September 23, 2008
\"I DON'T OWN A CALCULATOR\"
Ottawa star quarterback Sacobie humbly approaches passing greatness
OTTAWA, Ont. - Don't ask fifth-year all-star quarterback Josh Sacobie for an update on his career passing numbers or how close the six-foot-four Maliseet from the St. Mary's First Nation near Fredericton is from becoming the CIS career yardage and touchdown passing leader.
The answer is razor close on both counts - but the reigning OUA MVP isn't aware of just how small the measurement is between his numbers and history.
"I have never been good at math," said Sacobie.
After a career-best six touchdowns and 371 passing yards over three seemingly effortless quarters last Saturday against overmatched Waterloo (a 59-0 Gee-Gees win), Sacobie is within 12 touchdown passes of the CIS all-time mark and is less than 1,000 yards away from the all-time career yardage record with four regular season games left in a consistently productive career that has seen just two regular season misses since 2004. He's 31-10 when taking the first snap.
"The only time I calculate percentages and numbers is when I add up my mid-term marks," Sacobie said.
A pass-first Gee-Gees offence and sterling assortment of receivers – established veterans like blue-collar fifth-year offensive captain Justin Wood-Roy, silky third-year converted quarterback Cyril Adjeity, and transfers in fifth-year record-chasing all-star Ivan Birungi and third-year receiver Ron Kelly, who caught three scores Saturday in his second Gee-Gees start – doesn't hurt.
"We're so deep at receiver," Sacobie said.
The Gee-Gees four-time MVP said this CIS curtain call is anything but a pressure-cooker.
"Sometimes coaches tell me to focus because I am having too much fun."
The current CIS No. 2 passing leader with 1,324 yards off 73 completions and 12 touchdowns against just three interceptions, Sacobie leads the 3-1 Gee-Gees into Windsor (2-2) Saturday to face all-time rushing leader Daryl Stephenson in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
"I think will care more about statistics after 10 years when I am done with this game," Sacobie said.
"That's when I will be wanting to remember my good times in football."
The Gee-Gees practice this week: Tuesday 6:00-8:00 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday 4:00-6:00 p.m.
NOTES: Lee Shaver, a third-year defensive back with the Gee-Gees, is the OUA football defensive Athlete of the Week after recording a team-high 5.5 tackles with an interception in uOttawa's 59-0 home shutout Saturday afternoon against Waterloo. The 22-year-old Social Sciences major is the youngest of three brothers to play for the Gee-Gees and a first-year starter.
SACOBIE'S RECORD CHASE
CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASSES
SACOBIE: No. 2 - 75 (2004-)
OUA RECORD: 75 Sacobie (2004-)
CIS RECORD: 87 Chris Flynn (Saint Mary's 1987-90)
CAREER PASSING YARDS
SACOBIE: No. 3 - 9,038 (2004-)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 9,974 yards Ben Chapdelaine (McMaster 1997-01)
CAREER COMPLETIONS
SACOBIE: No. 6 - 569 (2004-)
OUA RECORD: 609 Chapdelaine
CIS RECORD: 710 Matt Connell (McGill 2003-)
CAREER ATTEMPTS
SACOBIE: No. 10 - 979 (2004-)
OUA RECORD: 1,107 Chapdelaine
CIS RECORD: 1,200 Greg Vavra (Calgary 1979-83)
BIRUNGI'S RECORD CHASE
CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
BIRUNGI: No. 2 – 33 (Acadia 2003-06; uOttawa 2008)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 41 Andy Fantuz (Western 2002-05)
CAEER RECEIVING YARDS
BIRUNGI: No. 12 – 2,555 (Acadia 2003-06; uOttawa 2008)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 4,123 Andy Fantuz (Western Ontario 2002-05)
CAREER RECEPTIONS
BIRUNGI: (T)No. 13 – 149 (Acadia 2003-06; uOttawa 2008)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 189 Andy Fantuz (Western Ontario 2002-05)
Source: Gee-Gees Athletics
OTTAWA, Ont. - Don't ask fifth-year all-star quarterback Josh Sacobie for an update on his career passing numbers or how close the six-foot-four Maliseet from the St. Mary's First Nation near Fredericton is from becoming the CIS career yardage and touchdown passing leader.
