2008 WESTERN FOOTBALL PREVIEW

2007 Regular Season Record: 4-4
2007 Regular Season Standings: 6th in OUA
2007 Playoff Record: 3-1
2007 Playoff Finish: Lost to Manitoba in Mitchell Bowl (CIS semi-final)

OVERVIEW

After starting the season 0-4, Western won the OUA Yates Cup, the 27th in team history to set a new benchmark in OUA. It was the first Yates Cup win for Western since 1998 and the 15th in the career of Western head coach Greg Marshall (three as a player, 12 as a coach) who took over the program from Larry Haylor in 2007.

The Mustangs begin defence of the Yates Cup on Sept. 1 when they host the Ottawa Gee-Gees at TD Waterhouse Stadium at 7 p.m. It will be a rematch of last year's OUA semifinal game between the two teams, which Western won in come-from-behind fashion when rookie linebacker John Surla recovered a fumble in the end zone.

A strong recruiting class, led by blue-chip linemen Ahmad Jaradat (London, Ont. - Catholic Central Crusaders) and Mike Van Praet (London, Ont. - Mother Teresa Spartans) join Montreal's Matt Norman (CEGEP – Vanier College) as three of the top linemen in the nation. Jaradat and Norman are both over 300 lbs. each and are mobile. Quarterback Donnie Marshall, eldest son of head coach Greg Marshall, committed to the program, and he is coming off a win at the Western Bowl high school football championship last November in Toronto. He'll compete for the back-up role behind returning starting pivot Michael Faulds who was named player of the game in last November's Yates Cup win over Guelph.

Other new additions include David Lee (Lucas Vikings) at linebacker and the return of running back Ben Roberts, who sat out in 2007 with injury. Roberts is expected to emerge as a leading running back in the CIS, while Jerimy Hipperson will sit out the season due to injury. Transfer kicker/punter Darryl Wheeler should also make an immediate impact at Western after trying out at Winnipeg Blue Bombers camp, along with St. Francis Xavier transfer safety Jon Hood, who was a standout rookie at the Edmonton Eskimos camp.

HEAD COACH: GREG MARSHALL

- Number of seasons as head coach with team (including 2008): 2
- Number of seasons as head coach in CIS (including 2008): 9 (7 with McMaster)
- Career regular season record with team: 4-4
- Career regular season record in CIS: 46-16-2
- Career overall record with team (reg. season & playoffs only): 7-5
- Career overall record in CIS (reg. season & playoffs only): 60-23-2 (four consecutive Yates Cups 2000-2003)

NOTE: Marshall was an assistant coach at the University of Western Ontario from 1984-1992 and was the offensive coordinator from 1992 to 1996. During his tenure, the University of Western Ontario earned Vanier Cup victories in 1989 and 1994.

QUOTES:

On the offence: "We have Michael Faulds returning at quarterback so we'll be very talented and experienced there. But we're very young at running back and receiver positions, and we have a solid offensive line even though we're young there. Three of our receivers from last year graduated... we're very inexperienced and young at the wide receiver position, unfortunately, considering the talent we have at quarterback in Michael (Faulds)."

On the defence: "Our defence is solid, and very talented. From the experienced secondary out, our linebackers are one year older and one year more experienced. Same with our defensive line. And we're still a young group on defence but we should be strong on defence."

On losing three-time All-Canadian punter/kicker Derek Schiavone to the CFL: "With Darryl Wheeler at the kicker and punter position we're in pretty good shape."

OFFENCE

Key Returning Players:

QB Michael Faulds: Entering his fourth year with Western in 2008, Faulds comes off his best season after being hampered by injuries in 2005 and 2006. He led Western to its 27th Yates Cup in team history, being named player of the game going 23 of 41 for 390 yards. He finished the regular season with a career-high 3,250 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 233 yards (2nd on team) and three touchdowns.

LT Richard Zulys: An imposing figure on the offensive line, Zulys is once again a strong contender to earn a spot on the OUA All-Star team after enjoying strong seasons in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in April and has been a five-year starter with the Mustangs.

