 1,791 yards, 12 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
Rushing
Nick Fitzgibbon - 60 rushes, 338 yards, three touchdowns
Justin Dunk - 38 rushes, 269 yards, three touchdowns
Receiving
Dave McKoy - 36 receptions, 644 yards, seven touchdowns
Jeff Keegan - 37 receptions, 615 yards, five touchdowns
Nick Fitzgibbon - 10 receptions, 141 yards
Defence
Sean Riley - 30 solo tackles, nine assisted tackles
Chris Decker - 18 solo tackles, seven assisted tackles, one interception
Shaun Arbuckle - 18 solo tackles, seven assisted tackles, two interceptions
- OUA -
(Photo: Dan Lumley (7) and Nick Cicchini (60). Photo by: Jason Kryk.)
The scenario one year later is similar for these two OUA programs - Windsor (4-2) is firmly entrenched in a playoff position, while the Gryphons (2-3-1), in their first year under the watch of rookie head coach Kyle Walters, once again need a win to keep any thoughts of the post-season alive. Windsor head coach Mike Morencie is well aware of that and expects to face a hungry and intense team Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
"We're scared to death of their offensive talent," says the Windsor boss. "They have some prime-time people on that unit who are difficult to defend. And they've got a good defensive front. They're real solid.
"We'll try to force our will on them and run the ball."
Not many programs can do that better than the Lancers, who boast the nation's leading rusher in Daryl Stephenson, last week's Canadian Interuniversity Sport offensive player of the week following a 247-yard, four-touchdown outburst in a 41-28 win over the York Lions. The big London, Ont. native has averaged an eye-popping 147.7 yards per outing en route to CIS-best totals of 886 yards and 10 touchdowns. With rookie running mate Nick Romain producing seven more scores earlier in the season, the Windsor ground game has evolved into a force behind a tough and effective offensive line.
Windsor can get it done in the air, too, evidenced by first-year starter Dan Lumley's three first-quarter touchdown passes that did in the Queen's Golden Gaels at their Homecoming in Kingston a few weeks back. The key for Morencie and his staff is to find that perfect blend.
"We seem to be too unbalanced one way or another," he says of his offence. "Last week, we ran the ball really well. But we're always struggling to find that balance.
"In terms of the passing game, what people fail to realize is that Dan hasn't quarterbacked much in the past couple years and each week, he seems to knock more rust off his game."
The Gryphons have had some of their own issues on the offensive side of the ball, though the pieces are there to break out. Second-year quarterback Justin Dunk enters the game as the CIS passing leader with a nation's best 1,791 yards. The Guelph native has completed 115 of 207 attempts for 12 touchdowns, second most in the CIS, but some miscues (11 interceptions) have hurt the talented and athletic sophomore. With veteran targets Dave McKoy and Jeff Keegan, last year's 2005 receiving yardage leader, Dunk has aired it out often.
"We knew coming into this year that our offensive line would be very inexperienced and our receivers were very good," says Walters. "That combination forced us to become a passing team. I'm not entirely comfortable handing the ball to a second-year player and having him decide the outcome of the game but we are who we are. Justin has responded and made some big plays for us. He needs to learn to take care of the ball and make better decisions but again, he is very young and I've accepted that some of those negative things are going to happen in this style of offence."
Walters knows this week is a must-win situation if Guelph hopes to make it back to the OUA playoffs. They have demonstrated an ability to play solid football at times, including a good performance in a disappointing 24-17 OT loss to the defending Vanier champion Laurier Golden Hawks in week one.
"The biggest concern is the inability to close out a couple of games that we were in a position to win," says Walters. "I wanted this team to compete with the upper tier teams and we definitely accomplished that but it is little consolation at this point in the year."
While Guelph needs the win to stay alive, Windsor could still possibly host a playoff game with victories this Saturday and next week against Laurier. The Lancers only two losses have come in close games against the nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders and the Western Mustangs in weeks four and five.
"We were leading Mac 17-5 at half and that loss seemed to carryover to the Western game," says Morencie. "But we got things going last week. These next two games are very important.
"But I can tell you we're not looking ahead to Laurier at all."
Windsor Leaders
Passing
Dan Lumley - 67 completions, 131 attempts, 1,245 yards, seven touchdowns, six interceptions
Rushing
Daryl Stephenson - 117 rushes, 886 yards, 10 touchdowns
Nick Romain - 21 rushes, 337 yards, seven touchdowns
Receiving
Glenn MacKay - 21 receptions, 470 yards, five touchdowns
Bryan Dufour - 10 receptions, 185 yards
Mike Harrington - seven receptions, 169 yards, one touchdown
Defence
Sasha Glavic - 26 solo tackles, six assisted tackles, one sack, one interception
John Celestino - 24 solo tackles, 14 assisted tackles, two sacks
Tyler Horricks - 18 solo tackles, 9 assisted tackles, four sacks
Guelph Leaders
Passing
Justin Dunk - 115 completions, 207 attempts, 1,791 yards, 12 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
Rushing
Nick Fitzgibbon - 60 rushes, 338 yards, three touchdowns
Justin Dunk - 38 rushes, 269 yards, three touchdowns
Receiving
Dave McKoy - 36 receptions, 644 yards, seven touchdowns
Jeff Keegan - 37 receptions, 615 yards, five touchdowns
Nick Fitzgibbon - 10 receptions, 141 yards
Defence
Sean Riley - 30 solo tackles, nine assisted tackles
Chris Decker - 18 solo tackles, seven assisted tackles, one interception
Shaun Arbuckle - 18 solo tackles, seven assisted tackles, two interceptions
- OUA -
(Photo: Dan Lumley (7) and Nick Cicchini (60). Photo by: Jason Kryk.)