The answer is razor close on both counts - but the reigning OUA MVP isn't aware of just how small the measurement is between his numbers and history.
"I have never been good at math," said Sacobie.
After a career-best six touchdowns and 371 passing yards over three seemingly effortless quarters last Saturday against overmatched Waterloo (a 59-0 Gee-Gees win), Sacobie is within 12 touchdown passes of the CIS all-time mark and is less than 1,000 yards away from the all-time career yardage record with four regular season games left in a consistently productive career that has seen just two regular season misses since 2004. He's 31-10 when taking the first snap.
"The only time I calculate percentages and numbers is when I add up my mid-term marks," Sacobie said.
A pass-first Gee-Gees offence and sterling assortment of receivers – established veterans like blue-collar fifth-year offensive captain Justin Wood-Roy, silky third-year converted quarterback Cyril Adjeity, and transfers in fifth-year record-chasing all-star Ivan Birungi and third-year receiver Ron Kelly, who caught three scores Saturday in his second Gee-Gees start – doesn't hurt.
"We're so deep at receiver," Sacobie said.
The Gee-Gees four-time MVP said this CIS curtain call is anything but a pressure-cooker.
"Sometimes coaches tell me to focus because I am having too much fun."
The current CIS No. 2 passing leader with 1,324 yards off 73 completions and 12 touchdowns against just three interceptions, Sacobie leads the 3-1 Gee-Gees into Windsor (2-2) Saturday to face all-time rushing leader Daryl Stephenson in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
"I think will care more about statistics after 10 years when I am done with this game," Sacobie said.
"That's when I will be wanting to remember my good times in football."
The Gee-Gees practice this week: Tuesday 6:00-8:00 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday 4:00-6:00 p.m.
NOTES: Lee Shaver, a third-year defensive back with the Gee-Gees, is the OUA football defensive Athlete of the Week after recording a team-high 5.5 tackles with an interception in uOttawa's 59-0 home shutout Saturday afternoon against Waterloo. The 22-year-old Social Sciences major is the youngest of three brothers to play for the Gee-Gees and a first-year starter.
SACOBIE'S RECORD CHASE
CAREER TOUCHDOWN PASSES
SACOBIE: No. 2 - 75 (2004-)
OUA RECORD: 75 Sacobie (2004-)
CIS RECORD: 87 Chris Flynn (Saint Mary's 1987-90)
CAREER PASSING YARDS
SACOBIE: No. 3 - 9,038 (2004-)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 9,974 yards Ben Chapdelaine (McMaster 1997-01)
CAREER COMPLETIONS
SACOBIE: No. 6 - 569 (2004-)
OUA RECORD: 609 Chapdelaine
CIS RECORD: 710 Matt Connell (McGill 2003-)
CAREER ATTEMPTS
SACOBIE: No. 10 - 979 (2004-)
OUA RECORD: 1,107 Chapdelaine
CIS RECORD: 1,200 Greg Vavra (Calgary 1979-83)
BIRUNGI'S RECORD CHASE
CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
BIRUNGI: No. 2 – 33 (Acadia 2003-06; uOttawa 2008)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 41 Andy Fantuz (Western 2002-05)
CAEER RECEIVING YARDS
BIRUNGI: No. 12 – 2,555 (Acadia 2003-06; uOttawa 2008)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 4,123 Andy Fantuz (Western Ontario 2002-05)
CAREER RECEPTIONS
BIRUNGI: (T)No. 13 – 149 (Acadia 2003-06; uOttawa 2008)
OUA/CIS RECORD: 189 Andy Fantuz (Western Ontario 2002-05)
Source: Gee-Gees Athletics