DB and REC Matt Carapella: Mr. Everything, Matt Carapella was a vital part of Western's Yates Cup run. Injured in the home opener against Queen's in 2007, Western lost four straight with Carapella out of the lineup. Upon his return at Homecoming, Western won seven straight games. In five games, Carapella had 11.5 tackles, 4 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery.

REC Jesse Bellamy: The native of Guelph, ON led the Mustangs in receiving yards and receptions in 2007 with 575 yards on 35 catches, including one touchdown. He will be the only starting receiver to return in 2008 and will likely be the No. 1 target of Michael Faulds.

Key Recruits:

OT Ahmad Jaradat: A native of London, ON, the product of the Catholic Central Crusaders was originally destined for NC State but decided to stay closer to home. A blessing for the Mustangs as the 6-foot-5, 305 lb. lineman will make an immediate impact.

OG Matt Norman: A newcomer from Montreal's Vanier College (CEGEP), Norman is a versatile guard who was a star in Quebec.

OL Mike Van Praet: A graduate of London's Mother Teresa Spartans team that won the Western Bowl in Toronto last November, Van Praet is a versatile lineman who can play both sides of the ball.

QB Donnie Marshall: The eldest son of head coach Greg Marshall, Marshall guided London's Mother Teresa Spartans to the Western Bowl win in Toronto last November.

Key Losses:

Mustangs all-time leading rusher and touchdown-scorer Randy McAuley graduated, while receivers Dave Clayton, Anthony Adderley and Tyler Scott (Toronto Argonauts) are also gone.



DEFENCE

Key Returning Players:

DE Vaughn Martin: Martin quickly earned the respect of opposing teams in his 2007 rookie campaign, finishing third on the team in tackles with 33.5 along with two sack and one fumble recovery. Martin (6-foot-4, 295 lbs.) attended Milford Academy in New York State where he was heavily recruited by NCAA schools, and he even committed to Michigan State before its coaching staff was fired. Prior to playing at Western, Martin played for the Marshall-coached Canada team that competed at the Global Junior Championships along with Mustang sophomore linebacker John Surla.

LB John Surla: Named Western's top rookie in 2007, Surla finished second on the team in tackles with 40 and added a forced fumble and an interception. In the dying seconds of the OUA semifinal game at Ottawa, the middle linebacker fell on the ball in the end zone following an Ottawa fumble to score the final six points and secure a 23-16 win. Through the season, he was a special-teams force recording key tackles on kick returns and acting as one of the team's long-snappers.

DB Corey McNair: McNair led the Mustangs in tackles in 2007 finishing with 44.5 along with 1 interception. He represented Western at the 2007 CIS East West Bowl at Laval.

DB Andrew Bain: Finishing 7th on the team in total tackles with 14, Bain also recorded a breakup and pulled in one fumble recovery, stepping up as a leader in the absence of Matt Carapella.

Key Recruits:

LB David Lee (London - A.B. Lucas Vikings)
S/DB Jon Hood (Transfer, St. Francis Xavier)
K/P Darryl Wheeler (Utah State, tried out with Winnipeg Blue Bombers in summer 2008)

Key Losses:

DL Tom Dolezel (led Mustangs with 5 sacks in 2007)
LB Nick Kordic (led Mustangs with 4 interceptions in 2007 and was fourth on team with 28 tackles, now with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats)
K/P Derek Schiavone (an All-Canadian all three seasons with Western, Schiavone is now on the practice roster for the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos)



2008 Schedule

Sept. 1 - Ottawa @ Western, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 - Western @ Laurier, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13 - Waterloo @ Western, 1 p.m.
Sept. 20 - Western @ York, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27 - Western @ Queen's, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 - Windsor @ Western, 2 p.m.
Oct. 9 - Western @ Toronto, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 - Guelph @ Western, 1 p.m.

Source: Mustangs Athletics

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