October 24, 2009
OUA FOOTBALL MILESTONES SET IN 2009
HAMILTON, Ont. - At the end, it was a record that Dan Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.) held for only two weeks.
As anticipated, the race for the all-time Ontario University Athletics (OUA) passing yards crown came down to the final week of the regular season. In come-from-behind fashion, Western Mustangs quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, Ont.) surpassed Queen's Gaels pivot Brannagan to set a new Canadian university record of 10,811 yards. Brannagan must settle for second best, 97 yards behind Faulds, with 10,714.
Faulds threw for 550 yards in a 47-0 win against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday, while Brannagan was held to 289 passing yards in a 25-13 loss to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. Brannagan had entered play on Saturday leading Faulds by 164 yards.
Both quarterbacks are the first to surpass the 10,000 career passing yards mark in OUA history, and only the second and third pivots in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The former CIS record of 10,455 was set by Matt Connell of the McGill Redmen in 2008.
Faulds inscribed his name in the OUA record book in other ways as well. Faulds set a new single-season passing yards mark of 3,033, surpassing former Queen's quarterback Tommy Denison's 2002 mark of 3,001. Along with Denison, they are the only quarterbacks to pass for over 3,000 yards in one year in CIS history. Western as a team set a new OUA record of 3,179 passing yards in a season.
Fittingly, both Brannagan and Faulds became the sixth and seventh players to surpass 500 passing yards in a single game. Brannagan threw for 543 yards against the York Lions in a 67-0 win on Sept. 26.
Faulds also set a new OUA record of 761 completions and 1,241 passing attempts. He was two completions shy of tying Denison's single-season record of 203.
Brannagan was in the hunt for the all-time OUA career record in passing touchdowns, but fell two TDs short of Josh Sacobie's mark of 79 set with the Ottawa Gee-Gees from 2004 to 2008.
It was also a great year in OUA for special teams. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks returner Dillon Heap (Waterloo, Ont.) set a new single-season punt return yardage record of 842. Queen's Gaels returner Jimmy Allin (Belleville, Ont.) set a new OUA single-game mark for punt return yardage with 259 against the Guelph Gryphons in a 52-49 win on Sept. 7. The 101 combined points are the fifth-most in a single OUA game. Allin's 1,516 career punt return yards puts him third all-time in OUA.
Guelph Gryphons punter/kicker Rob Maver (Brampton, Ont.) has climbed up the all-time scoring list with 290 points in his career, good for fifth place in OUA history.
Guelph running back Nick Fitzgibbon (Puslinch, Ont.) is climbing up the all-time OUA career list in touchdowns with 37 after scoring four against the McMaster Marauders in a 32-29 loss. It is the second time in 2009 he scored four times in a game. Fitzgibbon is tied with former Gaels running back Mike Giffin for seventh place in OUA history.
Western running back Nathan Riva (LaSalle, Ont.) scored five touchdowns in a 60-7 win against the Windsor Lancers on Sept. 19, the most points scored by one player in an OUA game since 2005. His 15 touchdowns in 2009 are the most by one player in OUA since former Mustang Randy McAuley in 2007.
Queen's receiver Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.), the beneficiary of many Brannagan passes during his career, will finish with 164 total receptions, good for fourth in OUA history. His 2,917 receiving yards is also good for fourth on the all-time career list.
Guelph's Mark Durigon was one yard shy of a tying the OUA record for longest interception return, running 111 yards for a pick-six against Wilfrid Laurier in a 21-14 loss on Oct. 17. York's Jason Marshall was three yards shy of tying an all-time OUA record for return yards on a missed field goal, returning the ball 125 yards in a 17-14 loss to the Windsor Lancers on Sept. 7.
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
As anticipated, the race for the all-time Ontario University Athletics (OUA) passing yards crown came down to the final week of the regular season. In come-from-behind fashion, Western Mustangs quarterback Michael Faulds (Eden Mills, Ont.) surpassed Queen's Gaels pivot Brannagan to set a new Canadian university record of 10,811 yards. Brannagan must settle for second best, 97 yards behind Faulds, with 10,714.
Faulds threw for 550 yards in a 47-0 win against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday, while Brannagan was held to 289 passing yards in a 25-13 loss to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. Brannagan had entered play on Saturday leading Faulds by 164 yards.
Both quarterbacks are the first to surpass the 10,000 career passing yards mark in OUA history, and only the second and third pivots in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The former CIS record of 10,455 was set by Matt Connell of the McGill Redmen in 2008.
Faulds inscribed his name in the OUA record book in other ways as well. Faulds set a new single-season passing yards mark of 3,033, surpassing former Queen's quarterback Tommy Denison's 2002 mark of 3,001. Along with Denison, they are the only quarterbacks to pass for over 3,000 yards in one year in CIS history. Western as a team set a new OUA record of 3,179 passing yards in a season.
Fittingly, both Brannagan and Faulds became the sixth and seventh players to surpass 500 passing yards in a single game. Brannagan threw for 543 yards against the York Lions in a 67-0 win on Sept. 26.
Faulds also set a new OUA record of 761 completions and 1,241 passing attempts. He was two completions shy of tying Denison's single-season record of 203.
Brannagan was in the hunt for the all-time OUA career record in passing touchdowns, but fell two TDs short of Josh Sacobie's mark of 79 set with the Ottawa Gee-Gees from 2004 to 2008.
It was also a great year in OUA for special teams. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks returner Dillon Heap (Waterloo, Ont.) set a new single-season punt return yardage record of 842. Queen's Gaels returner Jimmy Allin (Belleville, Ont.) set a new OUA single-game mark for punt return yardage with 259 against the Guelph Gryphons in a 52-49 win on Sept. 7. The 101 combined points are the fifth-most in a single OUA game. Allin's 1,516 career punt return yards puts him third all-time in OUA.
Guelph Gryphons punter/kicker Rob Maver (Brampton, Ont.) has climbed up the all-time scoring list with 290 points in his career, good for fifth place in OUA history.
Guelph running back Nick Fitzgibbon (Puslinch, Ont.) is climbing up the all-time OUA career list in touchdowns with 37 after scoring four against the McMaster Marauders in a 32-29 loss. It is the second time in 2009 he scored four times in a game. Fitzgibbon is tied with former Gaels running back Mike Giffin for seventh place in OUA history.
Western running back Nathan Riva (LaSalle, Ont.) scored five touchdowns in a 60-7 win against the Windsor Lancers on Sept. 19, the most points scored by one player in an OUA game since 2005. His 15 touchdowns in 2009 are the most by one player in OUA since former Mustang Randy McAuley in 2007.
Queen's receiver Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.), the beneficiary of many Brannagan passes during his career, will finish with 164 total receptions, good for fourth in OUA history. His 2,917 receiving yards is also good for fourth on the all-time career list.
Guelph's Mark Durigon was one yard shy of a tying the OUA record for longest interception return, running 111 yards for a pick-six against Wilfrid Laurier in a 21-14 loss on Oct. 17. York's Jason Marshall was three yards shy of tying an all-time OUA record for return yards on a missed field goal, returning the ball 125 yards in a 17-14 loss to the Windsor Lancers on Sept. 7.
– OUA –
ABOUT ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its 19 member institutions are developing Champions For Life. Giving 9,000 student-athletes the opportunity to excel academically and on the playing field, while preparing for life after university. For more information, visit OUA.ca.
